FESTIVALS
Now in its 21st year, SFFSFF (run by MOPOP and the Seattle International Film Festival) is one of the world’s leading showcases for sci-fi and fantasy shorts. The festival has launched films that later earned Academy Award nominations, international distribution, and museum exhibitions.
Key Details:
Early Bird Deadline: August 31, 2025
Event Dates: June 6 – 7, 2026
Fee Waivers: Available for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and low-income filmmakers
Hosted annually at the iconic open-air Cine Kamari in Greece, the Santorini Film Festival celebrates independent shorts, features, and documentaries from around the world. Organized by HFP (which runs 25 festivals across 13 countries), the event combines screenings, workshops, and networking in one of the world’s most scenic settings.
Key Details:
Next Deadline: September 28, 2025
Event Dates: July 10 – 11, 2026
Special Offer: Fee Waiver code SANT25 (first 25 uses) OR 45% off with code SFF45 (valid in multiple categories)
FUNDING & LABS
Feet in 2 Worlds (Fi2W) is offering a paid seven-month fellowship (Sept 2025 – Mar 2026) for early to mid-career journalists interested in immigration and the economy. Fellows will produce a four-story series while being mentored by Fi2W editors and journalist mentors. The program is part-time (20 hrs/week), fully remote, and open to applicants across the U.S. Applicants with immigrant backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Details:
Deadline: August 29, 2025 (11:59 PM ET)
Support: $500/week stipend + mentorship + editorial training
Eligibility: Early/mid-career journalists; must be based in the U.S.
The Low Season Residency on Block Island (Rhode Island, US) offers 10 days of creative retreat and community engagement for artists across disciplines, including filmmakers, writers, and visual artists. Residents receive housing, meals, and a stipend, while contributing to local life through a workshop and public talk.
Key Details:
Deadline: August 29, 2025
Support: Free lodging + breakfast, $1,000 stipend, ferry travel stipend, portfolio page.
Eligibility: Open internationally to artists of all disciplines.
TOOLS & RESOURCES
CapCut is a free, all-in-one video editor from Bytedance (the creators of TikTok). Available on desktop, mobile, and web, it supports multi-track editing, subtitles, transitions, filters, and AI-powered features like auto-captioning and background removal. Files export without watermarks in the free version, making it a popular choice for both social content and indie filmmakers.
Best For: Creators and filmmakers seeking a fast, no-cost editing solution with AI tools and easy cross-platform workflow.
Fade In is a professional-grade screenwriting app used by top Hollywood writers and directors (including Rian Johnson and Craig Mazin). It offers multi-language support, outlining tools, revision tracking, production reports, and full screenplay formatting for film, TV, games, and stage. A free demo is available for download.
Best For: Screenwriters and filmmakers looking for an industry-standard tool to draft and revise scripts at a fraction of the usual cost.
JOBS
Warner Bros. Discovery is hiring a temporary Production Assistant for its Bleacher Report Premium Stream Post-Production team. The role supports live sports coverage, including creating livestream thumbnails, editing highlight packages, and integrating social media content.
Key Details:
Location: Atlanta, GA, US (Hybrid)
Type: Temporary, Entry-level
Pay: Not disclosed; temp/contract roles typically hourly-based.
Epic Games is seeking a Director of Production in Montreal to lead art production strategy across multiple products, including Fortnite and other Epic IPs. The role focuses on building scalable pipelines, capacity planning, outsourcing management, and ensuring on-time delivery of art assets.
Key Details:
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Type: Full-time
Pay: Not disclosed
INDUSTRY PULSE
The 82nd Venice Film Festival has opened with a star-studded lineup including Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, George Clooney, and Dwayne Johnson. Twenty-one films are competing for the Golden Lion, with highlights such as Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, plus new works by Sofia Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Luca Guadagnino.
Estimated read: 3 min
Vertigo star Kim Novak, 92, will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, alongside the premiere of a new documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo. She reflected that leaving Hollywood gave her freedom to pursue painting and animal care, saying, “I’m not willing to be someone I’m not.”
Estimated read: 3 min
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