Film Festivals Focusing on People of Color

We all know about Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, L.A. Film Festival, Toronto, and other such major film festivals, but there are a whole lot of very good smaller American and Canadian festivals that focus on work by and featuring people of color. These festivals are a great way to discover actors, directors, writers, and producers from underrepresented groups. Here are a few you should check out. Special thanks to writer-directors Cruz Angeles and Alrick Brown for helping me with this list!


Latino Film Festivals
New York International Latino Film Festival 
Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival (NYC)
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
San Francisco Latino Film Festival
Chicago Latino Film Festival
Boston Latino International Film Festival
San Diego Latino Film Festival
CineFestival, San Antonio, TX
Cine Las Americas, Austin, TX


African American Film Festivals
Urbanworld Film Fesitval (New York)
African Diaspora Film Festival (New York)
Panafrican Film Festival (Los Angeles) 
Hollywood Black Film Festival
Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (Seattle)
BronzeLens Film Festival (Atlanta)
American Black Film Festival (Miami)
Reel Black (Philladelphia)
San Diego Black Film Festival
Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival


Asian American Film Festivals
Asian American International Film Festival (New York)
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Diego Asian Film Festival
DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Chicago Asian American Showcase
Boston Asian American Film Festival 
Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival (Pittsburgh)
DisOrient Film Festival (Eugene, OR)
Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
(Also see Hawaii International Film Festival below)


Native American & Pacific Islander Film Festivals
Native American Film + Video Festival (New York)
imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival (Toronto)
All Roads Film Festival (DC)
American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco)
Native Voices Film Festival (Seattle)
Festival of Native Film & Culture   (Palm Springs, CA)
Indigenous Film and Arts Festival (Denver)
Native Cinema Showcase (Sante Fe)
Red Fork Native American Film Festival (Tulsa, OK)
First Peoples' Film Festival (Montreal)
Dreamspeakers Film Festival (Edmonton, Canada)

Hawaii International Film Festival (Honolulu)
(Also see Cine Las Americas in Latino Film Festivals. Pacific Islanders: also see Asian American festivals)