Three Specialty Film Festivals Not to Be Missed

Lianne McNally is a writer, producer and director, whose work has appeared on major networks including CBS, HBO, USA Networks and others. As an award-winning producer of social issue documentaries, Lianne McNally keeps her eye on specialty film festivals, which have grown in popularity over the years. The following are a few festivals not to be missed:
- American Documentary Film Festival. Held in Palm Springs, California, the American Documentary Film Festival began in 2012, but has quickly grown to become a major festival for documentary lovers. Although young, the festival has honored a number of groundbreaking filmmakers since its inception.
- Atlanta Film Festival. The Atlanta Film Festival screens major indie films and gives attendees access to a five-day Creative Conference featuring panels and demos. The festival even includes a screenplay competition, with winners being brought in for a Screenwriters’ Retreat.
- Brooklyn Short Film Festival. One of the standout features of the Brooklyn Short Film Festival (BSFF) is its quality feedback for filmmakers, including for those whose films are not accepted to be featured. Those whose films are accepted also glean insight about how to handle press from BSFF’s digital PR bootcamp and template press kits.
