Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy
100
Tier AFIAPFOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Absurd Film Festival - Monthly awards
Cinisello Balsamo, Italy · Est. 2017 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting
WarningWatchlist
Cinisello Balsamo, Italy
0
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
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Warning-tier means structural red flags in our data — not a confirmed scam, but submit only with eyes open.
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- Monthly festival pattern - classic award mill indicator
- Monthly competition with award-mill profile — verify before submitting
Overview
The Absurd Film Festival is an international monthly awards festival based in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan, known for championing unconventional and independent cinema with an "alternative vision of reality." It accepts all film genres, but its programming and award structure emphasize short films, absurd, genre, and creatively boundary-pushing work, with monthly prizes leading to an annual final selection and screening. [2][12]
This overview may contradict our structured venue and screening data. Prefer the Legitimacy Analysis section and structured fields below for social posts or citations.
Last updated Oct 4, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+14 pts)
- 9 years of verifiable history
- 2 verified pro signals
Red Flags (-69 pts)
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- Monthly festival pattern - classic award mill indicator
- Monthly competition with award-mill profile — verify before submitting
- No physical screenings
- 2 documented risk signals
- On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected
Trust Signals
Risk Flags
- AWARD_MILL_NAME
- Description contradicts structured venue/screening data
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2017
Submission Fees
$70 - $70
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.7/ 5
Reviews
234
Synced 19 days ago
- TJ NorrisApr 2026
Thrilled to have been selected as Best Experimental Arthouse for my 'Elemental Studies' film series. Unique festival all around.
- BURAK ÖZENApr 2026
It was a great experience to be part of Absurd Film Festival. The communication process was clear and smooth, and the selection process felt fair and well-organized. I’m honored to receive an Honorable Mention award. Thank you for supporting independent filmmakers and providing a platform for creative voices.
- Carl-Johan WestregårdApr 2026
It's not a film festival, it's an awards mill. Don't feed the parasite.
- Christopher C. JamesApr 2026
I am very honored to have won 🏆 the best actor award for my performance in the experimental short film The Nose (2019). Also, it is fantastic to have our film 🎥 nominated in the Absurd Film Festival. Thank you so very much!!
- Shihyun WangApr 2026
Awesome festival. I am so happy that I submitted to it.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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Research
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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