The Method Fest is a popular film fest based in Burbank California. This is not the MethodFest site. Click here to visit the official Methd Fest site. A film festival is the presentation or showcasing of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues. The films are usually of a recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include major international releases as well as those made outside a country's established film industry. Sometimes there is a focus on a specific genre (e.g. animation) or subject (e.g. gay and lesbian film festivals). Film Festivals are typically annual events. History The world's first major film festival was held in Venice in 1932; the other major film festivals of the world (Berlin, Cannes, Moscow and Karlovy Vary) date back to the 1940s and 1950s. The Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland was established in 1947 and is the longest continually running film festival in the world. The first North American film festival was the Columbus International Film & Video Festival, also known as The Chris Awards, held in 1953. According the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco, "The Chris Awards (is) one of the most prestigious documentary, educational, business and informational competitions in the U.S; (it is) the oldest of its kind in North America and celebrating its 54th year". It was followed shortly thereafter by the San Francisco International Film Festival held in March 1957 whose emphasis was on feature-length dramatic films. The festival played a major role in introducing foreign films to American audiences. Among the films shown in its founding year were Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood and Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali. Most film festivals require filmmakers to pay an entry fee to have their works considered for screening. This is especially commonplace among larger film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and even smaller film festivals such as the Ann Arbor Film Festival. However, not all film festivals require an entry fee. Rotterdam Film Festival, for example, does not charge an entry fee to submit work.