Summer 2023 was a summer of smash-hit blockbusters, seeing the release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Every year thousands of movies are produced by a combination of studios and independent filmmakers. Film festivals are an easy way to get a sample of this major pool of movies being constantly released. The state of California is rich with these film festivals and dozens are held every year. Here are some of the best film festivals that were held this summer.
Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival – San Jose
Since 1990 Cinequest has held its film and creativity festival in various locations throughout Silicon Valley to celebrate films from around the globe. Their mission is to highlight new innovations and technology with their festival and empower up-and-coming filmmakers. Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival 2023 was held from August 16-29 and featured a wide variety of movies from small studios and independent filmmakers alike. Movies such as Hundreds of Beavers, a comedy about a drunken applejack salesman who defeats hundreds of beavers and becomes a hero, Breakwater, a drama about an ex-con risking his freedom to track down the lost daughter of an inmate, and Share?, a thought-provoking film of an isolated world connected only by primitive computers that use the power to entertain as currency. With its packed feature film lineup combined with a collection of shorts, Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival 2023 was a movie lover’s dream.
Frameline47 – San Francisco
Frameline is the longest-running and largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world. With an annual attendance of 60,000+, this nonprofit film festival has been ongoing since 1977. Frameline47 was held in San Francisco June 14-24 and featured a variety of LGBTQ+ voices in full-length feature films and collections of shorts. The festival featured films such as Blue ID, about a trans public figure in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Our Son, a film focusing on familiar themes of parenthood through the lens of a male couple on the brink of divorce. Framline47 also featured a completely free screening of Pixar’s Elemental the morning after its premiere date, attended by assistant editor Sarah Ligatich and the PixPride team to give out merchandise for free. Elemental was a far-reaching Pixar film that was seen by lots of Granada High School students, “Elemental was a really good love story with a great soundtrack, I think it’s going to gain more of a fanbase as time goes on” said Isabelle Hart. Frameline’s unique lineup of voices commonly overlooked in film combined with the support from major studios made Frameline47 a fantastic summer film festival.
Palm Springs Shortfest – Palm Springs
The largest short film festival in the United States took place in Palm Springs from June 20-26. This major film festival attracted 25,000 moviegoers to Palm Springs for the festival’s 29th installment. Shortfest accepts shorts from around the world providing attendees with a diverse selection of short films. The award for best short under 15 minutes went to the Spanish film Mystic Tiger, an off-the-wall short film about a burn victim. The award for best-animated short went to the Lithuanian short film Way Better, a film about the anxieties a man experiences as he awaits test results. The prestigious festival attracts thousands every year with its packed lineup of diverse short films making it a major event every summer.
