Last year I was fortunate enough to attend Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. And I can definitely add that to my list of best experiences of a lifetime. Getting the honor of meeting and chatting with the greats such as Forest Whitaker, was one of the most humbling experiences as an actor. (In case you were wondering, Forest and I discussed the importance of providing a platform for the many young and talented African filmmakers.) Making unforgettable friends, attending exclusive industry parties (Mekhi Phifer threw the DOPEST poker party and was the sweetest host), going to discussion panels and getting first view of the industry’s edgy indie soon-to-be hits were also pretty amaze-balls. I advise any actor to take the time to go see films at film festivals taking place in your hood or while traveling. Being surrounded by fellow industry folks and lovers definitely makes for a rejuvenation of the performing spirit!
Now, on the heels of the fabulous Cannes Film Festival, it’s a fast reminder of the summer season’s grande travel entrance. Let the wanderlust commence. Whether you’re backpacking across Europe or planning an epic cross-country road-trip this summer, try to squeeze in a quick visit or make a destination out of these awesome and less notorious film festivals!
Here are a few of this summer’s kick-ass film festivals for you to catch:
BAMcinemaFest (June 18— 29) Brooklyn, New York
Edinburgh International Film Festival (Jun 18 – 29) Edinburgh, Scotland
Moscow International Film Festival (June 19 – 28) Moscow, Russia
Munich Film Festival (June 28 – July 5) Munich, Germany
Nantucket Film Festival (June 25 – 30) Nantucket, Massachusetts
Galway Film Fleadh (July 8 to 13) Galway, Ireland
Fantasia International Film Festival (July 17 – August 5) Montréal, Canada
Traverse City Film Festival (July 29 – August 3) Traverse City, Michigan
Melbourne International Film Festival (July 31- August 17) Melbourne, Australia
Locarno International Film Festival (August 6 – 16) Locarno, Switzerland
Sarajevo Film Festival (August 15 – 23) Sarajevo, Bosnia
Telluride Film Festival (August 29 -September 1) Telluride, Colorado
Toronto International Film Festival (September 4 – 14) Toronto, Canada
Atlantic Film Festival (September 11 – 18) Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada
Fantastic Fest (September 18 – 25) Austin, Texas
San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 19 – 27) San Sebastián, Spain
And when traveling, let’s not forget some more of these Basic Travel Tidbits:
- Give your agent your travel dates!!
- Don’t forget to bring headshots & Resume’s to these events, or business cards and network
- Make copies of your passport and driver’s license –email them and give to family member
- Have any snail mail forwarded or go to the USPS.com website to stop your mail delivery
- Give a friend or family your travel itinerary and contact information in case of an emergency