KinoDrome: International Motion Picture & Screenplay Festival

Welcome to KinoDrome! We are different in the best way: if you follow our submission rules and send a fully completed work, you WILL become an Official Selection for public show. No cold “We are sorry...” rejection letter after you pay and submit. Our 9th annual festival accepts submissions from November 1, 2025, through August 5, 2026. Yes, this page is detailed, but we believe in telling artists everything upfront. Add us to your favorites and come make some noise with us!

We’re:
-- one of the best-reviewed indie micro-budget content festivals;
-- an in-person event with an online screening at the same time.

We accept:
-- NARRATIVE FICTION SHORT FILMS;
-- DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS;
-- EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA and ANIMATION;
-- MUSIC VIDEOS for original songs or concerts;
-- FOUND FOOTAGE CONTENT using re-edited VHS or old film;
-- ultra-short PSAs, ADS, and PROMO CONTENT;
-- SCREENPLAYS of any length;
-- PHOTOGRAPHS or single FRAMES FROM FILMS.

ATTENTION SCREENWRITERS: Your NAME and script TITLE will be presented on screen for public-show recognition. All properly formatted scripts are accepted to compete for awards. We do not provide coverage or feedback; the goal is to give your work a real chance to COMPETE and possibly win. About 30% of submitted scripts receive award nominations, judged by produced writers and producers.

ATTENTION FILMMAKERS: We welcome independent artists, professionals, hobbyists, students, and amateur filmmakers from anywhere in the world. We accept all fully completed films for the show, and our Jury especially loves ORIGINAL concepts, thought-PROVOKING themes, unusual characters, and open-minded artistic expression.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS and DPs/DoPs: One image can tell a story, too. Still photographers, photojournalists, and cinematographers are welcome to submit a photograph or one powerful frame from a film they shot.

ATTENTION ALL: KinoDrome is for work that feels fresh, strange, scary, provocative, shocking, weird, hilarious, or proudly nonconformist. Be slightly DIFFERENT. Make people talk because your work does not look or feel like everything else. We do not care whether you shot on old film stock, an old camera, a phone, or an expensive 8K setup; just show us solid audio-visual craft, clear intention, and real creative spark. Show us:
-- ORIGINALITY: fresh ideas, unique visuals, creative concepts;
-- ARTISTIC EXPERIMENTATION: a slightly different mise-en-scène.
KinoDrome is less about “mainstream and popular” content and more about “arthouse and edgy” content. This applies to every category.

HISTORY, MISSION and ARTISTS
KinoDrome was born in 2018 as a small, independent, non-corporate festival promoting up-and-coming film artists. You might say, “just another little festival...” — but there is a reason for another little festival. Equipment is more available than ever, more people want to express themselves, and artists need more public shows and real contests. Our alumni include first-time creators and experienced artists alike; check out past award-winning creators such as Carol Conley, Eileen O'Meara, Logan Fry, Al Mertens, Martin Mulcahy, John Maslowski, Jason Klingensmith, Bianca Cassinelli, Juliette Blanche, Shaun Rylee, Mike Genz, Jonathan Riles, Alex Caperton, Matthew Diulus, Jason Boyer, Johnny K. Wu, and others listed on our website.

THE PUBLIC SHOW EXPERIENCE
Being accepted to a film festival means your art gets a public show, just like a painting in a gallery or museum. That public-show credit matters, especially for first-time filmmakers and film students building a reputation, résumé, and content portfolio.

GENERAL FESTIVAL FACTS
-- about half of past winning titles came from female artists;
-- award-winning artists have ranged from 17 to 77+;
-- we run global contests and State of Ohio contests;
-- many selected films and videos were created on smartphones;
-- about 20% of award winners are first-time filmmakers or writers.

PROJECTION FACTS (for tech-nerds and geeks)
-- we are NOT a commercial movie theater; we are a hotel-based event;
-- projection screen size is 9 x 5 feet;
-- films are projected in HD from Apple QuickTime Player;
-- sound runs through a wired external speaker station.

IN-PERSON EVENT FACTS
- two-day event, Sat-Sun, at a local hotel in the Cleveland suburbs;
- small, dedicated, super-friendly volunteer staff;
- about 70-100 attendees, mostly artists and cinema enthusiasts;
- comfortable hotel auditorium or ballroom setup;
- time and space to network, take photos, and enjoy the vibe;
- gift bag for every attending artist;
- our popular “micro-budget pizza” and cheap wine served FREE.

VIRTUAL EVENT FACTS (online show)
- programs are shown online the same day;
- the award ceremony is recorded for YouTube and shown later;
- awards can be shipped to winners for a fee, details after the event.

NOT HERE - You will NOT see the FOLLOWING "mise-en-scene":
- shiny rich “LA executives” invited to praise THEMSELVES (F... no);
- an annoying “popcorn crowd” that DOESN’T get your art (not here);
- “agents” magically buying films or scripts at festivals (no such thing).

CHECK KINODROME OUT ON THE WEB:
- read FilmFreeway reviews from past participants;
- search KinoDrome Festival on YouTube for festival clips;
- google “KinoDrome Festival” and you will find us.

HELP TO "KINODROME ALUMNI"
Once you become an Official Selection, you can expect extra support from us. Festival director Bruno Tatalovic, a film producer and IMDb tenured contributor, helps beginner film artists navigate IMDb updates, including first-time film title listings, name listings, and corrections. It is FREE — just email us with the subject “IMDb.”

FESTIVAL'S DEDICATEES
• Eadweard Muybridge, 1830-1904, was an English photographer known for pioneering photographic studies of motion and early motion-picture projection. His famous work “Horse in Motion” (1878) serves as our festival logo.
• George K. Spoor, 1872-1953, was an American film producer known for early movie exhibition services, including Kinodrome in Chicago in 1897, which inspired our festival’s name.

CONCLUSION
KinoDrome is NOT a corporate for-profit festival where you pay high fees and lose spots to “special guests from the biz” and their expensive films. No. This little festival is a labor of love, created by an ordinary film enthusiast and educator to help less established artists. That is it. We ARE here for YOU. Submit with confidence, get accepted, maybe get nominated for an award, and have a SHOW!