Celebrating 60 Years of Discovering Independent Filmmakers

Welcome to the 60th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival!

Founded in 1961, WorldFest-Houston is the oldest independent film festival in the world and one of the longest-running celebrations of independent cinema anywhere. For more than six decades, we have championed emerging filmmakers, original voices, and bold storytelling from around the globe.

WHERE LEGENDS BEGIN.

For more than six decades, WorldFest has served as a launchpad for emerging filmmakers while remaining fiercely committed to independent storytelling, artistic discovery, and meaningful filmmaker experiences.

Unlike festivals centered on major studio productions, WorldFest was built to discover and support independent artists. Early in their careers, WorldFest recognized filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Jane Campion, David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, Lesli Linka Glatter, Deepa Mehta, Agnieszka Holland, John Lee Hancock, Randal Kleiser, David Winning, and many more.

Our films are reviewed by a diverse jury of filmmakers, educators, critics, festival alumni, and industry professionals from around the world. Meet our recent jury panel here:

https://www.worldfest.org/festival/jurors

Now it's your turn.

THE WORLDFEST EXPERIENCE

WorldFest60 is a nine-day international celebration of independent film featuring:

• Premiere screenings featuring approximately 35 feature films and 100 short films from around the world

• Industry seminars, workshops, and masterclasses designed to expand your craft and career

• Filmmaker panels and networking mixers because filmmaking is a team sport

• Intimate access to fellow filmmakers, jurors, speakers, and industry professionals in a filmmaker-first environment

• The Remi Awards Gala, celebrating creative excellence and the artists behind the work

• Daily wellness programming designed to help filmmakers combat burnout, foster creativity, and build sustainable artistic careers

• The International Autism Filmmakers Showcase, celebrating autistic storytellers and expanding access to the film industry

• Closing Day celebrations, including our signature Day on the Bay with the Houston Yacht Club

Located in Houston, America's fourth-largest city and one of the most diverse metropolitan regions in the world, WorldFest-Houston embraces authentic international voices and creates opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange between filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals.

Most importantly, selected films screen in professional theatrical venues on large cinema screens, not hotel ballrooms, conference rooms, or makeshift screening spaces. Films are presented the way they were meant to be experienced.

WORLD FEST PROGRAMMING PHILOSOPHY

We seek films that are bold, authentic, emotionally resonant, and deeply personal. Whether made for $500 or $5 million, we believe great storytelling transcends budget. We champion independent voices, cultural exchange, artistic risk-taking, and filmmakers with a unique point of view.

As our founder Hunter Todd often said, we are looking for "a good story, well told."

CATEGORIES

• Narrative Features & Shorts

• Documentary Features & Shorts

• Experimental Films

• Student Films

• Music Videos

• Television & Streaming Content

• Commercial & Business Films

• New Media Projects

• Screenplays (PDF Upload)

REMI AWARD BENEFITS

• Personalized award notification

• VIP invitation to attend the 60th Anniversary Festival

• Complimentary Platinum Festival Credentials

• Discounted passes for cast, crew, friends, and family

• Official WorldFest laurels and recognition

• Framed Remi Award Certificate

• Grand Remi winners receive a WorldFest Remi statuette

• Screening opportunities for eligible entries

PREMIERE CONSIDERATION

WorldFest prioritizes World, U.S., North American, Regional, Texas, and Houston premieres whenever possible. While previously screened films remain fully eligible for Remi Award competition and jury recognition, screening opportunities are generally reserved for projects making their first appearance in Houston or the surrounding region.

LOOKING FORWARD

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, WorldFest continues to evolve. The festival is actively pursuing Academy Award-qualifying status as part of its commitment to creating even greater opportunities for independent filmmakers worldwide.

OUR MISSION

WorldFest-Houston exists to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film, support cultural tourism and film production in Houston, and nurture independent filmmaking worldwide.

Today, WorldFest is led by Festival Director Katy Lea Cannon and a dedicated team of filmmakers, educators, artists, and industry professionals committed to discovering and championing the next generation of storytellers.

Each year, filmmakers from more than 70 countries compete for the Remi Awards, joining a legacy that spans generations of artists, innovators, and visionaries.

More than a festival, WorldFest is a community where filmmakers become collaborators, audiences become advocates, and careers begin.

Submit your work. Share your story. Join the legacy.

WorldFest-Houston | Fiercely Independent Since 1961

Awards & Prizes

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

WorldFest-Houston is proud to recognize outstanding creative excellence in independent film, television, new media, screenwriting, and student productions through the prestigious Remi Awards.

Unlike festivals that rank entries against one another alone, WorldFest evaluates each project on its own merits through an independent jury scoring process.

Each eligible submission is reviewed by multiple qualified jurors using the WorldFest Creative Excellence Matrix, which evaluates:

• Originality

• Storytelling

• Technical Execution

• Artistic Impact

• Emotional Resonance

• Overall Impact

Projects are scored on a 100-point scale. Awards are earned by achieving established standards of excellence, not by filling a predetermined quota.

Award Levels

95–100: Special Jury Remi Award

90–94: Platinum Remi Award

85–89: Gold Remi Award

80–84: Silver Remi Award

75–79: Bronze Remi Award

Projects scoring below 75 do not receive a Remi Award.

Awards are based on merit and jury evaluation, not submission volume or predetermined quotas.

While WorldFest is committed to encouraging filmmakers, awards are not guaranteed. Remi Awards are earned through competitive jury evaluation and are intended to recognize exceptional creative achievement.

GRAND REMI AWARDS

The Grand Remi represents the highest honor presented by WorldFest-Houston.

Only ten Grand Remi Awards are presented annually, recognizing the highest-scoring work in WorldFest's major competition divisions. These projects represent the most distinguished achievements of the festival year and join a legacy that spans more than six decades of independent filmmaking.

2026 GRAND REMI WINNERS

• DISDAIN — Best Feature

• Mothers — Best Documentary Feature

• COLORable — Best Dramatic Short

• To Go or to Hold It – The Toilet War — Best Documentary Short

• Coupe au Bol — Best Comedy Short

• The High King's Daughter — Best Animated Film

• The Undying Pain of Existence — Best Student Production

• The Weight of Wind — Best Screenplay

• The Winning Try — Best Television, Cable & Web Production

• Sunbeam — Best Music Video

These ten projects were selected from more than 1,000 submissions representing diverse storytelling traditions from around the world.

A complete list of winners and Remi Award recipients is available at www.worldfest.org.

ADDITIONAL HONORS

WorldFest may also present Special Jury Awards and other honors recognizing exceptional achievement in:

• Acting & Performance

• Directing

• Cinematography

• Editing

• Music & Sound

• Screenwriting

• Visual Effects

• Production Design

• Emerging Talent

• Innovation in Storytelling

• Other areas of artistic and technical excellence

LOOKING FORWARD

As WorldFest celebrates its 60th anniversary, the festival continues to evolve. We are actively evaluating our competition structure, premiere policies, and awards process to align with industry best practices and support future Academy Award qualification initiatives in select categories.

REMI AWARD PRESENTATION

Remi Award winners receive an official framed WorldFest Remi Award Certificate.

Grand Remi winners receive the WorldFest Remi Award Statuette.

Additional framed certificates, duplicate awards, commemorative statuettes, crystal awards, and recognition items may be ordered through the WorldFest Awards Shop. Winners are responsible for applicable shipping and handling costs.

WorldFest-Houston

Fiercely Independent Since 1961

Rules & Terms

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival

RULES & TERMS

By submitting a project to the 60th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the following Rules & Terms.

FESTIVAL DATES

• The 60th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival is scheduled for April 30 – May 8, 2027. Festival venues, programming schedules, and activities are subject to change.

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

• All submitted projects must have been completed after April 1, 2024.

• WorldFest-Houston accepts completed projects only. Works-in-progress, rough cuts, unfinished edits, and incomplete projects are not eligible.

• Filmmakers may update their submission materials through January 15, 2027. If significant changes are made after submission, entrants should notify the festival so we can coordinate with the jury process.

• Submissions must be entered through FilmFreeway or other approved submission platforms designated by the festival.

• Screening links may be hosted on FilmFreeway, Vimeo, YouTube, or similar platforms but must remain active and accessible, including any required passwords, through May 2027.

• Foreign-language projects must include English subtitles.

• WorldFest strongly encourages captions or subtitles whenever available to improve accessibility for all audiences.

• WorldFest prioritizes World, International, North American, U.S., Regional, Texas, and Houston premieres whenever possible. Films that have screened elsewhere remain eligible for competition and awards consideration. Public screenings are curated at the discretion of the programming team. We especially love discovering World Premieres at WorldFest.

• The International Autism Filmmakers Showcase welcomes submissions from filmmakers who identify as autistic or as members of the autism community. Participation is based on good-faith self-identification. No diagnosis, documentation, or disclosure of personal medical information is required. WorldFest-Houston created this category to amplify autistic voices and asks entrants to honor the spirit and intent of the program.

• Student entries must have been completed while the director, producer, writer, or primary creator was enrolled in an educational institution. High school, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree students are welcome. WorldFest-Houston may request proof of enrollment, such as a student ID, transcript, enrollment verification letter, or equivalent documentation.

• WorldFest-Houston reserves the right to determine final category placement for all submissions.

SELECTION PROCESS

• WorldFest-Houston is committed to a thoughtful and thorough review process. Every submitted project is reviewed by at least two qualified screeners composed of filmmakers, educators, critics, artists, and industry professionals. Projects that advance receive additional review by members of the programming team and jury.

• To preserve the integrity of the judging process, juror identities are generally released after the completion of festival programming.

• Jurors may be recused from evaluating projects where a conflict of interest exists.

• Projects are evaluated using the WorldFest Creative Excellence Matrix, which considers originality, storytelling, artistic vision, technical execution, emotional resonance, overall impact, and audience engagement. As our founder Hunter Todd often said, we are looking for "a good story, well told."

• Authentic voices representing a broad range of cultures, experiences, and perspectives are valued and encouraged.

• Award levels are determined through cumulative jury scoring and programming review.

• WorldFest-Houston presents Grand Remi, Special Jury Remi, Platinum Remi, Gold Remi, Silver Remi, and Bronze Remi Awards.

• While WorldFest-Houston is committed to encouraging filmmakers and celebrating artistic achievement, awards are earned through a competitive jury process and are never guaranteed. The festival's mission is to recognize creative excellence and emerging talent, not simply participation.

• Jury decisions are final.

IF SELECTED

• Selected films must provide an exhibition copy in an approved screening format, including DCP, Blu-ray, or digital file as specified by the festival. WorldFest does not exhibit films from screener links.

• WorldFest-Houston works diligently with selected filmmakers to obtain exhibition materials and resolve technical issues whenever possible. However, filmmakers are ultimately responsible for providing screening materials by festival deadlines.

• Failure to provide required exhibition materials, press materials, or technical deliverables by stated deadlines may result in removal from the festival schedule.

• The festival reserves the right to decline exhibition of projects that fail technical requirements, cannot be successfully tested, or arrive after stated deadlines.

• Selected filmmakers will be required to provide an Electronic Press Kit (EPK), including:

High-resolution film stills (.png or .jpg)
Official poster artwork
Film synopsis in English
Director biography in English
Director headshot
Film credits
Social media handles and website information (if applicable)

• Films are exhibited in professional theatrical venues using cinema-grade projection and sound systems.

• Accepted projects grant WorldFest-Houston the non-exclusive right to:

Exhibit the project during festival screenings and related festival events
Use approved stills, trailers, clips, posters, and promotional materials for festival marketing, publicity, educational, and archival purposes.

• Participation in any festival streaming, virtual screening, educational distribution, or online exhibition program requires separate filmmaker consent. WorldFest-Houston will not stream accepted projects without permission.

RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• The entrant confirms that they possess all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, and clearances required for exhibition of the submitted work, including music, images, trademarks, and third-party content.

• The entrant accepts full legal responsibility for the submitted work and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless WorldFest-Houston, its staff, volunteers, jurors, sponsors, venues, partners, and affiliates against any claims arising from the exhibition, promotion, or distribution of the project.

• Entrants retain all ownership and intellectual property rights to their work.

• Projects incorporating generative AI tools remain eligible for consideration. WorldFest-Houston may request disclosure of significant AI-generated imagery, voices, performances, animation, or other creative elements for programming, educational, awards, or transparency purposes.

• WorldFest-Houston is not responsible for damage, loss, theft, corruption, technical failure, or inability to exhibit materials provided by the entrant.

• No screening fees, rental fees, or exhibition fees will be paid for accepted projects.

• Projects may be withdrawn prior to notification. Once accepted into the festival program, withdrawal requests will only be considered under extraordinary circumstances. Unauthorized withdrawal after acceptance may affect eligibility for future WorldFest-Houston participation.

• WorldFest-Houston reserves the right to reschedule, relocate, postpone, modify, or cancel screenings, events, festival activities, venues, dates, or programming as necessary. The festival shall not be liable for costs, damages, travel expenses, accommodations, lost profits, or other losses resulting from such changes.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

• Screenplays must be submitted electronically through FilmFreeway.

• To maintain judging integrity and support anonymous review, screenplay submissions must not contain the writer's name, contact information, or identifying information within the script document.

• Scripts that do not comply with anonymous submission requirements may be disqualified or returned for correction at the festival's discretion.

CONDUCT & PROFESSIONALISM

• WorldFest-Houston is committed to creating a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and professional environment for all participants.

• Harassment, discrimination, threats, abusive conduct, intimidation, or inappropriate behavior directed toward festival staff, volunteers, jurors, sponsors, attendees, venue personnel, or fellow filmmakers may result in disqualification, removal from festival activities, forfeiture of awards, and/or ineligibility for future participation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• WorldFest-Houston is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational arts organization dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers, film education, cultural exchange, and creative excellence.

• Entry fees are non-refundable.

• Submission does not guarantee nomination, award recognition, selection, screening, festival credentials, travel assistance, or participation in any festival event.

• WorldFest-Houston reserves the right to make final determinations regarding eligibility, category placement, scheduling, awards, exhibition, and interpretation of these rules.

By submitting a project, you acknowledge and accept these Rules & Terms and agree to abide by all festival decisions and policies.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. We wish you the very best in your creative endeavors and look forward to seeing where your journey leads next.

WorldFest-Houston
Fiercely Independent Since 1961
416 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Sophia An Porter

    Had an incredible experience attending the 59th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. I made many great connections and memories that I'll be talking about for years to come. Thank you to the WorldFest community for welcoming me and honoring me with a Best Screenplay award!

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • d.b. Roderick

    Wow! I am humbled and full of gratitude to be honored with the 59th WorldFest-Houston International Grand Remi Award for "Best Screenplay."

    May 2026
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  • Richard Guthrie

    The most incredible experience and what a wonderful bunch of people to meet, the host and staff at the event; Katy Lea Cannon, Lawrence, Vanessa and team, and also all the film makers and associates within the film festival itself who make the experience what it is.
    We had the most amazing time for our first trip to Houston and to the best film festival held there nonetheless.
    What a privilege to be selected and win an award for Grizzly Jim, and the whole festival from start to finish was a joy to be a part of.
    Thank you so much again WorldFest Houston, an absolute pleasure!

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • Steve Brumwell

    For such a huge event, the team still take the time to make you valued.

    May 2026
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  • Toshio Sekine

    We sincerely thank you for awarding our film Shambhala Story the Best Actor Award and the Platinum Remi Award.
    Although we were unfortunately unable to attend, we were deeply impressed by the thoughtful communication and the warm, friendly organization of the festival.
    From Japan, we wish you continued success and growth in the years ahead.

    May 2026
    Helpful