Film Festivals

Diversity in Cannes Film Festival

Created to encourage content creators from unique backgrounds to share their stories during the Cannes Film Festival, the independent Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Web Series Showcase promotes the work of diverse (thought, race, gender, age, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation) filmmakers and recognize them globally for their achievements in film.  Minstrel vs. Puppet was chosen to screen during the Black Stories Matter block, which was one of two independent, special screenings in the Palais des Festival (home of the Festival de Cannes)!  

In efforts to continue the inclusion culture and to ensure Cannes Film Festival attendees had the opportunity to witness as many brilliant storytelling films as possible, Cannes programmed two independent screenings in 2019 at the Palais des Festival.  These two independent screenings focused on global women of color in film and black lives black stories. The goal of these was to shine the light on women of color and black filmmakers in Cannes.

Cannes Film Festival(s) is one of the most renown, high-caliber film festivals in the world.  As such, the judges are top experts in their respective fields and take care to provide detailed feedback to the filmmakers on their film pieces.  As a special treat, you can read the judges’ comments for Minstrel vs. Puppet by just clicking on the “Judges Reviews” button below. Enjoy!

To visit the official Diversity in Cannes website please click here.

Cleveland International Film Festival

The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.  CIFF accomplishes this by presenting the newest and best films from around the world, while also doing everything in their power to make sure that our audience learns something along the way - about other cultures, about the topic at hand, about the experience from the filmmakers themselves.  

Running for 43 consecutive years, CIFF is an Academy Award Qualifying Film Festival.  Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into CIFF 2019. Cleveland International Film Festival is a leader in helping the world discover the power of the film arts to educate, entertain, and celebrate an inclusive human experience.

To visit the official Cleveland International Film Festival website please click here.

DC Shorts Film Festival

Recently named the “Coolest Short Film Festival” by Moviemaker Magazine, the DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is the largest short film event on the East Coast of the United States. 

With 2018 as its 16th year running, DC Shorts gathers an immense crowd of talented filmmakers from all over the globe to engage in screenings, panel discussions, workshops, table readings, and plenty more during its week long series of events.  In 2017, DC Shorts Film Festival screened 170 films from 30 countries in 17 unique showcases that played over 11 days to a total audience of 9,000 people.  Some of the categories of films that are shown at the DC Shorts include, but are not limited to animation, documentary, drama, and comedy.  DC Shorts honors several of its filmmakers with awards and grand prizes, announced and presented at the film festival each year. 

Minstrel vs Puppet was not only an official selection in the Drama category in 2018, but also won the award for Outstanding U.S. Narrative Film.

To visit the official DC Shorts Film Festival website please click here.

National Film Festival for Talented Youth

The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) is the world's largest and most influential film festival for emerging directors and young talent. In 2018, NFFTY screened 286 amazing films from the best filmmakers 24 and younger representing 24 states and 24 countries, with over 10,000 in attendance. Held in Seattle, WA, NFFTY provides a first-class festival experience that includes four days of film screenings, parties, networking events, and panels. With 13 years running, MovieMaker Magazine rated NFFTY as one of the top 50 festivals worth the entry fee.

Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into NFFTY 2018.

To visit the official NFFTY website please click here.

NALIP Latino Media Fest

The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is an established non-profit organization that seeks to inspire, promote, and advocate for Latino content creators in media. NALIP advances the development of Latino content creation through its programs focusing on narrative, documentary, television, and digital formats. One of its largest annual programs is the Latino Media Fest, which serves as the unique presenter of the best U.S. Latino content across all media platforms: narrative short films, TV/Streaming pilots, digital content, virtual reality, and documentary shorts.

Located at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles, CA, NALIP’s Latino Media Fest brings together Latino filmmakers, industry reps, executives, and film aficionados for a 2-day event. The festival features premieres, workshops, master classes, nightly industry mixers and star-studded awards ceremony to recognize substantial work in entertainment that inspires Latino creatives to continue moving their projects forward in front and behind the camera. Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into the 2018 NALIP Latino Media Fest.

To visit the official NALIP Latino Media Fest website please click here.

Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival

The Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival presents the best contemporary short films from around the world, highlighting films that promote innovative visual storytelling and cultural tolerance.  Hosted at the Southside Works Cinemas this year in Pittsburgh, PA, the 2019 Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival will feature 116 films from 33 countries, several of which have a local Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania connection.  Not only was Minstrel vs. Puppet accepted as an official selection in the 2019 Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival, but the film also won runner-up for the Best Student Film Award! Some films in past Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festivals have become nominees of major film industry awards, and one that even won an Oscar.  

In addition to film screenings, Pittsburgh Shorts hosts a script competition in partnership with Carnegie Screenwriters. In this script competition, four scripts are selected for seated readings by professional actors to be held during the festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 1-7, 2019. 

To visit the official Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival website please click here.

ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival

The ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival showcases poetry films from all over the world.  Held in Munster, Germany, this film festival brings together some of the most talented filmmakers and poets alike.  ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival offers a platform for the fusion of  poetry and film to be marveled, studied, and honored.  The Filmwerkstatt Münster, in cooperation with Haus für Poesie, host the international ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival Münster|Berlin each year at the Schloßtheater, a repertory cinema in Münster. Minstrel vs Puppet was an official selection in 2018.

To visit the official ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival website please click here.

Indie Memphis Film Festival

Rated as one of the Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festivals, the Indie Memphis Film Festival brings a range of independent features, documentaries, and short films to Memphis, TN from all corners of the world. The weekend portion of the festival features a block party in Midtown, the city's cultural and creative center, with all five screening venues a few steps away, creating an accessible community-friendly atmosphere unique on the festival circuit. Past festival attendees have included film industry leaders, such as Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Footloose), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock), Ray McKinnon (The Blind Side, Footloose) and Barry Corbin (No Country For Old Men, Northern Exposure).

Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into the 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival. The 2018 festival matched record attendance for over 275 films including features, shorts and music videos. A significant feature of Indie Memphis Film Festival is their Black Creators Forum, a two-day symposium of workshops and invited speakers led by notable black filmmakers and critics with a wide interdisciplinary range. The aim is to ease the barrier of entry for black artists to work in film.

To visit the official Indie Memphis Film Festival website please click here.

Reel Sisters of Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series

The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series is a two-day annual film festival founded by African Voices magazine and LIU's Media Arts Dept., Brooklyn Campus. Established in 1997, Reel Sisters is dedicated to providing opportunities for women of color filmmakers to advance their careers in the film industry. This film festival provides a chance for women to gain distribution, network and access to opportunities in the film industry. Further, Reel Sisters is the first Academy Qualifying Film Festival devoted to women of color across the globe. This film festival takes place in Brooklyn, NY every year at the Alamo Drafthouse Theatre.

Reel Sisters of Diaspora Film Festival welcomes films that will make the audience “cry, dance, laugh, sing and explore.” It has been listed in Film Daily's Top 10 Women Centered Film Festivals (2018) - you can find the article here - and profiled in Bushwick Daily, Shadow & Act, Film Daily and Black Enterprise for presenting outstanding films by women of color from across the globe! Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into the 2018 Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival.

To visit the official Reel Sisters of Diaspora Film Festival website please click here.

Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival

Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival has been introducing Dutch audiences to international indie cinema and Northern European cinema with worldwide audiences for the past ten years. The festival takes place at the artistic powerhouse known as 'LAB 111’ in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, Netherlands.  This venue is applauded across the indie film industry for serving as the perfect 'state of the art' cinema for screening amazing films.

Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted into the 2019 Amsterdam Online Film Festival, where viewers from all over the world could view, vote for, and comment upon the film for the entire length - one week - of the Amsterdam Film Festival.  

Lift-Off Global Network serves as an "industry within the industry" and a place to build one’s film career with showcases, education, and festival screenings.  

To visit the official Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival website please click here.

Indie Night Film Festival

Indie Night Film Festival is a weekly showcase which shows between 4-6 top short films, web series, trailers or episodics on the big screen at the famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.  Minstrel vs Puppet was an official selection in 2018.

Dave Brown and Eriq LaSalle were fans of the monthly short film showcase by Doboy Dozens and both had aspirations to produce a similar showcase to fill in the void left by absence of the show. Indie Night’s officially opened at the elegant Xen Lounge in Studio City, CA.

To date, Indie Night screens films from all over the United States of America and draws a diverse array of film watchers to its screenings.  Indie Night Film Festival not only serves as a showcasing opportunity for some of the newest, best short films, but also as a major networking event for any attendee.  Often described as a new dinner theater experience; attendees ranged from actors, directors, producers, writers, composers, casting directors, and film school students.  Some of the past industry hosts and guests include the following:  Vanessa Williams, John Singleton, Ruth Carter, Sean Riggs.

To visit the official Indie Night Film Festival website please click here.

Pan African Film Festival

Designated as an official qualifying film festival for narrative live action and animated short films for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) showcases a broad array of Black creative works from the world-over, highlighting those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. Minstrel vs. Puppet was accepted as an official selection into the 2019 Pan African Film Festival.

Venerated by tens of thousands every year, PAFF screens more than 175 new films in Los Angeles, CA each year, across 6 screens in state of the art digital projection to the delight of an audience of sophisticated movie lovers. Every year PAFF serves as a pilgrimage for attendees that hail from all over the United States and the World! PAFF is also well-known for its industry panels, special events, and great parties. Some film celebrities that have made an appearance at PAFF in past years include the following: Denzel Washington, Danny Glover, Idris Elba, Mo’Nique, Kevin Hart, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker.

To visit the official Pan African Film Festival website please click here.

DePaul University Premiere Film Festival

DePaul Premiere is the annual student film festival hosted by DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts. This festival showcases the best of DePaul University student work in cinema and animation with awards presented in 20 categories covering all facets of filmmaking from screenwriting to post-production. Jury members include industry insiders, festival programmers, and filmmakers from around the country. Held in the historic Music Box Theatre of Chicago, IL for the last seven years, the festival provides an opportunity for student work to be showcased in one of the oldest theaters in the nation. 

Minstrel vs Puppet was an official selection for the DePaul Premiere 2018.

To visit the official DePaul Premiere website please click here.

Shreveport Urban Film Festival

The Shreveport Urban Film Festival (SUFF) showcases the developing talent of the next generation of African-American filmmakers!  Held in Shreveport, Louisiana at the Robinson Film Center, SUFF screens a wide range of films from science fiction, documentaries, to experimentals.   SUFF’s mission is to create a destination that displays the very best of films that would otherwise get overlooked because of lack of star power or lack of finances.  

Minstrel vs. Puppet was an official selection of the Shreveport Urban Film Festival 2019.  Further, Minstrel vs. Puppet was the runner-up in the audience choice award! Minstrel vs. Puppet was mentioned in the Shreveport Times newspaper during SUFF 2019.  Please learn more about the news feature here.

To visit the official Shreveport Urban Film Festival website please click here.

Experimental, Dance, & Music Film Festival

The goal of the Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival is to showcase the best of new experimental short films and independent music videos from around the world. These are films that can be easily looked over from other film festivals because programmers don’t know where to categorize these films. While there may not be room for these types of films in several film festivals around the world, the Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival has made the entire space solely for those films.   The Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival truly understands the natural talent and raw beauty oozing out of these kinds of films.

In addition to being an official selection in the Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival 2020, Minstrel vs. Puppet also won the award for Best Musical Film!  It screened on January 23, 2020 in Toronto, Canada at the Carlton Cinemas. The Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival aims to showcase gifted filmmakers and musicians from every corner of the globe, as well as provide these artists with authentic audience feedback during the festival.  Therefore, after the film screening, the audience is given ample space to share their thoughts and opinions of the film, all recorded by Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival staff. Please enjoy the video of audience feedback on Minstrel vs. Puppet at the Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival 2020 by simply clicking on the yellow button below!

To visit the official Experimental, Dance, & Music Feedback Film Festival website please click here.

Shutter Speed Film Festival

Shutter Speed Film Festival is designed to bring independent filmmakers together. Created by filmmakers, Shutter Speed Film Festival offers unique networking opportunities, film workshops, awards, and more. Taking place in Arlington, Texas, this film festival aims to show its filmmakers, audience, and supporters how much they greatly appreciate the artform and the amount of energy put into each film. Minstrel vs. Puppet sceened as an official selection at the Shutter Speed Film Festival 2020 in Arlington, Texas in October 2020.

Dumbo Film Festival

Dumbo Film Festival (DFF) is inspired by the New York district of Dumbo, which is now considered to be one of New York’s most glamorous districts and a thriving destination for artists to meet and share their thoughts.  A prosperous renewal was first brought to the Dumbo district in the late 1970’s, and now through DFF, Dumbo serves as a place where producers, directors, and filmmakers from around the world can meet each other, encounter new ideas, and begin working toward prestigious goals.

Dumbo Film Festival is a yearly film event structured in monthly film contests. Every month, a nominee is selected from each of the six categories and each year, a final ceremony is held in Dumbo district to award the projects that have been judged the very best over the past year.  Minstrel vs. Puppet was selected as a contestant for the DFF June 2019 monthly competition! This structure aims to highlight both affirmed and emergent filmmakers as well as to launch promising artists into the world film stage. 

To visit the official Dumbo Film Festival website please click here.

Film Competitions

The Best Shorts Competition

The Best Shorts Competition is unique in the industry. Attracting both powerhouse companies as well as talented new filmmakers it is an exceptional, truly international awards competition, not a traditional film festival – which allows filmmakers from around the world to enter their films in this prestigious competition. A number of the Best Shorts award winners have gone on to win Oscar, Emmy, Telly and other awards.

Currently in its 7th year, the Best Shorts is an avant-garde worldwide competition that strives to give talented directors, producers, actors, new media creators and members of the creative teams a unique venue for their work and the positive exposure they deserve. It discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high quality shorts and new media.  Best Shorts promotes award winners through press releases to over 43,000 filmmakers, industry contacts and global media / distribution outlets.  Minstrel vs Puppet received the Award of Merit 2018!

To visit the official Best Shorts Competition website please click here. 

Gentleman Jack Real to Reel Film Competition

The Gentleman Jack Real to Reel Film Competition is an annual competition that celebrates new African American voices in film across the United States of America.  Gentleman Jack Daniels stands as a salute to men and women everywhere who passionately pursue their craft.  The Real to Reel Film Competition showcases African American filmmaker's skills, voices, and stories. 

This film competition is separated into two parts:  1) the local competition held in 6 of the major cities in the USA.  These cities include Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Dallas.  2) the national competition where the winning films of the local competitions compete against eachother to be the grand prize winner.  Minstrel vs Puppet won the local Chicago Real to Reel Film Competition!

To visit the official Gentleman's Jack Real to Reel Film Competition website please click here.

 Santiago Independent Film Awards

Beginning in Santiago, Chile, the Santiago Independent Film Awards (SIFA) is an online film monthly competition that allows filmmakers from around the world to present their own work that will be evaluated by a jury composed of professionals in the industry, in order to compete with the other works and win the grand prize. Each month, a jury selects the winners through private screenings for each category (e.g. experimental). Afterwards, the winners list is published on the SIFA website. Only the monthly winners (finalists) for each category will also compete for the annual competition.

Minstrel vs. Puppet won the April 2020 SIFA competition!

To visit the official Gentleman's Jack Real to Reel Film Competition website please click here.