Celebrate 23 years of FirstGlance Los Angeles Film Festival!
Live screenings March 2023

FirstGlance is an all inclusive, diverse event for first time filmmakers to Professionals from Los Angeles and across the globe! We continually champion amazing storytellers and filmmakers and from around the world, on beautiful screens in North Hollywood!

FirstGlance Film Fests: One of the TOP RATED Film Festivals on FilmFreeway

Tweet when you enter your film so we can share your news with our almost 50K Twitter Followers.

ALL Official Selections receive social media marketing unlike any film festival on EARTH!

Accepting Drama, Comedy, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Action and all genres from filmmakers of all genders, races, color, ethnicity, religions and countries.

Features, Shorts, Documentary, Animation, Live Action, Web Series, Music Videos, Original Concept Trailers, Student Films

The 23rd Annual FirstGlance Los Angeles Film Festival screens local and international professional, first time, and student filmmakers, celebrating the best in indie film making from around the world and featuring locally produced Los Angeles and West Coast Filmmakers

Screenings, Red Carpet, After Parties and Live Awards Presentation and Nominations in over 20 categories for Official Selections, plus Best of Audience awards for each category, and BEST OF FEST award winners.

FirstGlance Film Festivals are the longest running international bi-coastal indie film festivals in the United States. FirstGlance has theatrically screened over 2500 films to over 260,000 attendees over its 26 year history.

FirstGlance Film Fests have a 98% track record with feature films (Narrative and Documentary) acquiring VOD, theatrical and Pay Cable distribution.

FirstGlance has a deal to license science fiction and horror shorts and webseries with our streaming partner, Gunpowder and Sky's Alter and Dust networks an amazing online network, offering filmmakers a non exclusive, cash up front short term licensing deal with amazing exposure potential.

Named 5 times as a Best Film Festival Investment by Moviemaker Magazine
and named by Time Magazine as, "One of the Festivals for the Rest of Us"
And consistently named, One of FilmFreeway's Top 100 Film Festivals!

Awards & Prizes

The Best of Fest Award Winner prizes furnished by Red Giant, Boris FX, Glidecam, Gorilla Software, Beachtek, ShotListerApp, InkTip and more.

EVERY category that receives over 100 submissions,winner will be awarded a $500 CASH PRIZE

Rules & Terms

Student entries must include copy of current semester bill and copy of student ID which can be uploaded to your FilmFreeway page.
All official selections will be notified of acceptance by E-mail. (Make sure your address is current) Accepted projects cannot be publicly exhibited in the Los Angeles area at any time within a one-month period of the festival start date. If this occurs, FirstGlance has the right to refuse exhibition. After acceptance of projects, the entrant is free to publicize his/her work to any and all media she/he deems necessary. Please notify FirstGlance of any publicity you receive. The undersigned entrant shall release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless FirstGlance Films, and its agents, respective officers, directors, employees, representatives, contractors, venues, partners, sponsors, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including, without limitations, attorneys' fees). The undersigned entrant authorizes FirstGlance Film Festival, to promote the entry for any publicity purpose prior to, during, and after the competition. You agree to be bound by these guidelines and the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all respects and to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the contest or the rules. The signature of applicant constitutes that the entrants information is true and correct and agrees to all competition rules and guidelines. Disclaimer: If any categories submissions does not receive high enough scores from our screening committee, FirstGlance has the right to discontinue any category for a particular festival.
49 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Peter Ireland

    Bill and the team always put on an excellent festival with plenty of good vibes for filmmakers and audiences. Recommended

    March 2023
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  • Thorsten Schade

    My wife and I were there in person. Well organized festival. Friendly festival director. Everything that was announced (red carpet, interview, filmmaker lunch, after show parties) took place. Outstanding internet performance. Film and filmmakers are properly advertised. Our film "The Invitation" was shown on the big screen in the best quality and with good sound. The Laemmle NoHo 7 is a modern cinema well known in North Hollywood. All in all a good, recommendable festival.

    March 2023
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  • Miguel del Campo

    I had an amazing time at this festival. The communication was constant so I didn't miss anything. I highly recommend it and I hope to be a part of it again soon.

    March 2023
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  • Samantha Lavin

    FirstGlance did a great job running this festival. Communication was excellent and Most of The films were high quality. The venue was great and we met some other really cool fimmakers. We weren't aware of press or distributors there but this is more of a local, feel good festival to celebrate with your team and other filmmakers. We felt extremely welcome!

    March 2023
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  • Kevin Stevenson

    Definitely top 3 festivals in Los Angeles. So worth traveling for the whole festival. Top notch caliber of films. Great networking parties.

    March 2023
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