FESTIVALS
Hosted at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles, the DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) is a boutique event celebrating independent cinema worldwide. The festival honors excellence across narrative, documentary, animation, and screenwriting with its prestigious Leo Awards. Beyond screenings, DIFF features panels such as FilmAsia, FilmAfrica, and The Writers’ Corner, plus the Junior Leo Awards supporting emerging student filmmakers.
Key Details:
Extended Deadline: September 10, 2025
Event Dates: October 10 – 12, 2025
Location: Los Angeles, CA (AMC The Grove)
Founded in 1999 by actor Tetsuya Bessho, SSFF & Asia is Japan’s largest short film festival and has been Academy Award® accredited since 2004. It showcases global shorts across live-action, animation, and non-fiction, with special branded competitions highlighting themes like Tokyo and beyond. The festival has become a launchpad for emerging Asian and international filmmakers.
Key Details:
Early Deadline: September 30, 2025
Final Selection Results: By the end of April 2026
Location: Tokyo, Japan
FUNDING & LABS
Anthem is awarding $10,000 grants to five New York small businesses that are making a positive impact in their local communities. Open to a wide range of sectors from startups to restaurants, the grant is designed to help businesses attract new customers or fund projects on hold. No purchase or product sign-up required to apply.
Key Details:
Deadline: September 16, 2025
Funding: $10,000 USD (5 winners)
Eligibility: Small businesses located in New York State
Running alongside the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is Northern Europe’s leading film industry platform. The program features Works in Progress showcases for international, Baltic, and youth-focused films, plus training and mentorship through the Tallinn Industry Academy, Breaking Into the Industry (for aspiring producers), and a Generative AI Atelier.
Key Details:
Deadline: September 15, 2025
Support: Works in Progress showcase, mentorship, training, financier networking
Eligibility: International filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Canva offers a flexible online storyboard maker with drag-and-drop templates, an expansive library of stock images and illustrations, and collaborative features. It’s browser-based and free to use, perfect for crafting polished visual outlines quickly, especially when working with non-artistic collaborators or clients.
Best For: Filmmakers and producers looking for visually attractive, shareable storyboard layouts without design complexity.
Uppbeat is a free music platform offering creators copyright-safe tracks for videos, podcasts, and other projects. With curated playlists, trending releases, and genres from chill to epic scores, Uppbeat helps filmmakers and content creators avoid copyright claims while accessing high-quality soundtracks.
Best For: Filmmakers, YouTubers, and content creators who need free, copyright-safe music with no takedowns.
JOBS
NFL Media is hiring a part-time Post Production Assistant at its West Coast HQ in Inglewood, CA. The role supports media management, transcription, assistant editing in Adobe Premiere, ingest prep, and tape digitization.
Key Details:
Location: Inglewood, CA
Type: Part-time
Pay: $25.74/hour
CBC/Radio-Canada is hiring a Production Coordinator (English Services) for its Marketing & Communications team in Toronto. The hybrid role provides administrative and production support, coordinates workflows, and ensures deadlines across creative and paid media projects.
Key Details:
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada (Hybrid)
Type: Temporary Long-Term (Full-time)
Deadline: September 3, 2025
INDUSTRY PULSE
The 82nd Venice Film Festival kicks off August 27 with a star-studded lineup including Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein, Kathryn Bigelow’s political thriller A House of Dynamite, and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice. Other highlights feature works by Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Luca Guadagnino, cementing Venice as the launchpad for Oscar contenders.
Estimated read: 3 min
Disney World is reportedly developing a new version of the iconic Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster featuring The Muppets. The attraction, rumored to replace Aerosmith, would blend music, comedy, and immersive ride technology. No official opening date yet, but fans are buzzing about a potential Hollywood Studios debut.
Estimated read: 3 min
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