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The Circus Cinematic Universe — What It Is, and How It Will Advance the Circus Industry

Extra! Extra! Step right up to see the first festival of its kind, a spectacle that has become a place where circus artists, crew, and filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds can be celebrated and network together. Behold! The Circus International Film Festival.

But first, we have to ask, how did we get here in the first place?

Nothing will ever replace that special connection created between a performer and an audience, and the pandemic has proven that. Stuck inside our homes, we struggled to maintain that ability to inspire and evoke emotion. Unlike other career paths, the Arts Industry depends so much on live interaction. Throughout the pandemic it suffered tremendously as we saw entire shows close, theaters boarded up, and hundreds of thousands out of a job, not knowing what to do.

With the rise of social media giants like Facebook and Tik Tok, as well as major streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, it felt like the world turned digital overnight. The only place we could go was online, but where does a live entertainment industry like the circus fit into that world?

Enter the “Circus Cinematic Universe,” something that has been around for a while, but never really had the spotlight. For years we’ve seen circus shows on TV. As a power tumbler, our team used to watch “La Nouba” by Cirque du Soleil on DVD to inspire us for life after sport. However, it was still a live show adapted to the screen.

The pandemic in a way became the catalyst that drove the CCU to where it is today. Despite being quarantined, we kept creating. Artists adapted their abilities to a digital world, and a massive boom of circus film content was the result. This new wave of filmmaking has provided jobs for both the film industry and circus industry alike, and with every project, artists are becoming more and more creative with the relationship between circus and film. Performers are learning about storyboards, what a Director of Photography does and how important a shot list is. While at the same time, filmmakers are learning when best to edit in a transition, how to capture a certain trick and bring the audience closer to the performer in never-before-seen ways.

With this new cinematic universe gaining momentum, there was yet to be a place where a global audience could view all these incredibly unique and powerful stories. That is, until Marisa Diamond, a filmmaker and circus artist extraordinaire, founded the Circus International Film Festival. Now entering its second season, it’s incredibly exciting to see the enthusiasm the festival has received, and even more exciting to see what the future holds for the Circus Cinematic Universe.

With over 90 submissions from 19 different countries, CIFF is divided into five categories; Under 18; Shorts – Documentary; Shorts – Non-Documentary; Shorts – Under Ten Minutes; and Full Length. Tickets to the entire festival are $25-45; donatable tickets are also available for purchase. Audience members can enjoy the films from the safety and comfort of their own homes. They will receive an email every day of the festival with that day’s screenings, and also have the chance to vote for an “Audience Choice” award in each category.

The online festival will run from March 14, to April 16 2022, and will also include live interviews with the category winners on World Circus Day (April 16th).

See you in the CCU!

Get tickets today!

Circus International Film Festival
Circus International Film Festival started in 2021, born out of a worldwide pandemic and a hunger for creative expression​. Our founder, a filmmaker and circus artist, realized the need for a film festival dedicated to circus, after years of submitting my circus films to film festivals under the Music Video, Dance, or Experimental categories. CIFF exists for circus artists and filmmakers alike. We are here to support and honor bringing the art of circus to the medium of film.

Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.

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Circus International Film Festival

Circus International Film Festival started in 2021, born out of a worldwide pandemic and a hunger for creative expression​. Our founder, a filmmaker and circus artist, realized the need for a film festival dedicated to circus, after years of submitting my circus films to film festivals under the Music Video, Dance, or Experimental categories. CIFF exists for circus artists and filmmakers alike. We are here to support and honor bringing the art of circus to the medium of film.