Top 10 Film Festival Logos

This film festival has an oceanic theme, with a calm, watery blue and a star. The multi-pointed star could be interpreted either as a sea star, or an astronomical one representing excellence and ‘star quality’ in the films. The many small circles throughout the logo design give a feeling of inclusiveness, while the layered circles in the center of the star create a ‘bulls-eye’ effect that pulls in the eye.

This logo design definitely reflects the artistic nature of the film festival in question, with a woman’s face painted in watercolor along with a film strip painted over it. The watercolor image is artistic and attractive while implying that the films are a rich experience that encompasses all of the viewer’s senses. The green color palette is both natural and calming, adding another dimension to an otherwise attractive logo design.

This film festival has a round image that gives a friendly, inclusive image while also resembling both a camera lens and an eye. One of the lights that are in the pupil appears to be the sun rising, adding another dimension to the image. The earthy green combined with the black and white for a sophisticated and modern color palette, while the rounded yet distinctly modern font also suggests sophistication.

This logo suggests that the films will leave an indelible mark on the people who watch them, with a black head and shoulders painted on in white. This black and white color scheme is stark in this case, which is further implied by the hand-painted nature of the writing. The general square shape of the logo design gives a feeling of solidity that balances the image, while the rough framing of the picture creates a finished feeling to the image.

The Cannes Film Festival is perhaps the best-known film festival in the world, and the logo design is simple and expressive enough for an industry leader. The circular shape surrounds a laurel leaf, suggesting that anyone can be included in the excellence of this event. The writing is plain enough to neither add to nor detract from the image, although the all upper case letters are decidedly substantial. The blue is serene and calming, suggesting a low-stress experience.

This film festival has a logo that relates directly to its setting. From the martini to the dice, it’s hard to think of a way to fit another Sin City image into this logo design. The film strip is wrapped around the glass, relating back to the subject of the festival. The dark red and black colors are both representative of Las Vegas while also creating a vivid and yet sophisticated color palette for the logo design. The bold letters in a thick font give an impression of strength that suggests this film festival has the clout to pull in major films.

A science film festival, of course, needs a very different logo from any other type. This logo almost looks like a Web 2.0 logo, with rounded lower case lettering and round shapes. The shapes, in this case, look like thought bubbles, which ties directly into the name of the festival. The shades of gray imply abstract thought. The gray together with the pointy serifs implies a serious edge, which is appropriate for the genre. Altogether, this logo design is very different from other film festival logos, tying into the main subject while maintaining individuality.

This logo appears simple at first glance, but it is more complicated than the first impression suggests. First, the Mickey Mouse-like image is actually some sort of cartoon character with an old fashioned video camera as its head. The fingers are clasped together in a classic Zen pose as the character walks away from the wording. This suggests that people who attend this film festival will walk away enlightened. The writing is modern with sharp serifs, giving a serious image that implies these are not your average children’s cartoons. The black and white color palette gives a sense of sophistication.

This Los Angeles film festival has a logo that ties directly into the city on which it is based. A section of the LA skyline is shown with a gold halo, tying into the name. The writing is simple and plain, as is the gray color scheme. The tagline below promises ‘the most inspiring, important and imaginative independent films of the year’, which suggests that the halo applies to more than just the city, but to the film festival’s ideals as well.

A surf film festival certainly needs a different type of logo from any other, and this logo design meets that need. Instead of subdued or sophisticated tones, bright pinks and blues are used. The checkerboard pattern suggests playfulness, while the squares in the image add a more traditional image. A section of filmstrip becomes an oceanic wave at the top, which ties both subjects together seamlessly. The scattered stars imply excellence and star quality.

As you can see, even a narrow field such as film festivals can have a wide range of logos that are still communicative and powerful. This is the power of a logo: using shape, color, and image to imply certain ideas and invoke powerful emotions.