Top Literary/Film Festivals in New Orleans for 2018

Whether you love new films not yet released to the masses or you prefer historic literature, there’s an event in New Orleans for you. Both film and literature are celebrated throughout the city all year long. Below is a quick look at a few of the top Literary/Film Festivals coming to New Orleans for 2018.

Tennessee Williams Festival – March 21st to 25th

While the streetcar made famous by Tennessee Williams may have stopped running over 60 years ago, this festival lives on. It has been running for about 25 years now and it’s held every spring to celebrate Tennessee Williams, the famous playwright from New Orleans.

Top playwrights, authors, speakers and actors gather for the festival and provide master classes, literary panels and so much more. Many theatrical performances will be a part of the festival and some will even be original works. In fact, there are contests with cash prizes for performants.

In addition, the festival offers many food events with some of the top chefs in New Orleans. There’s even a “Stella!” shouting contest for the men and a “Stanley!” shouting contest for the women.

French Film Festival – February 23rd to March 1st

An annual event providing a look at French films, the French Film Festival is a great choice for those looking to enjoy foreign films. Since New Orleans is the most French city in the country, it’s only fitting that it holds the best French film festival in the country.

The festival is held at the Prytania Theater and features plenty of up-and-coming and famous French films. It’s put on by the New Orleans Film Society and all films are translated through subtitles. A few films may include English and other languages, as well.

Fringe Festival – November

An event held in November every year, the Fringe Festival offers an off-Broadway feel with plenty of talent taking the stage. It’s filled with great playwrights and billed as “the festival of the wild, weird, fresh and original.”

About 40 performing arts groups will take the stage and somewhere around 100 performances will be a part of this event. Of course, since it’s an event in New Orleans, it must also include other festivities and a parade.

Performances will range from pantomime to comedy and from storytelling to improvisational. Many of the performances will be held in local bars, while others will be held in neighborhood theaters.

While it’s not a free event, most performances are $8 for an individual show. The event will take up an entire weekend and all performances are open to the public.

New Orleans Film Festival- October

Held in October every year, the New Orleans Film Festival offers a great place for filmmakers to get discovered. The festival always includes full-length featured films, shorts, animation and even music videos. It was started in 1989 and has been growing ever since.

The New Orleans Film Festival has become one of the top film events in the nation. Thousands of produces, writers, actors and directors will be on hand throughout the many venues within the city.

Many other great literary/film festivals will be held throughout the city for 2018. Check out these top options and mark your calendar for upcoming events.