Dreamstorm FilmFest celebrates the untamed imagination of independent cinema.

We are the lightning rod for visionaries, the gathering storm of creativity that electrifies the cultural landscape.

In a world of formulaic content, we champion the dreamers who dare to craft stories that awaken, provoke, and transform.

DREAMSTORM

FILM

FEST

CLICK TO ENTER YOUR PROJECT

official selection 2023

now accepting submissions for 2024.

WINNER

BEST FEATURE

FILM

OLMA ​DJON

Victoria ​Yakubov

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST ​ANIMATION

DREAMER

Vladimir ​Todorov

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST DOCU ​FEATURE FILM

KINGDOM

OF FISH

Martin ​Falklind, ​Maria ​Ålander, ​Björn ​Tjärnberg

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

WINNER

BEST NEW ​MEDIA

DREAMER

Vladimir ​Todorov

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST SERIES

MY DAY ​WAS MAD

RODOLFO MAYA

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST SHORT ​FILM

THE

DOOR

Hetong

Zhang

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST DOCU ​SHORT FILM

THE ​COST OF ​LIVING

Marie ​Jacquemin

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

WINNER

BEST MUSIC ​VIDEO

CASS & ​LEX

Phillip ​Kaminiak

NOMINEES

· DUSK AND SHADOW (UK)

Rowan Loughlin

· THE LAST FRAME (USA)

Avery Keaton

· FIRESIDE STORIES (Canada)

Liam Marchand

· THE FOG OF YOUTH (France)

Emilie Laurent

· BREAKWATER (Australia)

Miles Ashton

· PAINTED SKIES (Ireland)

Fiona Byrne

At Dreamstorm, we ​recognize independent ​filmmakers as the true ​avant-garde – the ​dreamweavers who ​challenge perceptions, ​shatter conventions, ​and forge new ​pathways in the art of ​visual storytelling. ​These are the artists ​who, unburdened by ​commercial pressures, ​dare to explore the ​depths of human ​experience and the ​heights of imaginative ​possibility. They are the ​cultural alchemists, ​transforming raw ​emotion and bold ​concepts into cinematic ​gold.

WHY ​COMPETE?

In the digital age, creativity knows no borders. ​Dreamstorm FilmFest harnesses the boundless reach of the ​internet to create a global amphitheater for independent ​cinema. Our online CONTEST demolishes the barriers of ​traditional film festivals, allowing visionaries from every ​corner of the world to SHOWCASE AND GAIN RECOGNITION FOR ​their work without the constraints of geography or ​budget. By going digital, we foster a 24/7 celebration of ​cinematic art, where films can be discovered, discussed, ​and revered at any moment. Dreamstorm is more than a ​contest; it's a perpetual incubator of ideas, a virtual ​salon where the next wave of filmmaking talent converges ​and evolves.

At the heart of ​Dreamstorm lies a ​simple yet powerful ​belief: that dreams, ​when given form ​through film, have the ​power to storm the ​bastions of established ​thought and reshape ​our collective reality. ​We are committed to ​nurturing a cinematic ​ecosystem where the ​wildest ideas can take ​root and flourish. Our ​philosophy is one of ​radical inclusivity – we ​celebrate diversity not ​just in representation, ​but in thought, style, ​and narrative ​approach. Dreamstorm ​is the gathering point ​for those who see film ​not merely as ​entertainment, but as a ​vehicle for profound ​personal and social ​transformation.

AWARDS ​LIST

Best Picture

Best Feature Film

Best Medium-Length Film

Best Short Film

Best Micro-Short

Best Animated Film

Best Feature-Length ​Documentary

Best Short Documentary

Best Series or Episode

Best New Media

Best Original Podcast

Best Music Video

Best Original Song

Best Feature Screenplay

Best Short Screenplay

Best TV Script

Best Student Film

Best Experimental Film

Best Queer

Best Dream Sequence

(also known as Dance or ​Poetic Film)

Best Drama

Best Comedy or Musical

Best Action, Sci-Fi or Fantasy

Best Horror or Thriller

Best Directing

Best Emerging Director

Best Directorial Debut

Best Original Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Lead Actor

Best Lead Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Ensemble Cast

Best Sound and Film Editing

Best Visual Effects

Best Original Score

Best Art Direction

Best Makeup and Special Effects

Best Documentary Directing

Best Documentary Production

Best Music Video or Commercial ​Production

CONTEST ​RULES

1. Online Festival Dynamic: Dreamstorm is an exclusively ​online film contest that operates annually with a unique ​structure featuring three classification periods ​throughout the year. The culmination of these periods leads ​to a final Results Day, on which all individual award ​category winners are announced. While Dreamstorm does ​not routinely stream films as part of its contest, we ​reserve the right to request permission to showcase the ​Best Picture winners during a designated short window. This ​potential showcase is subject to the following conditions to ​ensure the security and integrity of the films:

a. Copyright Confirmation: Filmmakers must provide express ​consent and confirm copyright ownership for any streaming ​of their audiovisual project, ensuring that all necessary ​rights are in place for public exhibition.

b. Secure Viewing and Anti-Piracy Measures: In the event of ​streaming, audiovisual projects will be protected with ​encryption, making them safely viewable without risk of ​unauthorized access or distribution. The streaming ​platform will employ robust anti-piracy measures, ​including but not limited to geoblocking capabilities and ​digital rights management (DRM) to prevent downloading ​and illegal sharing.

c. Limited Accessibility: The streaming window will be brief, ​and access will be tightly controlled and limited to a ​specified audience, ensuring exclusivity and respect for the ​filmmakers’ work.

2. Use of Stills and/or Clip Fragments: You certify that your ​work is ready for festival exhibition (all music, fonts, ​visuals, etc. are cleared worldwide, in perpetuity, multi-​platform), and that the intellectual property is yours. If ​you are acting as a distributor, you affirm you've secured ​permission from the copyright owner. You allow us to use ​stills and short clips from your audiovisual project on the ​festival's digital platforms, including our website and ​social media channels, exclusively for promotional, non-​commercial, and educational purposes.

3. Downloading: You grant permission to the Festival ​Director and Jury to download your audiovisual project(s) ​to assist with offline viewing and to fulfill the festival's ​programming needs. There may be an opportunity for your ​audiovisual project to be showcased, to be confirmed, in ​those events you permit us to showcase your audiovisual ​project online with appropriate encryption and password ​protection.

4. IMDb: Dreamstorm's team can update your ​awards/nominations on your IMDb pages, but will not ​initiate the creation of project pages if they don't exist.

5. Code of Conduct: You pledge to maintain respect and ​courtesy toward all involved.

6. Feedback: While we don't provide feedback on every ​submission, we do offer a critical review option.

7. No Refunds and Sportsmanship: No refunds will be ​provided based on dissatisfaction with final festival ​decisions.

8. One-Time Fee for All Categories: A singular fee ensures ​your project is evaluated across all festival categories for ​potential awards/nominations.

9. Accepted Submission Types: We accept a broad spectrum of ​submission formats.

10. Submission Permissions: Filmmaker teams can enter ​multiple projects in the same festival round.

11. Submission Restrictions: Once an audiovisual project has ​been submitted to a particular edition, it cannot be

re-submitted in subsequent ones.

12. Film Reviews: To request a written critique, your ​audiovisual project must have been submitted to the ​competition.

13. Official Selection: A submission does not automatically ​grant "Official Selection" status.

14. Mailing List: By submitting to Dreamstorm, you ​automatically join our newsletter.

SUBMIT ​YOUR ​PROJECT

FILL IN THE FORM AT THIS LINK TO INSCRIBE YOUR PROJECT ​AND COMPETE IN OUR UPCOMING COMPETITION ROUND.

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CONTACT ​US

INFO@DREAMSTORMFILMFEST.COM

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