Hot Docs 2025 — When a Programmer’s Credits Creep onto The Screen
This article was prompted by yet another recent anonymous email from Indonesia. Please keep contacting us with information. Dear Film Industry Watch team, This is another voice from Indonesia that got moved by reading ur articles and knowing th
Flickerfest Australia – Alleged Misconduct
We received the following email, we’re posting it as is. Please note that this is a non verified claim and should be treated as such, but these are the type of stories that we often hear about, from all over the world: “I was meant to be
ROMANIA: Alleged Conflicts of Interest in Romanian Film Awards Highlight Industry Practices
Thanks to reader’s contribution we’ve been made aware that the Romanian Film Awards, commonly known as the Gopos, have recently come under scrutiny for practices that raise questions about conflicts of interest within the local film indus
WorldFest-Houston Film Festival 2024 – Cancelling screenings, no refunds
The WorldFest-Houston Film Festival, a long-standing event, has recently announced the cancellation of all public screenings for its 2024 edition. This decision was made without providing detailed explanations to participants or the public, nor refun
How Medium sized Festivals Grovel to the Big Boys, by Selecting the Same Films
If you’ve ever wondered why the same films are selected again and again by many different festivals, selections which are often not justified by their artistic merit, and despite the enormous amount of films which are produced each year, this a
Is the Integrity of the European Film Industry Compromised?
Before we delve into the details of this article, we want to remind our readers of a simple yet crucial fact: every year film festivals receive thousands of submissions. The most prestigious ones can receive as many as 15,000 submissions annually.&nb
2nd Annual $5000 Grant: Supporting Graduation Films in Post-Production with Anonymous Submissions.
Film Industry Watch is thrilled to offer an annual Post Production Grant of $5,000 to support film students worldwide in completing their graduation projects. This grant is tailored to assist with post-production and related costs. For this grant, a
Downward Spiral: How Festival Corruption, Media, Degrades Film Quality and Industry Standards
The influence of film festivals on the film industry’s standards, practices, and the quality of its output is a complex and often obscured phenomenon with critical scrutiny revealing a web of biases and ethical concerns that challenge the integ
CHARTS: Merit, Festivals & “Politics”
The chart below provides a clear visual representation of the prioritized factors in decision-making processes within film festivals and funding organizations, explaining how and why film quality output has been degrading over the years. Dominating t
Golden Lion at Venice – Chazelle’s prior work with Stone adds a layer to the discussion
At the Venice Film Festival, “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, won the prestigious Golden Lion award. The film, based on Alasdair Gray’s novel, centers on Bella Baxter, a character brought back to