The idea of this publication stemmed out from the Reframing Film Festivals conference which the editors have organized in Venice, in February 2020. On this occasion, a number of scholars and archivists from France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Spain and UK have presented their research, starting to unravel this corner of film histories which has remained neglected thus far. Ranging from the historical analysis of the international competitions for amateur filmmakers to festivals dedicated to the analog films, from the developments of the Lussas Documentary Film Festival to the ethnographic film festival circuits, these essays shed light on the agency, histories and economies of specialized festivals and on alternative uses of the cinematic medium, counter-cultures and artisanal products.