Filmmakers and film lovers: come join us in the heart of Cajun country for the 13th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, Louisiana's second oldest film festival, to be held January 24-31, 2018, at venues in and around Lafayette, Louisiana. Each year, the eight-day Festival presents World, U.S. and Louisiana Premieres of high quality narrative, documentary, animated and experiemental films and the filmmakers who make them in one of the friendliest and most unique cultures in the world. The regular deadline for films submissions for COTB 2018 is July 21, 2017, through FilmFreeway and WtihoutABox.
In 2017, the Festival lineup of 158 films included 22 narrative features and 20 documentary features, 81 narrative shorts, 17 documentary shorts, and 18 animated shorts. The vast majority of the films were World, U.S. or Louisiana Premieres. Included within the official selections were more than 25 French-language films and 22 films from Japan, including the U.S. Premiere of the narrative feature TATARA SAMURAI with director Yoshinari Nishikori and actors Sho Aoyagi and Naoki Kobayashi in attendance from Tokyo. In addition to screening films from across the United States, the Festival also screened films from Canada, France, India, Australia, the U.K., Sweden, Spain, Austria, Cyprus, Mauritius, Bosnia and Herzegovina. More than 200 filmmakers, actors, musicians and other industry professionals attended from around the United States and the world, including from Canada, Japan, India, Sweden and Australia. Our coveted "goujon caille" spotted catfish awards by artists Pat and Andre Juneau were awarded in 18 different categories.
Over the years, the Festival also has earned the respect of its many loyal filmmaker alums who come from around the world to share in the joie de vivre that defines the culture here. It says a lot about the festival that these highly talented independent filmmakers not only make repeat visits to Cinema on the Bayou, but also recommend the Festival to their filmmaker colleagues. In 2018, we look forward to welcoming old friends, making new friends and promoting both establish and emerging filmmakers and the relationship-buiding that is crucial to their continued work.