Film festival

When a film festival takes place in one or more cities or regions, it is a well-organized, lengthy exhibition of films at one or more cinemas and screening places. Film festivals are increasingly showing portions of their films outside. Films may have been released recently, and depending on the festival's emphasis, they may have included both international and local premieres. Some festivals are devoted to a single director, a certain genre of cinema (for example, horror films), or a specific subject matter (for example, LGBT+ film festivals). Several film festivals are devoted only to the presentation of short films with a maximum running time that has been established. Film festivals are usually held on a yearly basis. Some film historians, such as Jerry Beck, believe that film festivals should not be considered legitimate premieres of the picture.

The "Big Three" film festivals are the most prominent film festivals in the world, and they are held in Venice, Cannes, and Berlin. Sundance and Toronto International Film Festivals are the most renowned film festivals in North America.