HELLENIC LOS ANGELES MEDIA NETWORK

30th Annual FirstGlance Film Fest Philadelphia

Celebrating 30 Years of Independent Cinema

Submissions for the 30th Annual FirstGlance Film Fest Philadelphia are open!

Be part of Philadelphia's independent film festival, celebrating filmmakers and independent cinema since 1996.

SPECIAL ENTRY OFFER

$30 ENTRY FEE FOR 30 DAYS

Take advantage of the special entry fee for a limited time.

Offer ends October 1st.

30 Years of Independent Film

Celebrating the best indie films from across the globe for 30 years, this year's FirstGlance Philadelphia Film Festival is set to be a major celebration of independent filmmaking.

The festival will take place in May 2027 at the Film Society Bourse in Philadelphia.

Filmmakers from around the world are invited to submit their work and become part of a festival that celebrates independent voices and original filmmaking.

What FirstGlance Offers Filmmakers

When you submit to FirstGlance, your project has the potential to become part of an independent film festival offering theatrical screenings across more than 25 nominating categories.

• Theatrical screenings
• More than 25 nominating categories
• Categories selected by a committee of professional filmmakers, festival staff and FirstGlance alumni
• "Shot in Philly" Narrative and Documentary categories celebrating local talent
• Audience Choice Awards voted on by festival attendees
• Social media promotion through the festival's #SupportIndieFilm campaign
• Filmmaker perks and networking opportunities
• Potential distribution opportunities
• A professional and filmmaker-friendly festival environment

Festival Recognition

MovieMaker magazine has recognized FirstGlance Film Fests on multiple occasions, including references to the festival among notable film festival investments, festivals worth their entry fee and top film festivals.

Philadelphia Weekly has referred to FirstGlance as "Philly's Sundance," while Time magazine has described FirstGlance among "the Festivals for the Rest of Us."

FirstGlance has also been consistently rated among notable film festivals on FilmFreeway.

According to the festival's information, most feature-length narrative films and documentaries screened at FirstGlance during the past 10 years have acquired distribution.

Open to Filmmakers Worldwide

The 30th Annual FirstGlance Philadelphia Film Festival is open to filmmakers across the globe and welcomes professional, first-time, student, regional, national and international filmmakers.

Categories

Local and international submissions are welcome, from first-time filmmakers to experienced professionals.

Feature Film
Over 60 minutes

Feature Documentary
Over 45 minutes

Short Documentary
Under 45 minutes

Short Film
Under 60 minutes

Shorts Too
Under 10 minutes

Student Shorts
Under 25 minutes

Music Videos
Under 7 minutes

Web Series Pilots
Under 15 minutes

NEW CATEGORIES

New Submission Opportunities

Animated Shorts
Under 30 minutes

International Shorts
Under 30 minutes

SPECIAL ENTRY DEADLINE

OCTOBER 1st

$30 Entry Fee for 30 days

Submit now and save up to 50% off regular fees in some categories.

Submit to FirstGlance Philadelphia

Explore the festival listing or submit your film through FilmFreeway.

VIEW LISTING SUBMIT NOW

Celebrating Independent Filmmaking

The FirstGlance Film Fest Philadelphia continues its long-standing focus on independent filmmaking, bringing together filmmakers and audiences from Philadelphia, the United States and around the world.

Published by Hellenic Los Angeles Media Network