Classic movie lovers have a slate of film festival options in 2024, for everyone from film noir fans to silent film enthusiasts.
Below is a list of famous (and perhaps not-so-famous) film festivals celebrating classic movies along with announced or tentative dates for 2024, in rough chronological order:
[This list will be updated/expanded as any new info is released]
Noir City — Dates in various cities throughout 2024
The largest annual film noir festival, Noir City marks its 21st year in 2024 with events and screenings in the San Francisco area in January, as well as dates and cities throughout the year. On the schedule: Seattle in February, Hollywood in March, Portland in July, Chicago and Detroit in September, Washington, D.C., in October and Philadelphia in November.
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| Pola Negri in "Forbidden Paradise" |
Netherlands Silent Film Festival — January 11-14, 2024
Taking place every January, the Netherlands Silent Film Festival kicks off the year with silent movie screenings with an international flair, both well-known (this year features movies from Mary Pickford, Pola Negri and Fritz Lang) and lesser-known (Mexican and Japanese films).
Slapstick Festival — February 14-18, 2024
The Slapstick Festival, held annually for almost 20 years in Bristol, England, spotlights slapstick comedy in movies from mostly the silent era. 2024’s festival features special guests including Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Hugh Bonneville.
Kansas Silent Film Festival — February 23-24, 2024
For 27 years, the Kansas Silent Film Festival has hosted silent movie screenings, free and open to the public. This year’s lineup includes early 1900s shorts, Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton’s “The Navigator” and more.
Hippodrome Silent Film Festival — March 20-24, 2024
The silent film festival is held at the historic Hippodrome theater in Bo'ness, Scotland, every year. The program is geared toward both newbies to silent movies as well as aficionados, with screenings, community and theater tours and special guest panels.
UCLA Festival of Preservation — April 5-7, 2024
Every two years, the UCLA Film & Television Archive in California hosts the festival to showcase its preservation and restoration efforts on the big screen. Fan favorites as well as rediscovered or restored classics are always on tap.
San Francisco Silent Film Festival — April 10–14, 2024
In its 27th year, the venerable San Francisco Silent Film Festival has a new venue and month this year. The festival has long been the site for news-making restorations and discoveries in the silent film world, part of its pioneering effort in silent film preservation.
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| Louise Brooks in "Pandora's Box" |
Toronto Silent Film Festival — April 12-14, 2024
First held in 2010, the Toronto Silent Film Festival dives into the popular and more rare silent films. This year’s program includes Louise Brooks’ “Pandora’s Box,” Douglas Fairbanks’ “Mark of Zorro” and a “surreal slapstick” compilation.
TCM Classic Film Festival — April 18-21, 2024
The behemoth and widely known TCM Classic Film Festival returns for the 15th year, screening a spate of classic movies with special guests and events in Los Angeles, California.
Kennington Bioscope Silent Laughter Weekend — April 20-21, 2024
If you’re visiting London, England, (or living nearby!), the Cinema Museum programs classic movies all year long, but for the 8th year, it’ll turn the spotlight to silent comedies introduced by movie historians and experts in the Bioscope Silent Weekend event that brings fans from all over.
Oz-Stravaganza — May 31-June 2, 2024
Celebrate all things “Wizard of Oz” in the hometown of author L. Frank Baum (Chittenango, New York) at Oz-Stravaganza, which calls itself the oldest and longest-running Oz festival. Along with screenings, the festivities include special guests, parade, costume contest, kids’ fun run/walk and more.
MarxFest — May 2024
An occasional festival, the MarxFest celebrates all things Marx Brothers. Several events are planned for May 2024 in New York City.
Nitrate Picture Show — May 30–June 2, 2024
Back for its 8th year, the Nitrate Picture Show in Rochester, New York, is organized by the venerable Eastman Museum, one of the biggest names in film conservation and restoration. The festival features movies screened from nitrate prints, both from international archives and Eastman’s own vault (one of the world’s oldest film archives), as well as talks by the world’s leading film preservationists and archivists.
Library of Congress: Festival of Film and Sound — TBD
The U.S. Library of Congress opened up its extensive archive for some rare and unique screenings in its inaugural movie festival in June 2023 in the Washington, D.C./Maryland area. As of early 2024, no date for this year has been announced. The 2023 event also included historians, authors and discussions as well as “classic rare silent and sound films from the 1920s through the early 1950s not available on Blu-ray or streaming services.”
LA Conservancy/Last Remaining Seats — TBA
See classic movies in the historic movie palaces of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Conservancy started the “Last Remaining Seats” film series more than 30 years ago as a way to get residents and tourists in the old movie houses. Today, movies are usually shown throughout June in historic movie theaters across the city, and usually include theater tours and other events. The 2024 lineup is still TBA.
Cinecon Classic Film Festival — Usually Labor Day weekend, but 2024 dates are TBA
For six decades, Cinecon in California has focused on showcasing “rare, unusual, and unjustly forgotten movies from the silent and early sound era” during their festival. Partnering with the Hollywood Heritage group, recent festivals included tributes to stars such as Peggy Webber, screenings of Boris Karloff home movies and Q&A with actress Carol Lawrence.
Pordenone Silent Film Festival — October 5-12, 2024
Silent movies + Italy = molto bene! Begun in 1982, the Pordenone Silent Film Festival (or, in Italian, Le Giornate del cinema muto) is reportedly the first and largest international festival dedicated to the silent movie era. It’s held in northern Italy each year.
Lone Pine Film Festival — October 10-13, 2024
For more than a century, Hollywood has traveled to this area in the Sierra Nevadas in California to shoot movies, mostly Westerns. The Lone Pine Film Festival started honoring that history and the movies made here with the festival in 1989, featuring speakers, screenings and movie location tours as well as a visit to the Museum of Western Film History.
Vintage Film Festival — October 18-20, 2024
Buster Keaton convention — TBD
The International Buster Keaton Society hosts this convention of all things The Great Stone Face in Muskegon, Michigan.