The most heard of film festival in the USA is the Sundance Film Festival but the U.S has many more to offer. If you’re travelling to the US, or if you’re a film student or just a movie buff here are some of the best US film festivals to check out this year, just make sure you are applying for an ESTA visa so you can spend a fair amount of time touring America.

Sundance Film Festival

This is the largest cinematic festival that takes place in Utah in the USA every year in january. It has also been voted one of the top 20 events in the whole of the USA. The festival was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 and has showcased new work from American and international independent filmmakers ever since. Every year the festival features international and U.S documentaries and dramatic films, shorts, New Frontier films, installations, performances, panel discussions and dynamic music events. This festival is not one to miss if you’re a film student travelling to America. Check the dailies on filmfestivals.com

You can browse many more festivals in the USA in our directory of festivals using our search engine.

Other important festivals in the USA: Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, AFI Fest in LA, NY film Festival, Tribeca, San Francisco Film Festival

We highlighted here a few festivals which you might like visiting.

Disposable Film Festival

The Disposable Film Festival starts off in San Francisco every year before travelling to cities around the world. This festival has been selected by MoverMaker Magazine as one of the world’s coolest film festivals. It celebrates different methods of being able to view cinema through different screens including mobiles, pocket cameras, tablets and anything else. This festival has more than just screenings it has workshops, competitions, panels and other events to educate and inspire those who are avid film fans.

Chicago Underground Film Festival

This festival has been voted one of the main film festivals for almost 20 years. The Chicago Underground Film Festival screens independent, experimental, and documentary films from around the world every year. This festival focuses on the artistic, aesthetic and fun side of independent filmmaking. Chicago Underground Film Festival was founded in 1993 by Jay Bliznick who himself was a film student at Columbia College.

Atlanta Underground Film Festival

This year will be the 13^th annual Atlanta Underground Film Festival it celebrates independent filmmakers and helps them have a voice in a market which is dominated by commercial entertainment that appeals to mass audiences. This two day festival showcases best features and shorts from around the world by filmmakers who look to break boundaries through film and video.

Austin Film Festival

Most events at the Austin Film Festival are free and all are open to the public. This festival allows all screenwriters, filmmakers and all artists who use film and television to tell a story to show case their work at this event. Austin Film Festival provides local art organisations and businesses a creative platform to showcase their services. This festival also has 4 days of panels and workshops as well as 8 nights of films and parties where all filmmakers, registrant, panellist and awardee can all share this experience, allowing it to be a means of networking as well as celebrating film and T.V.