Sundance Film Festival – Park City, Utah (January 19-January 29, 2006)
{ The Sundance Film Festival is considered the premier U.S. showcase for American and international independent film. }
Highest Honors: Grand Jury
Notable films of Sundance 2006:
An Inconvenient Truth (US) directed by Davis Guggenheim
Little Miss Sunshine (US) directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
The Proposition (UK/Australia) directed by John Hillcoat
The Science of Sleep (France) directed by Michel Gondry
Visit the official Sundance Film Festival site for more

Berlin Film Festival – Berlin, Germany (February 9-February 19, 2006)
{ The Berlinale – not only the city’s largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry’s calendar. The Berlinale is the most visited of all the major international film festivals. }
Highest Honors: Silver Bear
Visit the official Berlin Film Festival site for more

Festival de Cannes – Cannes, France (May 17-May 28, 2006)
{ The Festival de Cannes is the most star-studded of the international film festivals. Probably because it’s located in the resort town of Cannes in the South of France. }
Highest Honors: Grand Prix
Notable Films at Cannes 2006:
Iklimer (Climates), Turkey, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Babel (Mexico) directed by Alejandro González Inarritu
Fast Food Nation (US) directed by Richard Linklater
Marie Antoinette (US) directed by Sofia Coppola
The Water Diary (France) directed by Jane Campion
Visit the official Festival de Cannes site for more

Venice Film Festival – Venice, Italy (August 30-September 9, 2006)
{ This festival celebrates art as well as just subject matter. “The aim of the Festival is to encourage the awareness and the promotion of all the various aspects of international cinema as art, entertainment and industry, in a spirit of freedom and tolerance.” }
Highest Honors: Golden Lion
Notable films at Venice 2006:
The Queen (UK) directed by Stephen Frears
The Fountain (US) directed by Darren Aronofsky
Hollywoodland (US) directed by Allen Coulter
When the Levees Broke. A Requiem in Four Acts (US) by Spike Lee
Visit the official Venice International Film Festival site for more

Toronto International Film Festival – Toronto, Canada (September 7-September 16, 2006)
{ According to Moving Pictures Magazine, Rogert Ebert said this film festivall is “more useful and important” than the Festival de Cannes. }
Highest Honors: n/a
Notable films at Toronto 2006:
Confetti (UK) directed by Debbie Isitt
Vover (Spain) directed by Pedro Almodovar
For Your Consideration (US) directed by Christopher Guest
Death of a President (UK) directed by Gabriel Range, which won The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize)
Visit the official Toronto International Film Festival site for more

Telluride Fim Festival – Telluride, Colorado (September 1-September 4, 2006)
{ Not a competition but a celebration, the Telluride Film Festival celebrates cinematic brilliance over the ages. The festival include not only 20 never before viewed films, but also 20 film classics. Only a limited number (1,500) of passes to the festival are sold each year, which is below the number of people who show up. }
Highest Honors: n/a
Notable films at Telluride 2006:
Babel (Mexico) directed by Alejandro González Inarritu
The Last King of Scotland (UK)directed by Kevin Macdonald
The US vs John Lennon (US) directed by David Leaf & John Scheinfeld
Little Children directed (US) by Todd Field
Visit the official Telluride Film Festival site for more

The Times BFI London Film Festival – London, England (October 18-November 2, 2006)
{ “The Times BFI London Film Festival showcases the best new films from around the world. The BFI London Film Festival differs from a lot of other European films festivals in being primarily about bringing film to the public. The BFI London Film Festival offers opportunities for people to see films that would not otherwise get a UK screening – some may never be screened again in this country – but also screen films which will get a release in the autumn or spring. Most of the screenings are attended by the people involved in making the films, from actors and directors, to producers and stuntmen! This gives the BFI LLFF screenings a unique and intimate feeling, as the audience ask questions of their favourite star, or discover a new talent.” }
Grierson Award:
For the best feature-length documentary
9th FIPRESCI International Critics Award:
Advancing the art of cinema and rewarding talent
UK Film Talent Award Sponsored by Alfred Dunhill:
Celebrating and supporting new and emerging UK film talent
The Sutherland Trophy:
For the most original and imaginative first feature
The 11th Annual Satyajit Ray Award:
For a first-time feature director whose film best captures the artistry, compassion and humanity of Ray’s vision
TCM Classic Shorts:
Six shortlisted films are screened during the award ceremony after which prizes are awarded to the top three film-makers
Visit the official The Times BFI London Film Festival site for more

Sevilla Festival de Cine – Sevilla, Spain (November 4-November 11, 2006)
{ The one film festival specifically dedicated to European cinema, “The SEVILLE FILM FESTIVAL offers contemporary European cinema (understood in a broader framework than that even of the recently expanded European Union) the necessary space to make itself known and, and most importantly, to make itself known to itself.” }
Highest Honors: Giradillo de Oro
Visit the official Seville Film Festival site for more

Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival – Antalya, Turkey (September 16-September 23, 2006)
{ “Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is the first national film festival organized in Turkey for 42 consecutive years; this prestigious national event has celebrated and supported the Turkish Film industry through its film competition and annual Golden Orange Award Ceremony.” The Golden Orange Film Festival also hosts the Eurasia Film Festival (9/16 – 9/23), which began last year, and Eurasia Film Market to be realized on 17 – 20 September, 2006. “The International Eurasia Film Competition provides a unique meeting point that showcases a mélange of cultures and creative artistic expression of two continents; Europe and Asia and all films entered in this competition must be of European or Asia origin.” The Eurasia Film Market is “a platform of cross-marketing for the cinema industry…with the aim of establishing relations to facilitate future co-productions where Turkey will be an alternative base in the international film industry.”}
Highest Honors: Best Film, Best Director
Notable Films at Golden Orange 2006:
Iklimer (Climates), Turkey, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Bliss, Hong Kong, directed by Zhimin Sheng
World Trade Center, US, directed by Oliver Stone
Visit the official Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival site for more