Glendale International Film Festival

7 Glorious Days for our 7th glorious year! September 25 - October 1, 2020. This is the seventh year of the exciting national and international film festival in the beautiful City of Glendale, California. The theme of 2020 is bringing THE WORLD TOGETHER AS ONE! The Laemmle Theatre and the Arksakh Paseo in Glendale are our fabulous venues.

All genres are invited. International, national and local feature films are invited as well as documentaries, web series, short shorts, animation, student films, and experimental. We are especially looking for films and screenplays with a scientific bent, environmental, the human condition and its journey and action films with a message! Comedy, drama, Sci-fi are all welcome, especially any film, short or screenplay with an unusual idea that has to do with science, research, technology or any other unusual thought provoking, avant garde idea.

We are seeking submissions from film makers and screenwriters from around the world who can attend this elegant festival, participate in the many events planned as well as the local film makers and screenwriters. Many of the films have gone onto great success and found distribution on television and and theatrical release though their participation in the entire seven days of screening films and reading screenplays representing or made locally by film makers and screenwriters from around the world. For example: "From Armenia With Love," "From Mexico With Love," "From Cuba With Love," "From Latin America With Love," "From Canada With Love," "From China With Love," "From The Philippines With Love." The theme of 2020 is bringing THE WORLD TOGETHER AS ONE!

It is very rewarding to be able to launch great talent in film making and screenwriting but you have to participate and promote you film. We give you all of the tools!

Each film/screenplay that is submitted is watched and read from beginning to end by our panel of judges, so you know you will receive proper consideration of your creative work.

We seek the highest quality films and screenplays. No matter what the story is, it should be told with original words and characters to express the point of the story. It is the stories we want to see and hear about in an original and fresh format with truly unique characters and plots.

Screenplay Reading Contests! One for short screenplays (20 pages and under), one for full length feature screenplays (under 200 pages). The screenplays are read by professional actors who will enact your screenplay and the selected readings and winners are decided by our judges prior to the readings. A scene from your screenplay (up to 10 pages) will be read in front of a live audience. The winners are announced at the conclusion of the readings.

Films have the power to transform perspectives. They have been the staple of our cultural identity on both a national and international level. However, many people do not recognize the arduous labor that is involved throughout all departments within film. Our local community of Glendale harbors some of the greatest talented minds that have strayed from conventional systems to create their works. Their passions can be felt and it something that should be shared among an audience. Apart from watching the films countless times within an editing room or an office, nothing topples the majesty of watching works projected on a gigantic silverscreen within the solitude of a cinema. The reactions spawned from audience viewers takes the experience even further.

Our mission is to give the opportunity for the filmmakers and screenwriters to showcase their works as well as giving the audience unique experience in watching films that are not of the normal venue. In essence, films you might not see anywhere else.

We have witnessed how our event has benefited the local businesses and restaurants of Glendale. We have been met with praise and have been awarded for our delivery by the Mayor of Glendale Ara Najarian, the Former Mayor of Glendale, Vartan Gharpetian, the 43rd Assembly District, by Assemblymember Laura Friedman, the California State Senate by Senator Anthony J. Portantino and Supervisor Kathryn Barger of the 5th District. Doing it all again for the love of film making, screenwriting and bringing the cinematic arts to Glendale.

Panel discussions, about film making, screenwriting and men and women in film will enlighten and entertain. Q&A after each block of films along with networking parties, dinners and good times (lots of parties and fun!) This is where you can meet with your film making friends from around the world, expand your contacts and have great screenings of your work in very elegant surroundings during this 7 day festival.

We are open to all film makers and screenwriters! If you have a film or screenplay about the following subjects, we would love to see it, but this does not exclude other types of films and screenplays. We are having special screening on these subjects, but are open to all film makers with wonderful works:
• Womens’ Health • Women Leaders/ Womens' Empowerment/• Historic Preservation of Homes and Buildings/• Senior Citizens Lifestyle/Care in the Community
• Veteran's Stories and health• Homelessness• Alzheimers Disease • Autism
•Cancer Success stories and Research of all types• Environmental Issues• Films about Cats/Dogs/Horses/Elephants/Lions/Tigers/Whales/Dolphins•

We have many special awards categories. A spotlight category for Women Film Makers and Screenwriters as well as our special awards for film makers residing in the Glendale area.

RETURNING FILM MAKERS AND SCREENWRITERS!!!!!!!!
For our returning film makers and screenwriters we offer a 25% discount on your submission fees. So, if you have been in the festival in the last five years this discount applies to you!

PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST FEE WAIVERS, WE CANNOT GRANT THOSE AT THIS TIME. DEADLINE WAIVERS ONLY. The reason for this is the expense of the venues we have, it is very expensive to show films in a movie theater that has huge expenses to cover.

Submit today via online screener for films and pdf for screenplays! Please do not mail or drop off anything as you will not be considered.

PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST FEE WAIVERS, WE CANNOT GRANT THOSE AT THIS TIME. DEADLINE WAIVERS ONLY.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT:
1. The Glendale International Film Festival (GIFF2020) screens on DCP (Digital Cinema Package). Our venue, Laemmle Glendale, uses Christie 4K projectors. Please do not submit to GIFF2020 if you cannot provide the Festival with a DCP or convert through SimpleDCP.
2. Studios and Sales Agents: Please do not submit to GIFF2020 if you require a fee for screening at GIFF2020. As a non-profit arts organization, it is not in our budget.
3. If you cannot attend either virtually, in person or do not have a representative to attend the festival please do not submit your film or screenplay.
WE ARE GOING FORWARD IN SEPTEMBER! AS A BACKUP WE WILL HAVE A VIRTUAL CINEMA SETUP AS WELL AS A WAY FOR EVERYONE TO VIEW SELECTED FILMS, ATTEND THE AWARDS SHOW AND AND OPENING NIGHT!