The International Film Festival Network (IFFN) is a new membership-based community of film festivals founded in 2023 by the Independent Cinema Office (ICO).
Our aim is to foster new partnerships between film festivals by promoting best practice and strategic innovation in programming, reaching audiences, and developing strong organisational structures that encourage the discovery and celebration of the art of film. The mission of the network is to secure a vibrant future for film festivals across the world.
The ICO is a leading provider of professional development opportunities, training over 5,000 people from over 1,200 organisations and over 80 countries in the last 20 years. This includes over 300 festival professionals via our one-of-a-kind, international Developing Your Film Festival programme.
Survey: Financial health of global film festivals
In today’s challenging climate, we believe it’s more important than ever for festivals to work collaboratively, sharing challenges and ideas.
We have created this survey to lobby for greater awareness of the difficulties film festivals are facing and encourage more economic intervention by public funders, national institutions, and regional government.
You can access the link to the survey below:
Financial health of global film festivals survey
We will publicise a report of the results on our website and share it with the press. Everything you share will be anonymous and confidential, with no festival identifiable in the report.
We greatly appreciate your time in filling in the survey or forwarding it to the relevant person in your organisation to complete. The more responses received, the more we are able to do to raise awareness and seek change.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of the team, please contact: training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Exclusive membership benefits
- An invitation to attend an International Film Festival summit hosted in person
- Invitations to member meetings at major festivals
- Invitations to regular online discussion sessions
- Access to best practice case studies and resources
- Access to online networking with the group – an open forum to share information on key topics including film rights, restorations and job opportunities
- Facilitation of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing – matching you with one of your peers facing similar challenges or with particular expertise helpful to you
- Early-bird access and discounts for ICO training opportunities
Fees
- €400 per year for smaller festivals (less than 20,000 admissions)
- €400 per year freelancer rate
- €800 per year for larger festivals
Sign up
Ready to join? Just fill in our short registration form and we’ll be in touch to confirm your membership and finalise payment.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of the team, please contact: training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
The International Film Festival Network was established after discussions at the ICO’s 2023 Future of Film Festivals Forum, funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grant. Our ambition is to develop the network with input from members and evolve what we offer in response to member’s needs.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the IFFN community.
FAQs
How do I become a member?
The registration process is quick and simple. When you are ready to register, simply fill in our online registration form and we’ll be in touch to confirm your membership, provide you with more member information and finalise payment.
Is my festival eligible to become a member?
To be eligible you just need to have run at least one edition of your festival.
How long will my membership take to process?
We will take a maximum of four weeks to finalise your membership details. During that time, if we have any questions about your registration, we will be in touch.
How will the membership fees payment be processed?
Once your membership has been finalised, you will be sent an invoice by a member of the ICO team to be paid by the festival. Once the ICO has received the membership fee then your membership is confirmed.
How long does my membership last?
The membership is valid from the date of your membership approval for 12 months.
My festival isn't a member, but I would like to attend an IFFN event.
IFFN events and opportunities are only open to members. If you wish to attend an event at short notice and your festival is not yet a member, simply contact a member of our team as soon as you have completed the registration form and we will try our best to accommodate you.
What other information will be needed to confirm my membership?
Once your membership has been approved, you will be sent a member information survey. After this has been completed and the ICO has received payment for your membership fee, then your membership will be confirmed.
Can other people in my team join IFFN events?
On registration we will ask you if you’d like to include a secondary contact for your festival, who will also receive all IFFN-related communications and will be able to attend events.
I am an individual, not part of a film festival. Am I eligible for membership?
Yes, freelance festival professionals are eligible to join the network at the discretion of the ICO, as long as you can demonstrate at least two years working in film festivals.
What do I do if I have further questions about membership?
If you have any further queries, please contact our training team via training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.