Echelon Studios presents the second Echelon STudios International Film Festival
Join us for the second annual Echelon Studios International Film Festival (ESIFF) — a celebration of global independent cinema! Taking place in August 2025, our festival is dedicated to showcasing outstanding work from up-and-coming talent, providing a platform where unique voices, fresh perspectives, and bold storytelling come to life. Submissions open soon, inviting filmmakers from around the world to share their work with an audience that values creativity and cinematic innovation.
Echelon Studios has long championed the art of storytelling by nurturing emerging filmmakers. With a robust portfolio that spans feature films, documentaries, and genre cinema, we’re committed to giving independent artists the support they need to bring their visions to life. Our festival is a natural extension of that mission—a space crafted to empower new voices, celebrate independent artistry, and connect creators with industry professionals, film enthusiasts, and like-minded artists.
Whether you’re an established filmmaker or just beginning your journey, the Echelon Studios International Film Festival offers the perfect venue to showcase your work and be a part of a community dedicated to the evolution of cinema. Join us in shaping the future of film!
festival screenings
The festival is a hybrid model consisting of both virtual and in-person screenings. The virtual component takes place on Eventive two weeks leading up to the in-person screenings. The winners of the six categories will be screened in-person in Los Angeles before the awards celebration at the South Park Center, supported by NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.
All official selections are invited to the in-person screening and ceremony. The trailers for the films will be screened on Mometu, one of our streaming partners. The trailer that receives the most views on the streaming platform will win the Mometu Award category.
virtual panels
During the week before our screening, our panel of guests will talk about the current state of independent film distribution and the entertainment industry. Attendees will gain knowledge about how to prepare, package, and get their films distributed across the world. The panels will also educate filmmakers about navigating the film festival circuit, and gain insight to prepare for their next projects as well.
ENTRY FEE
- Early Deadline (January 31, 2025): Shorts: $20 USD; Features: $45 USD
- Regular Deadline (March 31, 2025): Shorts: $23 USD; Features: $47 USD
- Late Deadline (May 31, 2025): Shorts: $25 USD; Features: $50 USD
Note: entry fees are in U.S. Dollars, per film and are non-refundable. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify a submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.
AWARDS AND PRIZES
We are seeking films in six categories to compete for prizes and distribution deals. Submitted films will compete in the following six divisions:
Best US Feature
Best US Short
Best International
Feature Film
Best International
Short Film
Best Documentary
Best Series
- The Best Feature Film winner will receive a free round trip airline ticket anywhere in the U.S.
- $1,000 USD Cash prize for Best Feature Film
- The Audience Award winner will receive a free round trip airline ticket anywhere in the U.S.
- $1,000 USD cash prize for Audience Award winner
- $500 USD cash prize to the Winner of each category
- All films will be offered a distribution deal with Echelon Studios
- Additional Sponsorship Awards to be announced
RULES AND TERMS
- We consider films regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film has already premiered at another festival, whether it screened at a physical venue or online, it’s still eligible for consideration.
- The applicant holds the sole responsibility for copyright clearance of any copyrighted material in the film.
- The festival has the right to use a trailer, stills, pictures, and posters for promotional purposes in various film magazines, social media, websites, etc.
- All films should be in the English language or subtitled in English.
- Shorts must be less than 50 minutes. All projects over 50 minutes should be submitted to the feature category.
- The festival will only communicate with the submitter of the film project.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for consideration:
- You must fully comply with these entry rules and regulations, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.
- You can only submit a feature/short/documentary once, in any category.
- If music or additional film material used in your film is not original, then permission from the source must be obtained. The responsibility for this rests entirely with the filmmaker. Failure to obtain clearance could result in your film being withdrawn from the Festival. In this event, ESIFF will not be liable to refund the fee.
- Entrants should upload their film to FilmFreeway on the day that the entry form is completed. Please include your press kit including still photos. Please write a 10-15 word (only) synopsis for use in our festival program – should your film be selected. We would like to ensure that the judges view your film in the highest quality possible so we will only accept final cuts. Please make sure that your film is ready at the time of entry.
- Please do not send DVDs or copies of your film directly to us unless requested to do so. At the time of submission, we will only accept your entry if your film is uploaded to FilmFreeway.
Requirements:
- No nudity
- No religious content
- No political content
- Only features/shorts produced in the last five years