FilmStack Calendar Table Of Contents
SCREENINGS & PERFORMANCES (IRL & Virtual)
EVENTS
Festivals
MeetUps
Webinars & Workshops
Retreats
Showcases
DEADLINES
Festivals
Grants, Applications & Internships
ACTIONS & PETITIONS
HOUSEKEEPING
1. SCREENINGS & PERFORMANCES
London
June 28: The Third MicroCinemaOne Screening
Save the date! The third MicrocinemaOne screening will be June 28th.
Make sure to subscribe to Filmstack UK for all the details. More info to follow.
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National
Now – January 2027: Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour provides a curated glimpse into the Festival’s selections, highlighting the depth of narrative possibilities explored in the short film format. The tour invites audiences across the world to experience a collection of resonant, provocative, tender, and human-centered fiction, nonfiction, and animated shorts that showcase truly dynamic independent storytelling and offers a mix of stories that highlight bold perspectives and next-gen storytellers.
The program includes jury winners The Boys and the Bees (Nonfiction), Crisis Actor (U.S. Fiction), and Living with a Visionary (Animation), alongside Marga en el DF, Pankaja, and Sauna Sickness. For booking inquiries, contact Mike Plante. Presented by Ketel One.
Tour dates and venues:June 11–14: Bijou Theater, Mount Vernon, IAJune 18–20: Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA
June 19: Austin Film Society, Austin, TX
June 19–28: Cincinnati World Cinema, Cincinnati, OH
June 28–29: Art House Cinema & Pub, Billings, MT
July 3–9: SBIFF Riviera, Santa Barbara, CA
July 4: Images Cinema, Williamstown, MA
July 6: Bear Tooth Cinema, Anchorage, AK
July 30: Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hanover, NH
August 16: Space Gallery, Portland, ME
August 28–30: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
September 1: Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
November 13–14: 815HORTS, Rockford, IL
December 12: Erie Community Library, Erie, CO
January 4, 2027: Enzian Theater, Orlando, FL
More info: https://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/program/short-film-tour/
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2. EVENTS
Festivals
Los Angeles
June 27: Community Voices: An AAPI Film Festival
A program of VC artist screenings including Cambodia Town Thrives (dir. Brandon Soun), Mother Daughter Journey (dir. Fran Ito), Profits Enslave the World: A Song Across Generations (dir. Joe Virata), Thank You Come Again (dir. Nirav Bhakta), The Fourth March (dir. Robert Shoji), and Trails (dir. Chris Nguyen).
July 20–23, 2026: Getting Real ‘26 (IDA)
A biennial conference held in Little Tokyo for and by documentary practitioners, focused on storytelling. This 4-day hybrid event features constructive conversations, relationship-building, and discussions of ethical and creative challenges facing the field.
Register: https://www.documentary.org/gettingreal26
October 24: The NonDe Shorts Festival (NSF)
Okay, okay, so this one might feel a little far in advance, but you’re gonna blink and it’s gonna be October, so you better start planning now!
Submit: https://filmfreeway.com/NonDeShortsFestival
Location: Reading Biscuit Factory, Reading-UK
Subscribe and keep up-to-date on all the latest developments!
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Meet Ups & Meetings
FilmStack
London
July 1: FilmStack UK Meetup
When: 7:00–10:30 PM GMT
Location: Backstage @ The Old Vic (Waterloo)
RSVP: https://luma.com/9c3ri66y
Contact Alex Bhat, James McLoughlin, or Poppy for more details.
Subscribe to Filmstack UK to stay in the loop for all future events.
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Other Meetups
All
Webinars & Workshops
June 30: AWC Fellowship Virtual Office Hours
When: 5-7pm PST
Optional virtual office hours for the Armed with a Camera Fellowship, hosted by Visual Communications staff. Ask questions about the application and program ahead of the deadline. An in-person Open House at the VC Media office is also available — date to be confirmed.
Visual Communications’ AWC Fellowship supports Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) filmmakers in SoCal. This year’s theme is “MOVEMENT.” Fellows work with VC for 12–15 months starting Fall 2026, with projects premiering at the 43rd LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. Each Fellow receives a $2,500 personal stipend plus a $2,500 project stipend. Questions: awc@vcmedia.org or vcmedia.org/awc.
July 1: Distribution Case Study Webinar for Documentary Your Fat Friend
When: 8pm UK / 3pm ET / 12pm PT
Length: 60 minute presentation followed by 30 minute Q&A
Where: ONLINE - Join live or access recording for a limited time.
Cost: $20 (full price)
We’re going to share the questions we asked, the experiments we tried, what did and didn’t work for us, and the value of keeping your rights. We want to instill in other filmmakers and creators the sheer joy and satisfaction in the storytelling of your films continuing out into the world. In this moment of industry uncertainty, building your own road feels like a pretty good way to spend you time.
Subscribers to Glimmers get a $5 discount.
Use this link to book, discount automatically applied.
Workshops
TODAY! June 26: Film Fatales Workshop - Designing a Unified Visual Strategy for Your Film
When: 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET
An online intensive led by Olivia Klaus and moderated by Cassandra Nicholson, breaking down a workflow to bridge the gap between your pitch and your online presence. RSVP.
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Retreats
July 2026: ACA x NFH Residency - Submissions Open
A nonfiction storytelling residency in partnership with the Atlantic Center for the Arts, taking place February 7–27, 2027 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Submissions open in July.
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3. DEADLINES
Festivals
July 6: Square Peg Social Application (Regular Deadline)
Regular Deadline: July 6, 2026
Extended Deadline: August 7, 2026
Notification Date: October 5, 2026
Event Dates: November 5-9, 2026
August 15: LdnDocs Festival (Late Deadline)
Late deadline: August 15th, 2026
September 15: Liminal Archive Documentary & Experimental Film Festival
Deadline: September 15th, 2026
A no-fee submission opportunity for emerging and established filmmakers, with selected works offered international screening opportunities plus potential collaboration and distribution support. The festival itself takes place in Tokyo around November 2026.
Submit: https://expcinema.org/site/en/call/liminal-archive-2026
Grants, Applications & Internships
June 29: Shore Scripts TV Writer Mentorship Program (Final Deadline)
About: https://www.shorescripts.com/tv-pilot-contest/
Enter 1/2 Hour: https://scrybe.to/competitions/tv-writer-mentorship-program
Enter 1 Hour: https://scrybe.to/competitions/tv-writer-mentorship-program
EMMY & Golden Globe Winning Judges will choose this year’s winners.
Break into TV writing faster with the Shore Scripts TV Writer Mentorship Program—an exclusive opportunity designed to help you get staffed or sell your pilot.
Only SIX writers will be selected for this 8-week intensive mentorship, where you’ll:
Learn directly from top industry professionals
Get insider access to how hit shows are made
Build real connections with decision-makers
You’ll work with: showrunners from BRIDGERTON and ARROW, development executives at Universal Pictures, plus top agents, managers, and more.
Announcement Dates
AUG 26: QUARTER-FINALISTS
SEPT 10: SEMI-FINALISTS
OCT 7: FINALISTS & WINNERS
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July 1: The Inspired Screenwriting Competition (Late Deadline)
Now in our second year, the Inspired Screenwriting Competition is doubling down on our mission to amplify bold and unique new voices and disrupt the status quo of the film industry.
So, send us your best. Send us your personal. Send us the crazy out-there ideas that could have only come from (insert your name here).
You only need the first 20 pages of your screenplay to submit for the first round. Feature screenplays only.
LATE DEADLINE: 7/01/26 - $35
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July 6: Slamdance Film Festival 2027 (Early Bird Deadline)
Since 1995, Slamdance has been the festival where first-time directors break through. Christopher Nolan, Bong Joon Ho, Lena Dunham, and Sean Baker all premiered here. The 2027 festival takes place February 18–24 in Los Angeles, and submissions are now open. The main competition accepts narrative and documentary features by first-time directors with budgets under $1M; the Breakouts program is open to non-debut directors with no budget cap. Shorts, Episodes, and DIG (Digital/Interactive/Gaming) are also accepted.
Early Bird Deadline: July 6, 2026 — Features $70 | Shorts/Episodes/DIG $50 | 99 Special $9.99
Regular Deadline: August 10, 2026 — Features $90 | Shorts $60
Late Deadline: September 14, 2026 — Features $110 | Shorts $70
Extended Deadline: October 6, 2026 — Features $130 | Shorts $90
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July 7: The 8 Above Distribution Lab with Jon Reiss (Deadline to Sign Up)
Jon Reiss—filmmaker, author of Think Outside the Box Office, and one of the most practical voices in indie distribution—is opening the next cohort of his Distribution Lab this summer. It’s a weekly immersive program that walks filmmakers through building a real distribution and marketing plan for their current project, with guest workshops from industry experts and a collaborative cohort of peers doing the same work alongside you. The Lab is built on a core premise: most filmmakers are never taught distribution basics and assume they need gatekeepers to release their work. This is the antidote. By the end, participants leave with a full distribution and marketing plan and budget, a new framework for approaching the industry, and a community of filmmakers for ongoing support. Sign up to meet Jon, tell him about your project, and learn more.
What you’ll leave with: A distribution and marketing plan and budget for your film, a new framework for tackling release strategy, connections with industry experts, and a filmmaker community you can lean on now and in the future.
Deadline to sign up: July 7, 2026
July 13: Film Independent - Project Involve 2027 (Non-Member Deadline)
Applications Open Now
For 30 years, Project Involve has been Film Independent’s flagship program for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities—pairing fellows with top-tier mentors, funding short films from development through completion, and providing access to Fi’s full slate of events and education programs. 30 filmmakers are selected each year across tracks including writing, directing, producing, cinematography, editing, and animation. Fellows must be LA-based for the duration of the program.
Film Independent Member Extended Deadline: July 27, 2026
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July 15: CinemaStreet Women’s Short Screenplay Competition (Late Deadline)
Women screenwriters: CinemaStreet Pictures is accepting short dramatic scripts of any genre (20 minutes and under) for production consideration — with the winning writer receiving a $1,000 option. Scripts from anywhere in the world are eligible, as long as they’re in English.
Past winning scripts have made it to distribution (Love From Friends, 8:16 to Omaha), with two more currently in preproduction — so this one has real follow-through behind it. The competition is managed by Terry Lawler, former Executive Director of New York Women in Film & Television. Check the FilmFreeway page for available discounts.
Late Deadline: July 15
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July 20 (or when 2,000 slots are filled): Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
One of the most prestigious fellowships in screenwriting just opened a public submissions pathway through the Writers Guild Foundation. Each year the Academy awards up to five $35,000 Nicholl Fellowships to emerging screenwriters, and this year WGF is serving as an official public submissions partner — accepting up to 2,000 feature screenplays for evaluation and referral to the Academy. Fellows receive mentorship from Academy members and are expected to complete an original feature during their fellowship year. Submissions are open now and close July 20 — or earlier if the 2,000-script cap is reached first. Don’t wait.
Eligibility: Original, unproduced feature screenplay, written in English, 80–125 pages. Lifetime earnings from film/TV writing must be under $25,000. No AI-generated scripts. One entry per writer.
Submission Fee: $100 for the first 750 submissions | $120 after that, until cap is reached
Deadline: July 20, 2026 at 5 PM PT—or when capacity is reached, whichever comes first
July 20: Slamdance Screenplay Competition (Late Deadline)
The Slamdance Screenplay Competition has been championing new voices since 1995, with alumni going on to agency signings, produced features, and Hollywood careers. Open to emerging writers only—no established writers with screenwriting as a primary income source. Categories include Feature (41–140 pages), TV Pilot (up to 80 pages), Horror/Thriller, and Short (up to 40 pages). Every entrant receives reader feedback including a logline, genre note, and paragraph of strengths/weaknesses. The regular deadline passed June 22; the late and final deadlines remain open. AI-written scripts are not accepted.
Late Deadline: July 20 - Features $85–$105 | TV Pilot $65–$75 | Short $50–$65
Final Deadline: August 3 - Fatures $95–$120 | TV Pilot $70–$85 | Short $55–$70
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July 31: Armed with a Camera Fellowship 2026–2027 (Final Deadline)
Final Deadline: July 31 at 10 PM PST
October 1: Pandora Film Grant (Deadline)
A nonprofit prize awarding $30,000 in cash, equipment, and services across one winner and three finalists — early-career filmmakers producing short films. The 2026 package includes a $12,000 cash grant, a $15,000 PANAVISION Gold Package, a $1,000 KODAK grant, mentorship from an acclaimed filmmaker, discounted ATHOS production insurance, and fiscal sponsorship. Open to projects at script stage or finished projects seeking finishing funds.
Apply: https://pandora.org/
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Dec 4: NRDC's Rewrite the Future $20,000 Fellowship x 3
NRDC’s 2026 Rewrite the Future, in partnership with the Black List, CAA Community + Impact, NBCUniversal, and the Redford Center, invites writers to apply for the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship, now open for submissions.
The annual fellowship encourages climate storytelling by supporting the revision of screenplays or pilots that engage with climate change in a meaningful way, through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting.
The fellowship awards three recipients with $20,000 each and six months of mentorship with industry professionals and climate storytelling experts to provide creative support for their original script. At the conclusion of the fellowship, revised scripts will be hosted on the Black List website and may be reviewed for development by prominent studios, agencies, and/or production companies. Writers will retain all rights to their scripts.
The 2027 fellowship cycle is now open for submissions through December 4, 2026. Reach out to rewritethefuture@nrdc.org with any questions.
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November 19–28, 2026: Porto/Post/Doc — Film & Media Festival
Save the Date!
Six months out, Porto/Post/Doc has announced its 13th edition. The festival runs ten days in Porto, Portugal, bringing together filmmakers, audiences, researchers and industry professionals around documentary and non-fiction cinema. This year’s thematic programme, In The Land Of Others, closes a trilogy on displacement and belonging — with screenings including Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano, Kieślowski’s The Double Life of Véronique, Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba, and Vojtěch Jasný’s All Good Countrymen.
Key dates:
Festival: November 19–28, 2026
Porto Industry Days: November 23–26, 2026
Film submission deadline: July 31, 2026
Industry open calls (Industry Screenings, Co-Production Meetings, Arché Porto): May 15 – July 15, 2026
If you’re a filmmaker with a documentary or hybrid project, the submission window is open now. Industry accreditations and passes to be announced.
More info: portopostdoc.com
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Rolling: IDA Emergency Assistance Grant (New)
More info here: https://www.documentary.org/ida-emergency-assistance-program
Rolling: Culture House Talent Pool Open Call
Although no deadline is specified, the application window is limited for the Culture House Talent Pool Open Call.
More info here: https://culture.house/open-call
Rolling Deadline: Impact Partners Development Fund - Grants Up to $100,000
This grant is GLOBAL/international, so if you have a project that you think might fit, definitely look into it, even if you’re not in the US!
For more info, follow @spike_johnson on Instagram.
Or, for those of us not on IG, here is the website:
http://impactpartnersfilm.com/
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4. ACTIONS & PETITIONS
Actions
Sign the Pledge to Buy Letterboxd!
It’s go time in a big way friends! Intrinsic Entertainment Collaborative, run by Elizabeth Joyce and advised by Ted Hope is running a campaign to buy Letterboxd and run it for the people and by the people.
All the details about the how, what, why, and again, HOW, lie within this piece:
But the action you can take now is to pledge $4 of support to the campaign and support the coalition here:
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Petitions
For EU-based FilmStack Cinemaker or Film Lovers: Sign this OPEN LETTER to #BlockThe Merger
Don’t delay! Sign it today.
For American FilmStack Cinemakers or Film Lovers: Sign This Petition to tell the state attorney generals to #BlockTheMerger!
We ARE going to #BlockTheMerger. It is NOT a done deal. The State Attorney Generals will pick up the fight -- provided you sign this petition that Robert Reich has launched. Sign today! I did.
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Stop The Warners / Paramount Merger
Sign here: https://act.freepress.net/sign/block-paramount-warner-bros-merger
Also, please visit blockthemerger.com
where Future Film Coalition is collecting short, first-hand accounts from across the industry - including exhibitors - to document how media consolidation is affecting the film ecosystem. Use your voice and share your story!
Urge Attorneys General to Stop Paramount’s Mega-Media Monopoly
This one courtesy of the awesomeness that is Robert Reich.
Add your name in support here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-paramount-mega-media-monopoly/
5. HOUSEKEEPING
Who’s sharing what, you ask?
ARB= Alex Rollins Berg AS= Amanda Sweikow AV = Ami Vora CR= Courtney Romano DS= Danielle A. Scruggs SS= Sara's Soliloquies TH= Ted Hope SG= Sam Gallen
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