The 12th annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival takes place November 11th – 15th this year. Located in the resort town of Rehoboth Beach on Delaware’s Atlantic coast, since its inception in 1998 the festival has developed into a premier cultural event.  Rehoboth showcases approximately 100 of the best American and international  features, documentaries, and shorts.

Film enthusiasts enjoy the convenience of seeing all the films at one, multi-screen location.  The Festival also offers informative seminars, opportunities to converse with celebrity guests, as well as special events including Children’s Cinema Corner for elementary school-aged children. The Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival offers something for everyone in its idyllic Mid-Atlantic location. Browse through the schedule to see what is available.

Other festivals starting this week include:

Lone Star International Film Festival (Nov 11-15)

Cinema Arts Festival Houston (Nov 11-15)

Austin Asian American Film Festival (Nov 12-15)

Red Rock Film Festival (Nov 12-15)

Festivals starting next week include:

Paso Robles Digital Film Festival (Nov 20-24): Paying tribute to music in film, especially music videos and DVDs, Paso Robles honors the musicians, songwriters, producers, editors, and filmmakers of the great music documentaries and other excellent films about music and entertainment history. The entire festival is streamed live to the Internet, spreading Paso Robles’s tribute to the early days of MTV, CMT, and VH-1 around the world.

New York City Horror Film Festival (Nov 18-22)

Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers an important avenue of exposure to the film community and provides enthusiastic audiences with the very best of world film, right in the center of Hollywood. This year the festival has extended a gift to moviegoers by offering free tickets to all festival screenings, and it’s no surprise that audiences are flocking to the theaters. These films have been building substantial buzz and have the highest number of calendar adds on the B-Side Festival Genius schedule:

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Set in the present day, Terry Gilliam’s fantastical morality tale tells the story of a travelling show hosted by the extraordinary Doctor Parnassus. An inveterate gambler, Parnassus made a bet with the devil and won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Parnassus made another deal, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of the devil. As Valentina rapidly approaches this milestone, the desperate Parnassus talks the devil into one final wager. Encountering a series of wild, comical and compelling characters, Parnassus fights to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles, hoping to undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.

Precious: Based of on the novel “Push” by Sapphire: Set in Harlem, this film follows the story of Clareece “Precious” Jones, a 16-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. Pregnant for the second time by her absent father, she waits hand and foot on her abusive mother. School is cruel and chaotic, and Precious has reached the 9th grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Though sometimes down, Precious is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Could a transfer to an alternative school be the chance she has been waiting for? Winner of three awards at Sundance, the audience award at Toronto and an official selection at Cannes, director Lee Daniels takes us on a journey from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: Visionary director Wes Anderson’s first animated film utilizes classic handmade stop-motion techniques to tell the story of the bestselling children’s book by Roald Dahl. Mr. and Mrs. Fox live an idyllic home life with their son Ash and visiting young nephew Kristofferson. But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr. Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and, in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but also the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean – who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr. Fox at any cost.

Films synopses taken from AFI Fest schedule.

The 2009 Boston Jewish Film Festival, running November 4th to the 15th, presents the year’s most innovative films on Jewish themes. Screenings are accentuated by panel discussions, visits by directors, actors, and subjects, and musical events.  Boston Jewish explores what it means to be Jewish–in the United States, Israel, and around the world–by screening international and American independent films which highlight the Jewish experience, deal with themes of Jewish culture, heritage, and history, or are of particular interest to the Jewish community.

This year’s theme explores the subject of home; what it means and how it is defined by different people and perspectives. The festival also presents many live events such as concerts, dance performances, and new scores to silent films. To see what other films, events and themes Boston Jewish Film Festival has to offer, check out the schedule page.

Other festivals starting this week include:

Arizona Underground Film Festival (Nov 2-7)

Rivers’ Edge International Film Festival (Nov 5-8)

Rockport Film Festival (Nov 5-8)

Dallas Video Festival (Nov 5-8)

Independents’ Film Festival (Nov 5-14)

San Francisco Latino Film Festival (Nov 5-25)

South Alabama Film Festival (Nov 6-8)

Festivals starting next week include:

Austin Asian American Film Festival (Nov 12-15): The festival is committed to celebrating the best in independent Asian cinema from across the globe. For five years, AAAFF has highlighted the complexity and vitality of Asian and Asian-American communities through cutting-edge narrative, documentary and experimental films. The festival hopes to use its place in the community to not only educate the public about other cultures, but environmental and global issues as well.

Red Rock Film Festival (Nov 12-15): Determined to give all films a chance at exposure, this Utah festival finds a place in the schedule for all submissions.  Red Rock encourages the production of media in both the independent and professional market that portray humanity in a positive light. The festival’s demographic–consisting mainly of empty-nesters, college students, and seniors–is well-educated and open to new experiences and productive discussion.

Lone Star International Film Festival (Nov 11-15)

Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Nov 11-15)

Cinema Arts Festival Houston (Nov 11-15)

The Austin Film Festival is near and dear to us, as our first ever Festival Genius partner back in 2005, and we were in attendance this year to experience all of the great films, panels and parties offered. AFF’s unique focus on the writer was reflected in the strong film programming and conference lineup. Panels brought together esteemed Hollywood writers to talk about their craft; film selections emphasized the power of storytelling; and parties gave festival-goers, filmmakers, aspiring writers and industry VIPs alike a chance to rub elbows and kick back Austin-style.

Attendees have been using the the Festival Genius to plan their schedules and voice their opinions in record numbers this year. Here are just a couple indie gems festival-goers have discovered at AFF:

The Scenesters: Director Todd Berger crafts an entertaining twist to the classic whodunit, honoring and deconstructing the film noir genre while poking fun at hipster culture. From user raraviv: “Funny, clever, great performances, fantastic soundtrack. This is the sort of unique film that could become a cult hit (or maybe even a regular hit).”

Happy Ending: Atsuhiro Yamada’s first feature simultaneously homages formulaic romantic comedies while deconstructing the genre and creating something that is undeniably fresh. From user simplygreg: “Whimsical and smart, the self-awareness and nerdcore is fun and memorable, especially for cinephiles.”

Austin Film Festival Marquee Screenings are usually films you can expect to see soon at a theater near you, and these crowd-pleasers were well-received by audiences at AFF:

The Messenger: Oren Moverman’s directorial debut stars Ben Foster as an Army officer assigned to the difficult task of delivering tragic news to the relatives of fallen soldiers. From user kuchynata: “Awesomeness abounds. What a wonderful story, and a beautiful way of telling it. Fantastic acting by gracious people really helps.”

Youth in Revolt: Director Miguel Arteta paints a bizarre and charming picture of an awkward teen, played by Michael Cera, hopelessly in love and willing to go to absurd lengths to be with his sweetheart. From user sstair: “Wonderfully funny movie. I’m going to have to see it again to hear the dialog I missed due to all of the audience’s laughter.”

The 16th Annual Austin Film Festival is coming to a close tonight, and it’s been a great ride. If you didn’t have a chance to make it out this year, we hope to see you in 2010.

Every fall, AFI Fest presents a survey of the year’s most significant films. Running October 30th through November 7th in locations throughout Los Angeles, the festival features international work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters, and red-carpet gala premieres. Since its inception in 2000, AFI Fest has tripled in size to over 65,000 attendees, offering greater opportunities and exposure to filmmakers and attendees alike.

This year’s AFI Fest features numerous films garnering significant buzz. It opens with Wes Anderson’s first animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox, and continues with Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog. Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus makes an appearance, as does Jonathan Demme’s Neil Young Trunk Show and Miguel Arteta’s Youth in Revolt. AFI Fest offers a terrific opportunity to view a number of films on the cusp of recognition from the wide-ranging auteurs of modern cinema. See what else is showing at AFI Fest on its schedule page.

Other festivals starting this week include:

Palestinian Film Festival Australia (Oct 29-Nov 15)

Festivals starting next week include:

Rivers’ Edge International Film Festival (Nov 5-8): Celebrating its 5th year, Rivers’ Edge is a four-day event built around a showcase of quality independent films from around the world. Located in the arts-oriented river town of Paducah, Kentucky, the festival’s focus is on both the film lover–providing multiple venues in which to experience the best world cinema has to offer–and the filmmaker, offering opportunities for exhibition, education, and networking with contemporaries. Paducah already has a burgeoning arts scene, and Rivers’ Edge fits right in to this emerging cultural hub.

Arizona Underground Film Festival (Nov 2-7)

Boston Jewish Film Festival (Nov 4-15)

San Francisco Latino Film Festival (Nov 5-25)

Rockport Film Festival (Nov 5-8)

Dallas Video Festival (Nov 5-8)

South Alabama Film Festival (Nov 6-8)

The Austin Film Festival, taking place this year from October 22nd to the 29th, is dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of screenwriting and filmmaking by providing unique year-round cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships.

The festival combines both a conference and festival portion, allowing filmmakers and the public to learn more about the industry; varying perspectives, insights into technical aspects and storytelling, and what it takes to succeed in the business. There are film and screenwriting competitions, providing opportunities for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers to show off their skills for recognition and prize money.

The Austin Film Festival’s sprawling celebratory and educational event promises something for everyone, whether you’re an aspiring director, producer, writer, actor, or just a film fan. AFF provides many local arts organizations and businesses with a creative platform to showcase their services through programming collaborations and social events, all of which serve to show off Austin and what the city has to offer. Check out the festival’s events on the schedule page.

Other festivals starting this week include:

Hollywood Film Festival (Oct 23-25): The festival seeks to bridge the gap between Hollywood and the global creative community, while at the same time honoring established Hollywood professionals. Some of the films showing include Hunger, which explores the breakdown of humanity in the most extreme circumstances, Interplanetary, about nine corporate employees on Mars attacked by an unstoppable alien creature, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, about an off-Broadway performance of Hamlet which unveils a secret society of vampires. The Hollywood Film Festival features a rich palette of films for everyone, and promises to be a celebration of both professional and up-and-coming filmmakers.

Tallgrass Film Festival (Oct 23-25)

Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival (Oct 20-25)

FirstGlance Philadelphia (Oct 22-25)

Flyway Film Festival (Oct 22-25)

Baltimore Women’s Film Festival (Oct 23-25)

Sainte Maxime International Horror Film Festival (Oct 24-Nov 4)

Festivals starting next week include:

Palestinian Film Festival Australia (Oct 29-Nov 15): Taking place in different locations throughout Australia, the Palestinian Film Festival presents films from, for and about Palestine. Since coverage of Palestine focuses primarily on the politics of the region, these films celebrate Palestinian life, arts and culture. The 2009 program consists of an exciting and diverse range of features, documentaries, animations and short films, all of which are certain to entertain and enrich audiences from all cultural backgrounds.

Located in the heart of the Canadian Prairies, Edmonton is a city that loves movies, and is reported to be the number one per capita movie rental city in Canada. The Edmonton International Film Festival satisfies Edmontonians’ insatiable desire for quality cinema each autumn by delivering a slate of outstanding independent films from around the globe. The 2009 EIFF took place September 25- October 3, and B-Side’s Festival Genius schedule was there to catch the buzz.

Here are just a few of the top feature films from the Edmonton International Film Festival as rated by Festival Genius users:

It Might Get Loud (4.4/5 stars) - Directed by Davis Guggenheim. Featured review by user Sylvia – Sharon: “It’s a love story between three men and their guitars. It goes back to where it all began, their influences and first guitars. I love the twinkle in Jimmy Page’s eyes when he plays, even after all these years. I would highly recommend this movie. It makes you just wish you were at the final session.”

Winnebago Man (4.4/5 stars) - Directed by Ben Steinbauer. Featured review by user nweighill: “This was a lot of fun and the Q&A was as much fun as the film. It made me think that behind every piece of stupidity we see daily in the media there are real people who have their own story!”

Sticky Fingers (4.2/5 stars) – Directed by Ken Scott, starring Aure Atika, Claude Legault, Jean Pierre Bergeron, Patrice Robitaille and Roy Dupuis. Featured review by user FelixandOscar: “A witty and entertaining film. Smart and funny. It made me laugh and want to go on a pilgrimage.”

After moving from the spring to the fall, the 18 1/2 Philadelphia Film Festival takes place October 15-19, 2009. Hosted by the Philadelphia Film Society, the festival is a showcase of critically acclaimed and powerful films, many of which have had premieres at Cannes, Toronto, Venice, and other prestigious film festivals.

This year’s festival opens with Law Abiding Citizen, with director F. Gary Gray in attendance. Other films include The Men Who Stare At Goats, Precious, Serious Moonlight, Chris Rock’s Good Hair, A Town Called Panic, John Woo’s Red Cliff, Cory McAbee’s Stingray Sam, and Lars von Trier’s Antichrist. Philadelphia Film Festival prides itself in providing excellent films on the international, national and local level to the city of Philadelphia, and promises to be an excellent opportunity to those attending. See what else is showing at the festival.

Other festivals starting this week include:

Hawaii International Film Festival (Oct 15-25): HIFF is dedicated to the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific, and North America through the medium of film. It is the primary source for the discovery and exhibition of Asian and Pacific films, documentaries, and shorts in the nation, and its unique geographical placement makes it the ideal festival for East to meet West. Located in the middle of the Pacific, HIFF offers an ideal island paradise to screen films which bridge the gap between continents and cultures.

Heartland Film Festival (Oct 15-24): Started in 1992 as a small Indianapolis event, the Heartland Film Festival has ballooned into one of the fastest-growing film festivals in the country. It is now a ten-day celebration of independent film, featuring screenings, events, and $200,000 in cash prizes to the festival’s highest-scoring submissions. Heartland offers the opportunity to see some of the best independent films in the heart of the Midwest.

San Diego Asian Film Festival: (Oct 15-29): One of the largest exhibitions of international and Asian American films in North America, SDAFF offers a showcase of narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and animation. Believing that film is universal, the festival prides itself in offering opportunities to engage in discussion with filmmakers, view a variety of national and international cinema, and attend free youth films and educational panels. The festival aims to serve the broadest audience possible and present the most diverse range of stories that connect the audience to the human experience.

Flatland Film Festival (Oct 15-17)

International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival (Oct 15-18)

New Hampshire Film Festival (Oct 15-18)

Royal Flush Festival (Oct 15-19)

Reel Affirmations Film Festival (Oct 15-24)

Columbus International Film & Video Festival (Oct 15-Nov 24)

Dixie Film Festival (Oct 16-18)

Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (Oct 16-18)

Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Oct 16-25)

San Fransisco Documentary Festival (Oct 16-29)

Boston Palestine Film Festival (Oct 16-Nov 1)

Festivals starting next week include:

Tallgrass Film Festival (Oct 23-25): Located in Wichita, Kansas, Tallgrass seeks to entertain, educate and enlighten audiences in America’s heartland. Tallgrass is gaining the reputation as a “Filmmaker’s Festival,” hosting over 300 directors, producers and actors from around the world. Showing the very best of independent cinema–including foreign, documentary, short, GLBT, retrospective and premiering films–the festival offers a unique, worldly perspective amidst its rural surroundings.

Hollywood Film Festival (Oct 23-25)

Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival (Oct 20-25)

FirstGlance Philadelphia (Oct 22-25)

Flyway Film Festival (Oct 22-25)

Baltimore Women’s Film Festival (Oct 23-25)

Sainte Maxime International Horror Film Festival (Oct 24-Nov 4)

Film lovers in Philadelphia are in for a treat; later this month the city will see the “18 1/2th” Philadelphia Film Festival, with which the festival moves from its traditional springtime dates to a new home later in the calendar. This five-day celebration of film begins on October 15th and tickets are available to the public now!

Speaking of tickets, this festival introduces a new set of features to our Festival Genius software – namely, integrated ticketing brought to you by the Philadelphia-based company TicketLeap. Our partnership with TicketLeap means that instead of jumping off to a separate web site to buy your tickets, you’ll be able to make that purchase within the festival web site and without signing up for a new account with the ticketing provider. (If you’re a festival director interested in B-Side’s integrated ticketing and what it means for Festival Genius, please contact us at festivals@bside.com.) We look forward to providing a better festival experience for more moviegoers in the future through our partnership with TicketLeap.

Visit the Philadelphia Film Festival site now.

To celebrate the release of B-Side’s NERDCORE RISING on DVD, MC Frontalot fans are duking it out in the NERDCORE RISING Song Fight for a chance to meet the godfather of Nerdcore hip hop and see him in concert.

Inspired by songfight.org, the music competition website that launched MC Frontalot to internet stardom, the NERDCORE RISING Song Fight tasks fans with creating and uploading a completely original nerdcore song based on the title “Feature Creep.” The internet community will ultimately decide who wins this lyrical battle, by voting via email and B-Side’s unique Twitter voting system.

With a little over a week remaining until the upload deadline, you still have a chance to get in the fight by uploading your unique song to nerdcorerisingmovie.com by October 15th.

Just want to listen to the aspiring nerdcore MCs and vote for your favorite? Click here.

The NERDCORE RISING Song Fight ends October 31st.