In partnership with
FESTIVALS
Held on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island, LIFF celebrates independent storytelling with screenings, panels, and beachside events. Twice named one of MovieMaker’s “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” it connects filmmakers and audiences in a relaxed, creative atmosphere.
Key Details:
Earlybird Deadline: October 21, 2025 (Today)
Event Dates: June 10 – 14, 2026
Location: Long Beach Island, New Jersey, US
Rated 4th in the world on FilmFreeway and No.1 in the UK, CPIFF is a BIFA-qualifying festival known as “the world’s coolest.” Founded in 2009, it screens a global mix of shorts, features, documentaries, and music videos across London’s Everyman Cinemas. Nearly all screenings sell out, blending quality indie films with food, drinks, and comedy nights hosted by top UK comedians.
Key Details:
Final Deadline: November 4, 2025
Event Dates: February 26 – March 21, 2026
Location: London, United Kingdom
FUNDING & PROGRAMS
Project-based funding for initiatives that strengthen Canada’s screen-based ecosystem. Supports training, capacity-building, and market-access programs that benefit multiple creators or companies, with streams for Capacity Building and Market Access.
Key Details:
Next Opening: November 4 → Closes November 20, 2025
Support: Funding for industry-wide development or market-access projects
Eligibility: Canadian organizations
The University of Texas at Austin’s Harry Ransom Center will award up to 50 research fellowships supporting archival research across literature, photography, film, art, and cultural history. Fellowships range from one week to two months and welcome artists, journalists, and independent filmmakers whose work engages with the Center’s world-class collections.
Key Details:
Deadline: November 3, 2025 (5 PM CST)
Support: $2,000–$7,000 USD stipend + $500 travel aid for non-US residents
Eligibility: Open internationally to filmmakers, artists, and researchers requiring on-site use of Ransom Center collections
TOOLS & RESOURCES
DreamWorks Animation’s award-winning production renderer, now open source. Used on Kung Fu Panda 4, The Bad Guys, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, MoonRay delivers physically based rendering, USD Hydra integration, and distributed cloud rendering via Arras. Ideal for studios, VFX artists, and researchers exploring high-end MCRT workflows.
An advanced video stabilization and enhancement toolkit originally developed for professional camera systems, now available to independent creators and studios. It offers real-time stabilization, noise reduction, and motion analysis powered by AI-ideal for post-production polishing or handheld footage refinement.
Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.
JOBS
Snowball Agency is hiring a YouTube Video Editor for Genspark, a fast-growing AI company ($160M+ raised, 13M+ users). The role involves shaping AI-focused content into engaging, high-retention videos. Applicants should have strong storytelling instincts and YouTube editing experience.
Key Details:
Location: Remote, US (LA & NYC preferred)
Type: Full-time, Contract-to-Hire
Pay: $1,500–$2,000 USD/week
BBC News is seeking a News Editor to lead its new mobile-first video team, shaping vertical storytelling across BBC platforms. The role involves managing editors, overseeing strategy, and innovating formats for digital audiences.
Key Details:
Location: Salford or Cardiff, United Kingdom
Type: 12-month contract (Full-time)
Pay: £60,000–£75,000 GBP/year
INDUSTRY PULSE
As Studio Ghibli classics return to theaters for this year’s Ghibli Fest, a feature revisits Hayao Miyazaki’s 60-year partnership with his wife, Akemi Ota, a fellow animator who helped shape the spirit of his films. Ota worked at Toei Animation before stepping back to raise their family, inspiring Miyazaki’s recurring depictions of strong, gentle women and domestic warmth across his works.
Estimated read: 3 min
Across the United Kingdom, more than 1,600 volunteer-run and nonprofit cinemas are redefining how audiences experience film. Once shuttered picture houses and village halls are being revived by local collectives, offering affordable screenings and community-led programming. From Merseyside to Lancaster, these independent venues are not just preserving cinema culture-they’re rebuilding it around connection, inclusion, and shared storytelling.
Estimated read: 4 min
Advertise With Us
Put your brand in front of working filmmakers, writers, crew, and industry professionals. Get in touch.
Crew Calls
Crew needed? Share your crew call with us and we’ll feature it in the newsletter. Submit here.
Be the Next Spotlight
Want the industry to notice your work? Apply to be featured in an upcoming issue. Apply as Creator. Apply with Project.