There's a particular kind of festival week where everything just works . Where the theaters, the hotel, the coffee, and the party are all within a few minutes' walk, the weather holds in the low 70s, and the staff seem genuinely delighted you showed up. That was Indy Shorts. I spent...
Thank you for joining us for FFA's Accessibility Webinar Series, which begins this week on Thursday, July 23rd ( you can still register here! ) A framing motif through our work is that of hosting a dinner party. Take a film festival and boil it down to its essence: entertaining, informing,...
ICYMI: Film Festival Alliance is on the hunt for our next leader. We’re a strong organization with a dedicated membership, a supportive team, and a meaningful mission. As we look ahead, I chatted with our outgoing Executive Director, my colleague and friend Barbara Twist, to reflect on her...
The Independent Film Exhibition Conference (IND/EX) will return to Chicago June 22-25, 2026, bringing together art house cinema and film festival professionals from around the country for four days of community education, networking, and industry advancement. The conference is a joint...
At Film Festival Alliance, we believe in the power of festivals to transform communities and create vibrant spaces for connection, culture, and creativity. Yet, behind every successful festival are the dedicated workers—programmers, marketers, operations staff, and countless others—whose...
Film Festival Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of six new board members for 2025. Get to know our new board members below, and check out our complete list of 2025 board members here. Meet the 2025 class: Ben Stilp, Sundance Institute Ben Stilp serves as Chief...
Film Festival Alliance has launched the Accessibility Office Hours – a program designed to support our members in creating more accessible, welcoming film experiences for all audiences and filmmakers. Film festivals are more than just screening events. They're platforms for storytelling,...
After years of development, Film Festival Alliance is releasing professional standards that represent a community-driven approach to improving film festivals. This project grew from conversations among board members, staff, festival organizers, and filmmakers. What started in zoom rooms...
After much discussion, thoughtful attendee feedback, and stakeholder consideration, Art House Convergence (AHC) and Film Festival Alliance (FFA) are thrilled to announce the IND/EX conference will return in 2026. We had an incredible time convening with everyone in Chicago this past June...
Nominations are now open for our 2025 Board of Directors Every year, we are excited to welcome a new group of Board members to serve on the Film Festival Alliance Board. The FFA Board members participate in, and advocate for, moving the organization forward, especially in this challenging time...