This International Film Festival is to Empower the community as a whole🥳 So many people try to compete with each other, and one up each other vs lifting each other up🎉 This Festival is about embracing fellow Filmmakers with open arms and causing an experience of Empowerment, Awesome Collaboration, and Rekindling Dreams!

In addition, the films that we screened in our first year had a total of 45 AWARD WINS! Meaning the level of filmmakers submitting are superb and fantastic!

Our 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Year Red Carpet were Extraordinary! We've announced our Winners on the International Movie Data Base! We are also PROUD to announce that some of our films that screened have gotten request from Distributers to move forward with the distribution process!👏👏👏

We are super proud to announce that our 15 award winning Judges for this years 6th Season have an accumulation of 391 Award Wins!🔥❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ YES 391!!!❤️ Not including their nominations🥰

***WE WERE PUBLISHED BY VARIETY! Published Thursday September 19, 2024
https://variety.com/2024/film/news/film-news-in-brief-sept-16-1236146078/

***CHECK OUT OUR 72 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE CATEGORY for discounted price!

This festival is the Possibility of Empowering, and Celebrating the Commitments that go into completing a film!!!❤️❤️❤️

Awards & Prizes

Filmmakers will have the opportunity to Win in Categories such as Best Director, Male Actor, Female Actor, Best Film and MORE!

ALL WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A FILM FESTIVAL WINNER LAUREL AND WILL RECEIVE IMDB CREDIT! Winners will be notified within 2 weeks after Film Festival🥳

Official Selections will receive Official Selection laurels and will have the opportunity to share their laurels on Social Media.

2025 WINNERS❤️❤️❤️ (Copy & Paste link to view)
https://m.imdb.com/event/ev0009104/2025/1/

***REVIEW***

Fate's Shadow
Producer
Michelle Arthur
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5358164/?ref_=m_nm_knf_i1

"Our film FATE'S SHADOW was honored to be a part of the very first Film Arts & Hearts Festival. We loved the fact that the Festival Directors initially planned a screening event as just a celebration for selected filmmakers. It was to simply showcase the collaborative efforts required to make a solid movie and to give filmmakers the opportunity to show support for each other. When they surprised certain films with awards afterwards, we were delighted! This festival goes beyond contests, and that is where the real heart is. We recommend Film Arts & Hearts. 

5 stars"

Rules & Terms

This is an open duration (any projects ranging from 30 seconds, to 1 minute shorts, to 28 minute shorts , to Feature Films :) , and this Film Festival is open genre as well. WE LOVE DIVERSITY!!❤️🎉

Also we will automatically be considering all films that were completed within a year from last years festival to bonus categories for Best Live Action, Best Animation, and Best Documentary for free as a gift from the Festival🎉❤️🤍💛❤️

***All films are Judged by 15 Award Winning Filmmakers whom collecfively have a total of 391 Award Wins🌟💫👏👏👏👏👏

We're committed to our overall in person Screening to be Breathtaking, Fantastic, and an Awesome Memorable Emotional Rollercoaster in the Theater!❤️❤️❤️

*****Only Official Selections that receive the "Selected" judging status with a green star check (distinct from Finalist, Semi-Finalist, Honorable Mentions etc..) will be screening at the Festival. The "Selected" films will receive Official Selection laurels, and will be part of the screening line up at this years Film Festival🎉🥳❤️ Please note that all other awards will not be screened, and only the "Selected" judging status will be screened🌟❤️🤍 Copy and paste link on browser for "Selected" film example from Film Freeway -------> https://rb.gy/xvmub9

Regardless if the film is selected or not to screen at the Theater, ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED AS A WINNING FILM FOR THEIR CATEGORY!🎉 Winners that receieve the distinct "Award Winner" judging status (distinct from Official Selection, Finalist, Honorable Mention etc..) will receive their Winning Laurels as well as their Award added to their IMDB!🥳❤️🎉 Please note that only the "Award Winner" judging status will be awarded Officially on IMDB🏆❤️🤍🌟

Film Schedule will be updated once the festival finalize the schedule with the entire film lineup. We appreciate your commitments, your passion, your brilliance, and your talents!❤️

Who we are is the Possibility of Empowerment, Awesome Collaboration, and Rekindling Dreams!❤️❤️❤️
41 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Hammy O'Hickey

    Great People:)
    Really comfortable theatre with wonderful sound.
    Thank you guys so much for screening out film.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Francis Juarez

    Best Commercial Director!
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!
    Loved everything about the festival! Had a great time, met some cool people, looking forward to submitting next year!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Annie Semenova

    My daughter participated in Arts & Hearts Film Festival with her student film. What an experience we had! The Festival was in a beautiful huge cinema in Long Beach. Raul - organizer was awesome! We had some issues with DCP, and he was so patient and supportive! The movie selection was impressive! No boring movies, all meaningful, some had very well known actors and crews in it. Everyone was so open and happy to network, this is the atmosphere that Raul created. I am so grateful for this experience! My daughter got some meaningful connections out of it.

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Barry Rosenthal

    This was a great , young film festival destined to be one of the greats. Loved being part of it.

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Raphael Buisson

    Our team was honored to have Focal Point selected and screened at the Film Arts & Hearts International Film Festival in Long Beach, California. I wasn’t able to attend in person, but our main cast was present and shared how welcoming and inspiring the atmosphere was.

    We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with such passionate storytellers and to be part of a festival that genuinely values collaboration, encouragement, and heart. The organizers were also wonderful and highly communicative throughout the process.

    Thank you to the entire Film Arts & Hearts team for making it such a meaningful experience for our cast and for continuing to uplift independent voices in the filmmaking world. We’re looking forward to next year!

    October 2025
    Helpful