The best US film festivals

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If you've tired of the recent drama in Hollywood, there's plenty of opportunities to buff up on the latest movie releases elsewhere across America. The coming month will see the return of some of the country's best film festivals, showcasing everything from big blockbusters to groundbreaking independent documentaries.

Miami Film Festival

The diverse line-up of this festival strays far beyond big-hitters such as the opening night's showing of Norman, starring Richard Gere. This year will shine a spotlight on the work of female directors, including the world premiere of Embargo, a timely examination of the United States' embargo against Cuba, which has been written, produced and directed by Jeri Rice. For the 14th year running, the event will also include a strand dedicated to Ibero-American cinema as part of its programme Encuentros, supporting Latin American and Spanish-based production companies.

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Miami Film Festival runs from 3-12 March, individual screening tickets from $13; miamifilmfestival.com

Atlanta Film Festival

Now in its 41st year, Atlanta Film Festival, one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the country, will show more than 150 films, whittled down from more than 6,000 submissions from around the world. Showcasing a range of insightful documentaries such as Cold Breath, an examination of Iranian transgender rights; animations including The Laughing Spider, inspired by Japanese animator Keiichi Tanaami's childhood memories of air raids; and short films such as Traces, a virtual reality experience which places the viewer in the mind of an woman with Alzheimer's.

Atlanta Film Festival runs from 24 March-2 April, 10-day tickets from $50; atlantafilmsociety.org

SXSW Film Festival

Running simultaneously with its trendsetting musical counterpart, SXSW Film Festival is a key networking event on the film industry's calendar, but as a punter there are many ways to get a piece of the action. A Film Badge gains you entry into the nine days of films, while you can try your luck on the day for individual screenings. The former will make the most of the diverse line-up of films, including 85 world premieres, spanning documentaries, feature films, shorts and more.

SXSW Film Festival takes place in Austin, Texas from 10-19 March, film badges from $1,325, individual screenings from $12; sxsw.com