Grief Fest submissions top 500 films from more than 50 countries
Grief Fest drew 500-plus films from over 50 countries and launched a searchable index for viewers seeking bereavement stories.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Grief Fest submissions have passed 500 films from filmmakers in more than 50 countries, a sign of broad interest in stories about bereavement, isolation and recovery. The first international festival devoted to films about loss arrives with holiday-season virtual access aimed at people who may feel grief more sharply at that time of year.
The hybrid festival is produced by the nonprofit My Grief Angels Inc. and will stream entries that include documentaries, narrative shorts, personal essays and experimental films using artificial intelligence. Organizers said the submissions came from six continents.
Festival director Augusto Failde said the response shows that grief is often lived privately even though loss is widely shared. He said the festival is intended to give people who are grieving during the holidays a way to see stories from others facing similar pain.
What is the Grief Fest Film Index?
The Grief Fest Film Index is a free searchable online catalog of films about loss, grieving and healing. It is meant to help individuals, bereavement groups, educators and caregivers find films by subject, tone and emotional intensity.
Organizers said the index starts with 87 films in 10 languages, covering work released from 1937 through 2025. The catalog includes films associated with the Academy Awards, Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance and BAFTA.
The index covers several forms of loss, including the death of a parent, child, partner, sibling or friend, as well as anticipatory grief, estrangement and generational loss. Its listings include plain-language content-sensitivity notes, and users can follow curated paths such as selections for the first year after a loss or for bereavement groups.
The new searchable grief film index also gives the festival a year-round role beyond its screening dates. For viewers who do not want a support group or cannot attend in-person events, film can provide a lower-pressure way to sit with another person’s experience of mourning.
When will Grief Fest stream?
Grief Fest screenings are scheduled for two holiday windows: Thanksgiving, Nov. 25 to 29, 2026, and the Christmas and New Year period, Dec. 24, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. The virtual format allows viewers to stream films regardless of location.
The American Psychological Association has noted that grief and isolation can be felt intensely during the holidays. Grief Fest is positioned around that period, when family rituals, travel and gatherings can sharpen the absence of someone who has died.
According to organizers, the largest shares of submissions came from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Italy, India, the Netherlands, South Korea, Ireland, China and Türkiye. Portugal, Mexico and Japan were tied for 15th place by submission volume.
Film submissions remain open through Oct. 11, with official selections being made on a rolling basis before the final deadline. Winning films are set to be announced on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, and highlighted on the Film Festival Plus platform.