Dear Filmmaker,

Welcome to the home of the cinema revolution.

What is Cinebur?

Cinebur is a moviegoing platform made for real-life screenings, hosted by real-life people. Anyone can host a movie screening, anywhere.

We have a global Host network, where verified users create pop-up film festivals for moviegoers. To quote one of our Hosts, "It's like Airbnb for movie nights."

Cinebur offers indie filmmakers the chance to screen their work to live, global audiences alongside our collection of award-winning independent films that have gone to compete in Cannes, Berlin, TIFF and Sundance which travel worldwide via intimate screenings on Cinebur.

How it works:

On Cinebur, we license indie films from big distributors like New Europe Film Sales or Film Republic the same way MUBI and Netflix do for their platforms. Except instead of online VOD, we distribute films via in-person screenings by Hosts.

Cinebur also gives more up-and-coming filmmakers the chance to submit their films, where we curate special lineups in a pop-up film festival, screened by Hosts.

Some Cinebur Hosts love our selections so much that they keep screening our selections repeatedly in these pop-up film festival experiences; that's why our network effect has such a big impact on the exposure our selections receive. Hosts include locals, boutique hotels, wineries, art studios, universities, villas and even charities, all of which host unique screenings to our moviegoers.

We only screen movies to live audiences:

Cinebur is the first real global film festival. No, we don't mean streaming your film globally to people's smartphones - we're not an online festival; and no, we don't just mean we've attached our brand to multiple film festivals where you have to submit multiple times.

When you submit your film to Cinebur, your film is considered to be screened in our Host network around the world. We think there is a fundamental difference between watching films vs. going there. The moviegoing experience is an integral part of cinema, and we think indie films need that exposure to succeed. If your film is selected, it is guaranteed at least one physical screening to a live audience that wants to see your film.

Why you should submit:

We have revived the short film format by playing short films, like Carolina Markowiczs's Cannes-winning "The Orphan" or Meryam Joobeur's Oscar-nominated short "Brotherhood" on Cinebur. More importantly, we design our lineups by curating films for a wide audience, without sacrificing films that can be screened in smaller niches. Our mission is to empower indie filmmakers by showing their work where it wants to be seen but either where the filmmaker has little reach, or where the place has no access to indie cinema.

That's why Cinebur is more than a film festival. On Cinebur, you have the chance to reach a new, live audience, who can experience your film and know more about you - that's why we present every film with a video "Filmmaker's Statement" where moviegoers can learn more about the people behind the camera. This is the future of cinema, and you can be a part of it.

On Cinebur, we aim to preserve the sanctity of cinema and the moviegoing experience, because that's why we choose this medium. It's not cinema, it's society.

We see your vision. We hope you see ours too.

See you at the movies,
Cinebur

Official Selections:

We are only interested in selecting films that we will screen to real-life audiences. If your film gets selected, it means you are guaranteed at least one live screening of your film to a physical audience.

Short films:

Short films get curated into lineups that Hosts screen in pop-up film festival screenings. We also tend to screen shorts at the start of a feature-length screening if we think it fits the theme of the accompanied film.

Audience Award & Feedback:

Last - but definitely not least - after every screening, we gather data and analytics on your film's performance, so you can get more insights on your film's screening and audience. We always ask for feedback after every screening, so we can try to offer the chance to hear more about what your audience thought of your film. There is currently no other exhibition medium in the industry other than Cinebur where filmmakers can get direct access to feedback from live audiences.

Competition Awards & Winners:

"Méliès Moon" for Best Film
The highest award for a film that has exhibited excellence and originality, through groundbreaking novelty and filmmaking craftsmanship. Inspired by one of the greatest independent filmmakers, Georges Méliès's "A Trip to the Moon" that offers itself as part of Cinebur's iconic logo.

"Director's Hands" for Best Director
The highest achievement in directing. Awarded to the film that has exhibited excellence and originality, through groundbreaking novelty and filmmaking craftsmanship. These hands are the emblem of Cinebur's logo, which signifies its dedication to empower filmmakers who enrich our culture, and let us see their vision.

"Beyond the Horizon" for Best Documentary
The highest award for documentary filmmakers, for films that have exhibited excellence and originality, through groundbreaking novelty and filmmaking craftsmanship. These are the films that do not shy away from looking at life directly the way it is, while challenging us to think of how it could be.

"Fantasmagorie" for Best Animation
The highest award for an animated film, taking its name after Émile Cohl's founding animation in 1908. Awarded to the film that has transcended boundaries in the realm of storytelling by use of its animated medium.

Premiere status:

No premiere status restrictions. If we like your short film, we will screen it, no matter your premiere status, including whether or not the film is available online. Keep in mind, however, that we will be looking out for hidden gems that haven't been made available to the public yet. At Cinebur, we want to offer a unique cinema experience to each one of our users, so we will be prioritizing films that have not been screened or made available online.

T&C's:

By submitting your film to Cinebur, you are giving Cinebur Ltd and its affiliates (for clarity, these include Cinebur App, Cinebur.com/Cinebur.app and the Cinebur platform) - collectively, "Cinebur" - the rights to screen your film via Cinebur's distribution channels. By submitting this application, you agree that Cinebur's judging decision is final, and the festival reserves the right not to select your film, without compensation. Once submitting your application and paying the non-refundable submission fee, you must comply with the rules herein and accept the outcome of your application, eliminating Cinebur of any liability for this outcome.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Doddi Elgabry

    By far one of the most unique experiences of my life. I secretly booked tickets to a Cinebur screening of my film and I was blown away by the engagement, response and discussion that followed by audience members that ranged from all walks of life (whether they were film-related or not). Honestly, that's exactly the kind of people I made the film for, and Cinebur gave me the chance to reach them in a live setting at a pop-up screening hosted by a local.

    September 2021
  • Ryan Gathorne

    Thank you for selecting my film, this is definitely a festival worth submitting to! Great communication, great experience overall

    August 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Ryan! Congratulations on the visually stunning journey that is ROOTS and opening our eyes to a new world of animation while reminding us that keeping a little piece of home goes a long way... See you at the movies! 🙌

  • Wonderful to be part of Cinebur! My short doc Fugetsu-Do screened at an amazing winery in Cyprus and all my communications with the Cinebur team were clear and timely. They were great about promoting the film on their channels and are super enthusiastic and passionate about what they do!

    August 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Kaia, for being such a wonderful collaborator to work with throughout this season. FUGESTU-DO is a doc that transcends the walls of Mr. Brian's Japanese sweet shop, and takes a lovingly nostalgic place in our hearts. Congratulations once again and see you at the movies! 🙌

  • We are so very happy to be a part of this festival. Amazing team with great, above average feedback and communication. Being a part of this event is definitely a highlight in our journey. Thank you so much!

    February 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Kristian for being part of Cinebur! We are thrilled to be screening BACK TO US in our network, and we can't wait to send you more reviews from the audience responses on our app! It is with daring films like your own that we believe the cinematic experience was made for, so the conversation can start as the credits start to roll... Congratulations once again!