A
film festival is an organized, extended presentation of
films in one or more
cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon the festival's focus, can include international and domestic releases. Some festivals focus on a specific film-maker or genre (e.g.,
film noir) or subject matter (e.g., horror film festivals). A number of film festivals specialise in
short films of a defined maximum length. Film festivals are typically annual events. Some film historians do not consider Film Festivals as official releases of film, like
Jerry Beck. The best known film festivals are the
Venice Film Festival, the
Cannes Film Festival, the
Toronto Film Festival,
Sundance Film Festival, and the
Berlin International Film Festival, the latter being the largest film festival worldwide, based on attendance. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest major festival. The
Melbourne International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the oldest in the world. A 2013 study found 3,000 active films festivals worldwide—active defined as having held an event in the previous 24 months.