FESTIVALS
NHFF is a prominent East Coast festival held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with strong industry attendance and Academy Award–qualifying status for short films.
Key Details:
Extended Deadline: August 1, 2025
Festival Dates: October 16–19, 2025
Location: Portsmouth, NH
The 19th Sacramento Horror Film Festival returns January 26, 2026, at the Colonial Theatre. Dedicated exclusively to horror, SHFF combines short film screenings with live music, costume contests, and immersive genre experiences.
Key Details:
Extended Deadline: July 31, 2025
Festival Dates: January 26, 2026
Location: Sacramento, California
FUNDING & LABS
Presented by the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, this annual pitch competition awards up to $50,000 to U.S.-based nonfiction filmmakers. Finalists are invited to pitch in-person at Jihlava IDFF (Czech Republic), with travel covered.
Key Details:
Submission Regular Deadline: October 12, 2025
Travel: Czech Republic pitch event, fall 2025
Requirements: 3-min teaser + outline + budget
The Awesome Foundation offers $1,000 microgrants each month for bold, creative ideas. Open worldwide with no fees, themes, or eligibility limits. Past winners include short films, festivals, and immersive storytelling projects.
Key Details:
Application: Rolling (Apply Anytime)
Open To: Individuals & collectives globally
Grant: $1,000
TOOLS & RESOURCES
SunCalc is a free browser tool that helps filmmakers and photographers track the sun’s position by time and location—perfect for planning natural light, golden hour, and time-specific outdoor shoots.
Best For: Cinematographers, directors, photographers, and production teams planning natural-light scenes.
ShotDeck is a curated library of high-res film stills used by directors, DPs, and designers to build lookbooks and pitch decks. Search by mood, lens, color, or genre for visual inspiration. Free registration includes limited access.
JOBS
Courier Newsroom is hiring a Video Editor to support its national division’s podcasts and serialized video content. The role includes editing long-form videos for YouTube, producing social-first videos from existing series, and creating rapid-response political content.
Key Details:
Location: Remote (U.S.- based)
Type: Full-Time
Salary Range: $65,000–$75,000/year
KRON4 (Nexstar Media Group), San Francisco’s local news station, is hiring a weekday morning producer to join its top-rated team. The role includes line producing, script writing, video editing, and managing live newscasts for the Bay Area’s most prolific newsroom.
Key Details:
Location: San Francisco, CA
Type: Full-Time (Non-union)
Salary: From $32.45/hr
INDUSTRY PULSE
Colbert’s Late Show Ending – via The Business Standard
CBS will cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2026, citing over $40 million in losses. The show’s ad revenue has reportedly fallen nearly 40% since 2018, amid shifting audience trends and network cuts.
Estimated read: 3 min
Venice Jury Revealed - via La Biennale di Venezia
La Biennale di Venezia has announced the international juries for the 82nd Venice Film Festival. Alexander Payne will serve as Jury President, joined by Zhao Tao, Andrew Haigh, and others. Julia Ducournau leads the Orizzonti jury, while Charlotte Wells heads the Debut Film section.
Estimated read: 3 min
Advertise With Us
Put your brand in front of working filmmakers, writers, crew, and industry professionals. This is targeted space, read by people looking to take action. Get in touch.
Be the Next Spotlight
We feature artists ready to be seen by the industry. Apply to be spotlighted in our upcoming editions and grow your reach. Email us.