Film festivals are a great way to showcase your work. They are filled with writers, directors, producers, distributors, and everyone else involved in the film industry that can help you with your future as a filmmaker. Here are the five most important film festivals for moviemakers:

1. Sundance

The Sundance Film Festival is held in the state of Utah in the United States. It is one of the biggest in the U.S., and features short films, feature length, and non-competitive showcases. Sundance attracts some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from actors to producers, and is definitely a great place to network with real industry insiders and get your film seen by people that can further your career.

2. Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival is held annually in France, and is one of the world’s oldest and most highly regarded festivals. Like Sundance, Cannes attracts the top film industry players, and also adds the European market to the mix. If your film is more of an art house project, it is more likely to shine at Cannes, where it is more about artistic quality over commercially viable films.

3. Toronto

The Toronto International Film Festival has grown to become one of the most prestigious places to screen a movie in the world. What began as a showcase for other festival winners, Toronto has earned a lot of influence and is considered a top predictor of what will be successful in Hollywood. Some of the best movies made had their premiere in Toronto, which makes it a serious contender for any filmmaker who wants to have their work seen by the top players in the industry.

4. Tribeca

Tribeca is quickly growing to become the place to show for independent films. Started in 2002 by co-founder Robert DeNiro, Tribeca is held in New York. It attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year and brings independent filmmakers of all levels together. Like with other festivals on the list, Tribeca gets maximum exposure for you and your film with top U.S. industry leaders in attendance.

5. San Francisco

The San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in the U.S. It runs for two weeks every year, and focuses on film and video productions that haven’t yet received U.S. distribution. If you’re a filmmaker in need of distribution, this is the best festival for you, and gives you a lot of opportunities to network with the people that have the power to get your film to the masses. Attracting over 80,000 people, the San Francisco Film Festival rounds out our list of top film festivals.

Acting is a profession that requires talent and persistency in order to succeed. To be a successful actress, you need to be well versed of the industry expectations and seek to equip yourself with as much experience as possible. While some may rise to fame within a short while, some may take many years before their talents are acknowledged. If you have chosen this career, you need to remain persistent and optimistic. You may face countless rejections for role casting but if you are willing to learn and work hard, who knows you may be the next rising star. This article highlights some tips on becoming an actress.

Many women want to learn how to become an actress as successful as Halle Berry or Julia Roberts while others simply want to perform. Although the path to becoming an actress varies, many famous actresses modeled before beginning acting careers. Others starred in school plays. Some actresses were born into the entertainment industry because their parents were entertainers. Still other actresses were discovered while they were busy doing something else. Some auditioned for a role and won the role that put them on their career path. Others enrolled in acting classes, which is a viable path for women seeking to begin an acting career.

When choosing a school to learn how to become an actress, women should research the school, faculty members, and alumni to make sure the school is the best place to develop their skills and move them toward their career goals. In acting school, students learn various acting techniques, such as the Stanislavinski technique or the Meisner technique. Enrolling in acting school will give aspiring actresses the opportunity to work on character and scene study. Depending on the curriculum of the school, an aspiring actress should be able to take courses in speech, script development, and improvisation among other courses.

While learning how to become an actress, a drama student should be developing relationships with faculty members and other students. Acting school provides the opportunity for students to begin establishing a network of current industry professionals (instructors and professors) and future industry professionals (students). Drama instructors or professors will be able to provide audition leads, career advice, or recommendations when that time comes. The student relationships nurtured in acting school possess the possibility to provide future career opportunities. Students practicing improvisation together in a classroom, for instance, may find themselves in a position to make actor recommendations to directors or writers in the future, or they may be the writers or directors looking for actors themselves. Since the entertainment industry thrives on relationships and connections, developing networking skills while in drama school will inevitably help the aspiring actress when she begins seeking roles in the entertainment industry.