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	Film festivals occur in every region of the United States.

The films that reach the multiplex are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cinema; for every huge Hollywood spectacle that premieres across North America, there are dozens more films around the world that never make it to a mass audience. Often, the only way to see most of these is at a film festival, where smaller films can receive their due. Hundreds of festivals take place around North America every year, ranging from small, one-day events to huge, month-long spectacles. For dedicated film-watchers and others curious to expand their cultural horizons, a film festival is a fantastic way to see the best in hard-to-find films. As well, festivals often include films about to make their mainstream debuts, allowing festival attendees the first peek at upcoming hits.

In recent years, film festivals have increased dramatically as tourist events, with more public screenings, film workshops and gala events with appearances by high profile stars. Film festivals are also often the first place to see a film months, even years, before it sees general release. Premieres of films are a festival's lifeblood, which are used to promote the festival as a unique event. Classic film showings also give a chance to see older films up on the big screen that ordinarily would be difficult to see.

Festivals now cover every corner of the United States, in every month of the year, although November and December are slower months. Over time, some festivals have become more important than others in the film scene, garnering more premieres and attracting higher profile films and stars. Still others take on smaller or quirky films and focus on films with a certain theme. The following is a by-no-means complete, but illustrative list of some of the more interesting and important festivals in the United States.

Sundance Mountains, near Park City, Utah

JANUARY - MARCH

Sundance Film Festival
The festival season annually starts in Park City, Utah, a small resort about 30 mi (48 km) east of Salt Lake City. Started as a small, regional festival, the Sundance Film Festival gained prominence when it was moved from September to January and when Robert Redford became involved as a director (lending the film festival its name from his character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and helped to promote the festival. The move to January was to take advantage of Utah's ski hills, such as the Deer Valley Ski Resort and the Snowbird Ski Resort, two of many winter recreation areas close by.

The Sundance festival is a showcase for independent film making and has made its name as a place where the brightest young talent can be found. Filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Steven Soderbergh got their starts with films at this festival. Part of the appeal of this festival is the chance to hobnob with Hollywood stars, who are frequently spotted around the resort.

Other competing festivals have sprung up around Park City, and take place at the same time, including the Slamdance festival, which focuses on even lower budget films, some made for as little as one hundred dollars.

Pan African Film and Arts Festival
One of the many culturally-oriented film festivals is the Pan African Film and Arts Festival in Los Angeles, California, which takes place annually in February. Films that play here come from primarily African-American artists as well as Caribbean, African and South Pacific filmmakers. This festival — centered at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza — also includes an arts market, musical performers and speaking events.

	Downtown Austin, Texas1

South by South West Film Festival
The South by South West Film Festival based in Austin, Texas, runs concurrently with the South by South West Music Festival and the South by South West Interactive Conference. Run together as a single event, each part of the festival can be attended separately. Films at the festival include documentaries, independent and world cinema and a large selection of short films. Some screenings take place in Austin's Paramount Theatre, built in 1915 and styled in both Classical Revival and Baroque Revival architecture.

Miami International Film Festival
Fun in the sun isn't the only reason to visit Miami in March, as the Miami International Film Festival also takes place at this time. The festival only shows films that are a director's first or second film, making it a great way to find up-and-coming filmmakers. Given the cultural makeup of southern Florida, it also places a large emphasis on Spanish and Caribbean filmmakers. Between screenings, relax on the beach and enjoy the nightlife of South Beach, in nearby Miami Beach.

Cinequest Film Festival
Held annually since 1990 in San Jose, California, the Cinequest Film Festival has come to be one of the most important showcases of independent film on the west coast of the United States. This festival leans towards the quirky and offbeat, and honors several filmmakers and actors each year with the Maverick Spirit Award. Almost 200 films are shown over two weeks. Digital film making has received a special focus in recent years at this festival for its effectiveness in allowing independent films to be made for less money.

	The Castro Theatre, San Francisco, California2

APRIL - JUNE

Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival
Arguably the most famous film critic in the United States, Roger Ebert now hosts a film festival of his own in Champaign, Illinois, at the University of Illinois campus, south of Chicago. Held at the majestic Virginia Theatre, the Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival lineup is hand-picked by Ebert to consist of classic and modern films that have either been passed over by audiences or forgotten and neglected over the years.

San Francisco Film Festival
San Francisco is a city filled with culture, from the Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf areas to its numerous parks and cultural events. Fitting this reputation, the city has one of the largest and most accessible film festivals to call its own. Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in North America. Over 200 films are shown over two weeks at venues around the city, including the world-renowned Castro Theatre.

Seattle International Film Festival
Billed as the largest and most attended film festival in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival runs almost a month in duration and regularly features over 300 films during its run. Historic theater buffs can find a bounty at this fest as five restored theaters handle the bulk of the Seattle festival's screenings. The Broadway Performance Hall, Egyptian Theatre, Harvard Exit, Neptune Theatre and Uptown Theatre were all built prior to 1926 and are excellent examples of early 20th -century theater architecture. May and June offers some of the best climate of the year for the Pacific Northwest, and in between screenings is an ideal chance for festival-goers to enjoy local outdoor attractions such as the Seattle Center, Pike Place Market and Blake Island State Park.

Downtown Seattle, Washington

JULY - SEPTEMBER

Tombstone Western Film Festival
The Western is one of the classic genres of American film making and the legendary frontier town of Tombstone, Arizona, featured in many Westerns, hosts the Tombstone Western Film Festival each year in July. With authentic historical sites nearby like Boot Hill Graveyard—burial place for many of Tombstone's famous residents, including those of the Gunfight at the OK Corral—screenings of Westerns take on an added significance. In addition to film and classic television screenings, period-themed balls and banquets take place.

Telluride Film Festival
Like the Sundance Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival takes over a small mountain resort town. Telluride is located in the southwest corner of Colorado and transforms itself for the Labor Day weekend each year, turning local gymnasiums into art deco masterpieces and creating an outdoor theater for extra showings. One of the crown jewels of the United States festival circuit, Telluride is known for some of the best independent cinema. Some of the most successful films of this type have premiered here. Recent examples of films getting their first screenings at Telluride include Sling Blade, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lost in Translation and others.

The festival packs a lot of activities into its short schedule, with over 40 film programs and numerous talks and seminars from famous filmmakers on the art of cinema. Contained within a single weekend, this is one of the easiest festivals to attend in the United States, and is also in proximity to a number of resort towns in southwestern Colorado, including Durango, Cortez and Montrose.

OCTOBER - DECEMBER

Asheville Film Festival
One of the newer festivals in the United States, the Asheville Film Festival has quickly started to make a name for itself. Long an artistic center for North Carolina and the southern States, Asheville was a natural choice for the location of a film festival. Taking place in late October, this festival exhibits nearly 100 films over a single weekend, ranging from the groundbreaking to the mainstream.

Screamfest L.A.
The month of October is filled with horror film festivals, and one of the largest is the 10-day Screamfest L.A. in Los Angeles. For those looking for the cutting edge of horror and thriller films, this festival fits that bill, showcasing recent independent horror films and student shorts. Classic horror films are also screened here, often with directors and stars in attendance as special guests.

ATTENDING FESTIVALS

Attending a film festival can mean seeing anywhere from one to many dozens of films, depending on interests and time. Thankfully, most festivals offer both individual screening tickets as well as passes for multiple films. Each festival has its own policy, but pass holders are generally given first priority for films and this is often the best and most economical way to attend a festival. For more popular films at the larger fests, expect long lineups and the possibility of sellouts. Careful scheduling of films can minimize these problems, as many different films will often be screening at the same time, and multiple times during longer festivals.

Schedules for festivals are usually announced several months in advance, but for those held in smaller resort towns like Sundance and Telluride, accommodations can be tough to come by. Hotels and flights should be booked prior to the release of the schedule for these festivals, so taking a look at the previous years' lineups can give a good idea if a festival will have the kind of films that pique a particular film goer's interest. Film festivals foster a spirit of adventure and experimentation, and often the best experiences at them come from finding a gem of a film with no prior information about it.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

1. Sam Legge; Downtown Austin; Austin, Texas, USA
2. Christian Horan Photography; Castro Theatre; San Francisco, California, USA