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.