Fast, focused, and slightly caffeinated.
Here’s what actually moves the needle this week.
📍 This Week’s Big Moves
SCAD Savannah Film Festival is underway
🗓 October 25 – November 1
📌 Savannah, GA
SCAD’s signature “Docs to Watch” panel and red-carpet screenings are pulling in trades and award whisperers all week.
What this means for you:
If your project has awards potential or student-friendly energy, this is a strategic touchpoint.
Reach out to Savannah and Atlanta press; position your film for press quotes, educational tie-ins, or future collaborations.
If you’re in town, plan meetups near the Lucas Theatre.
👉 https://filmfest.scad.edu/
Rome Film Fest wraps – youth/DIY film takes top prize
🏆 Left-Handed Girl, co-written by Sean Baker, and shot entirely on an iPhone (taking a cue from Baker's 2015 Sundance darling Tangerine) wins Best Film
📌 Rome, Italy
What this means for you:
Have a lo-fi, phone-shot, youth-skewing project? Ride the wave.
“Post-Rome momentum” gets international press to open your pitch.
Mention Rome’s win in EU outreach or lead your subject lines with:
“Fresh off Rome’s spotlight on DIY youth films…”
AFM is coming to Los Angeles – Nov 11–16
📍 Fairmont Century Plaza
🎟 Badges and sessions now live
What this means for you:
Don’t wing it.
- Build a 20-company target list (by territory and comps)
- Pre-book 15-minute stand-up meetings
- Lead with deck + data - not laurels
Your pitch should be short, sharp, and intentional.
🔦 Festival Spotlight: Nightmares Film Festival
📍 Columbus, OH
📅 Wrapped 10th Edition – October 16–19, 2025
Known for: bold horror, thriller, and sci-fi premieres
📌 Hosted at Gateway Film Center
Why it matters:
Nightmares has outsized visibility in the genre world. Buyers, reviewers, and top-tier programmers show up.
If you’re launching a new horror, thriller, or sci-fi project - this is your people.
And you’re in luck, because they just opened up submissions for their 2026 edition. Submit now to take advantage of their Early Bird Rate. https://filmfreeway.com/NightmaresFilmFest
🗓 Deadlines & Open Calls
- Garden State Film Festival 2026 – Final Deadline: November 1, 2025
🎟 Use code GSFFLOVESFFI for 20% off
https://filmfreeway.com/GardenStateFilmFestival
- Atlanta Film Festival 2026 – Regular Deadline: October 31, 2025
- Oaxaca FilmFest 2026 – Earlybird Deadline: October 27, 2025
Final Thought
While others submit in the dark, you move with intention.
Strategy wins. Every time.
Until next week,
Heather
🔗 Strategies, tools, and guidance: https://filmfestivalinsider.com
