WHAT IS DCP?

A DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is a package of audio, video, and metadata files (e.g. subtitles) configured for cinema servers. 

These servers connect to the digital projectors in digital cinema exhibition systems. Every single frame of a film is a separate folder within the DCP. A typical DCP includes XML files for metadata and MXF (Material Exchange Format) files. MXF is a video file container that wraps the track files according to Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standards. 

DCP playback systems are most often Unix-based, proprietary playback systems that link into the full “show control” automation system of a theater, setting the projection lens, audio playback system, even the lighting. 

DCP’s can be encrypted for copy protection, such that the projectionist will need to enter a key code, usually received by email.

3 thoughts on “WHAT IS DCP?”

  3. Al Martinho Post author

    Worldwide Film Festivals 2025 Calendar

    Film Festival Dates Location Entry deadline
    January
    Palm Springs International Film Festival 2-13 January 2025 USA
    Tromsø International Film Festival 13-19 January 2025 Norway
    Trieste Film Festival 16-24 January 2025 Italy
    Sundance Film Festival 23 Jan – 23 Feb 2025 USA
    International Film Festival Rotterdam 30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025 The Netherlands
    Göteborg Film Festival 24 Jan – 2 Feb 2025 Sweden
    Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 31 Jan – 9 Feb France
    February
    DocPoint Helsinki 4 – 9 Feb 2025 Finland
    Santa Barbara International Film Festival 4 – 15 Feb 2025 USA 4 Dec 2024
    Pan African Film & Arts Festival 4 -1 17 Feb 2025 USA
    Victoria Film Festival 7-16 Feb 2025 Canada 27 Dec 2024
    Available Light Film Festival 7-16 Feb 2025 Canada
    Berlin International Film Festival 13 – 23 Feb 2025 Germany 13 Nov 2024
    Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 14-23 Feb 2025 USA
    FESPACO 22 Feb – 1 Mar 2025 Burkina Faso 30 Sep 2024
    Punto de Vista 24 Feb – 1 Mar 2025 Spain
    Glasgow Film Festival 26 Feb – 9 Mar 2025 Scotland
    True/False Film Fest 27 Feb – 2 Mar 2025 USA
    March
    IDFF Artdocfest 1-8 Mar 2025 Latvia 15 Dec 2024
    Tempo Documentary Festival 3-9 Mar 2025 Sweden
    HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival TBA Norway
    Tampere Film Festival 5-9 Mar 2025 Finland 1 Dec 2024
    Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 6-16 Mar 2025 Greece
    SXSW 7-15 Mar 2025 USA 29 Nov 2024
    Manchester Film Festival 7-16 Mar 2025 UK 3 Dec 2024
    Vilnius International Film Festival 7-23 Mar2025 Lithuania 14 Oct 2024
    BUFF Malmö Film Festival 15-21 Mar2025 Sweden
    Visegrad Film Forum 19-22 Mar 2025 Slovakia
    One World Festival 12-20 Mar 2025 Czech Republic
    International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) 13-23 Mar 2025 Canada 18 Nov 2024
    Sofia International Film Festival 13-31 Mar 2025 Bulgaria 1 Dec 2024
    Fribourg International Film Festival 21-30 Mar 2025 Switzerland
    CPH:DOX 19-30 Mar 2025 Denmark
    Regard – Saguenay International Short Film Festival 19-23 Mar 2025 Canada
    Boston Underground Film Festival 19-23 Mar 2025 USA 5 Jan 2025
    Cinéma du réel 21-30 Mar 2025 France
    Kaboom Animation Festival 21-30 Mar 2025 The Netherlands
    Ann Arbor Film Festival 25-30 Mar 2025 USA 14 Oct 2024
    Cleveland International Film Festival 26 Mar – 5 Apr 2025 USA 20 Dec 2024
    Annapolis Film Festival 27-30 Mar 2025 USA 15 Dec 2024
    Hong Kong International Film Festival 27 Mar – 7 Apr 2025 Hong Kong 31 Dec 2024
    April
    Film & Folklore Festival 1-7 April 2025 Trinidad & Tobago 7 January 2025
    Visions du Réel 4-13 April 2025 Switzerland 13 Dec 2024
    Vues sur mer 10-13 April 2025 Canada
    Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF) TBA Vietnam
    Milwaukee Film Festival 24 Apr– 8 May 2025 USA 31 January 2025
    goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film 23-29 Apr 2025 Germany 10 Feb 2025
    Brussels Short Film Festival 23 Apr – 3 May 2025 Belgium 31 January 2025
    Independent Film Festival Boston 23-30 Apr 2025 USA 30 Dec 2024
    Hot Docs 24 April – 4 May 2025 Canada
    Atlanta Film Festival 24 April – 4 May 2025 USA
    Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews 25-27 April 2025 USA
    May
    IndieLisboa 1-11 May 2025 Portugal
    DOXA Documentary Film Festival 1-11 May 2025 Canada
    Open City Documentary Film Festival 6-11 May 2025 UK
    Jeonju International Film Festival TBA South Korea
    DOK.fest München 7-25 May 2025 Germany
    Docs Barcelona 12-16 May 2025 Spain
    Taiwan Documentary Film Festival TBA Taiwan
    Cannes Film Festival 13-24 May 2025 France
    Beldocs Internatinoal Documentary Festival 21-27 May 2025 Serbia
    Krakow Film Festival 25 May – 1 June 2025 Poland
    Documenta Madrid TBA Spain
    Vienna Shorts 27 May – 1 June 2025 Austria
    Leiden Shorts 30 May – 3 June 2025 The Netherlands
    Bali International Film Festival TBA Indonesia
    San Diego French Film Festival TBA USA
    Hamburg Short Film Festival 3-8 June 2025 Germany
    International Film Festival Innsbruck 4-9 June 2025 Austria
    Tribeca Film Festival 4-15 June 2025 USA
    Sydney Film Festival TBA Australia
    Annecy International Animation Film Festival 8-14 June 2025 France
    Norwegian Short Film Festival 11-15 June 2025 Norway
    Provincetown International Film Festival 11-15 June 2025 USA
    Sheffield Docfest 18-23 June 2025 UK
    Champs Elysées Film Festival 17-24 June 2025 France
    Doc Edge TBA New Zealand
    Ouray International Film Festival 19-22 June 2025 USA
    Oak Cliff Film Festival TBA USA
    FID Marseille TBA France
    Brussels International Film Festival 20-28 June 2025 Belgium
    International Film Festival Cologne TBA International Film Festival Cologne
    FIDADOC TBA Morocco
    Dokufest 1-9 August 2025 Kosovo
    Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 4-12 July 2025 Czech Republic
    Amman International Film Festival TBA Jordan
    Golden Apricot – Yerevan International Film Festival TBA Armenia
    Melbourne Documentary Film Festival TBA Australia
    Maine International Film Festival 11-20 July 2025 USA
    IceDocs TBA Iceland
    Durban International Film Festival 17-27 July 2025 South Africa
    Jerusalem Film Festival 17-27 July 2025 Israel/Palestine
    Fantasia International Film Festival 17 July – 3 August 2025 Canada
    Ariano International Film Festival TBA Italy
    Cobb International Film Festival 31 July – 3 August 2025 USA
    August
    Locarno Film Festival 6-16 August 2025 Switzerland
    Melbourne International Film Festival 7-24 August 2025 Australia
    Edinburgh International Film Festival TBA Scotland
    Sarajevo Film Festival TBA Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Norwegian International Film Festival 16-22 August 2025 Norway
    Oslo Pix Film Festival TBA Norway,
    Venice International Film Festival 27 August – 6 September 2025 Italy
    Telluride Film Festival 28 August – 1 September 2025 USA
    September
    Toronto International Film Festival 4-14 September 2025 Canada
    Nordisk Panorama 18-23 September 2025 Sweden
    Boston Film Festival TBA USA
    Nashville Film Festival TBA USA
    Fantastic Fest TBA USA
    San Sebastian International Film Festival TBA Spain
    Tirana Film Festival 21-27 September 2025 Albania
    Filmfest Hamburg TBA Germany
    Reykjavik International Film Festival 25 September – 5 October 2025 Iceland
    Zurich International Film Festival 25 September – 5 October 2025 Austria
    Novi Sad Film Festival TBA Serbia
    New York Film Festival TBA USA
    Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival TBA Norway
    DMZ International Documentary Festival TBA South Korea
    Docs by the Sea TBA Indonesia
    October
    Vancouver International Film Festival 2-12 October 2025 Canada
    Altered Images Fest 3-4 October 2025 UK
    Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 9-16 October 2025 Japan
    Morelia International Film Festival TBA Mexico
    Busan International Film Festival TBA South Korea
    Mill Valley Film Festival TBA USA
    New York Greek Film Expo TBA USA
    FIDBA TBA Argentina
    Planet in Focus TBA Canada
    NatureTrack Film Festival TBA USA
    Film Fest Gent TBA Belgium
    Festival du Nouveau Cinéma TBA Canada
    DocsMX TBA Mexico
    San Diego International Film Festival TBA USA
    Bergen International Film Festival TBA Norway
    Newport Beach Film Festival TBA USA
    Doclisboa TBA Portugal
    Philadelphia Film Festival TBA USA
    Black Bear Film Festival TBA USA
    Byron Bay International Film Festival TBA Australia
    Adelaide Film Festival TBA Australia
    Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival TBA Czech Republic
    BFI London Film Festival TBA UK
    Jakarta Film Week TBA Indonesia
    Vermont International Film Festival TBA USA
    DOK Leipzig 27 October – 2 November 2025 Germany
    Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival TBA USA
    Festival dei Popoli TBA Italy
    Mar del Plata International Film Festival TBA Argentina
    Tucson Film Festival TBA USA
    Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival TBA USA
    Coronado Island Film Festival TBA USA
    Indie Memphis Film Festival TBA USA
    Zagreb Film Festival TBA USA
    Lübeck Nordic Film Days TBA Germany
    Cinemania TBA Canada
    Stockholm International Film Festival TBA Sweden
    PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival TBA Estonia
    International Documentary Festival Amsterdam TBA The Netherlands
    DOC NYC TBA USA
    Montreal International Documentary Festival TBA Canada
    Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival TBA Indonesia
    Scottsdale International Film Festival TBA USA
    Norwich Film Festival TBA UK
    Cairo International Film Festival TBA Egypt
    Marrakech International Film Festival TBA Morocco
    December
    Red Sea Film Festival TBA KSA
    Nuevas Miradas TBA Cuba

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