1. Short Film Festivals

2. Telluride www.telluridefilmfestival.orgStarted in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card In the town of Telluride, Colorado Operated by the National Film Preserve The bulk of the program is made up of new films

3. Cannes http://www.festival-cannes.com/Held on the beaches of the French Riviera every year in MayHost to the top film industry workers worldwide from celebrities to emerging independent filmmakers Highest honour in the festival world to have your work shown at Cannes

4. Sundance www.sundance.org/festival Held in Utah every year Often referred to as "the mother of all independent film festivals in the United States" Attended by film enthusiasts, filmmakers, other film festival directors, agents and acquisitions executives.

5. Toronto International www.tiff.net Considered one of the most respected film festivals in the world Has been known to break new talent Also been known to debut the Hollywood versions (non-studio financed) of independent film

6. Berlin www.berlinale.de One of Europe's longest running festivals, spanning over 50 years One of Europe's most prestigious events Held in conjunction with the European Film Market, it gives filmmakers the chance to sell the rights to their films to European territories.

7. AFI LA www.afi.com/afifest Independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts Established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act Describes itself as "a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media."

8. Los Angeles www.lafilmfest.com/2010 Held annually in June, lasting for 10 days Held in downtown Los Angeles, California. It showcases North American independent, feature, documentary and short films, as well as music videos.

9. South by South West www.SXSW.com Set of film, interactive and music festivals that take place every spring in Austin, Texas First began in 1987 Each of the three parts runs relatively independently, with different start and end dates.

10. Trebeca www.tribecafilm.com/festival Founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff Was founded in a response to 9/11 Founded to celebrate New York and to contribute to the recovery of lower Manhattan.

11. Seattle International Held annually in Seattle, Washington SIFF runs for more than three weeks (24 days) in May-June, and Features an assortment of independent and foreign films and documentaries