Join us for the second annual Echelon Studios International Film Festival (ESIFF) — a celebration of global independent cinema!
Taking place in August 2025, our festival is dedicated to showcasing outstanding work from up-and-coming talent, providing a platform where unique voices, fresh perspectives, and bold storytelling come to life. Whether you’re an established filmmaker or just beginning your journey, the Echelon Studios International Film Festival offers the perfect venue to showcase your work and be a part of a community dedicated to the evolution of cinema. Join us in shaping the future of film!
Echelon Studios has long championed the art of storytelling by nurturing emerging filmmakers. With a robust portfolio that spans feature films, documentaries, and genre cinema, we’re committed to giving independent artists the support they need to bring their visions to life. Our festival is a natural extension of that mission—a space crafted to empower new voices, celebrate independent artistry, and connect creators with industry professionals, film enthusiasts, and like-minded artists.
Echelon has twenty-plus years of experience in acquiring, promoting, and licensing films in both domestic and worldwide markets. Some of our most popular titles include The Policeman’s Lineage, Shockwave 2, 12.12: The Day, Thirst Trap, and Losing Grip. Our longtime clients include Tubi, Amazon Prime, Comcast, Plex TV, and more! Our goal as a festival is to be a distribution pipeline for independent filmmakers, provide them with educational resources for navigating distribution, and sell their projects on the film festival circuit.
Festival Screenings
The festival is a hybrid model consisting of both virtual and in-person screenings. The virtual component takes place on Eventive two weeks leading up to the in-person screenings. The winners of of the six categories will be screened in-person in Los Angeles before the awards celebration at the South Park Center, supported by NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.
All official selections are invited to the in-person screening and ceremony. The trailers for the films will be screened on Mometu, one of our streaming partners. The trailer that receives the most views on the streaming platform will win the Mometu Award category.
Virtual Panels
During the week before our screening, our panel of guests will talk about the current state of independent film distribution and the entertainment industry. Attendees will gain knowledge about how to prepare, package, and get their films distributed across the world. The panels will also educate filmmakers about navigating the film festival circuit, and gain insight to prepare for their next projects as well.
We are seeking films in six categories to compete for prizes and distribution deals.
Awards and Prizes
Submitted films will compete in the following six divisions:
- Best US Feature Film
- Best US Short
- Best International Feature Film
- Best International Short Film
- Best Doc
- Best Series
- The Best Feature Film winner will receive a free round trip airline ticket anywhere in the U.S.
- $1,000 USD Cash prize for Best Feature Film
- The Audience Award winner will receive a free round trip airline ticket anywhere in the U.S.
- $1,000 USD Cash prize for Audience Award winner
- $500 USD Cash prize to the Winner of each category
- All films will be offered a distribution deal with Echelon Studios
- Additional Sponsorship Awards to be announced.