Hamilton Film Festival

About

The Annual Hamilton Film Festival (HFF) is one of Canada’s most important up-and-coming film festivals. The HFF screens a juried selection of local & international independent films and will include film score and script submissions. This year’s festival will feature over $15,000 in prize value, plus the opportunity to network with, and pitch your films, scripts and projects to, film buyers, agents, distributors and other filmmakers.

Awards

FILM SUBMISSIONS -TROPHIES 

• Jury Choice 
• Truly Independent 
• Best Film (Feature) 
• Best Short 
• Best Documentary 
• Best Screenplay (for a submitted film) 
• Best Screenplay (script submission) 
• Best Actor 
• Best Actress 
• Best Cinematography 
• Best Editing 
• Best Music 
• ​Best Special FX (new category) 
• Best Student 
• Sparquie the Squirrel  (the most electrifying film in honour of a squirrel who knocked out the power during our gala in 2012. Sparquie did not make it but his legacy lives on) 

Rules

• The festival accepts all genres and lengths.
• Films submitting to the FESTIVAL only will not be included in the MARKET. To be included in the MARKET you must choose one of the MARKET options. 
• The film festival has a competition (see Awards) and is selected by a programming jury. These will be public screenings, in completion. They will NOT be included in the MARKET catalogue, MARKET screenings, the private viewing stations or included in the daily «Hot Sheet», that will go to industry and market participants. 
• A Hamilton Ontario area premiere status is required 
• Feature-Length scripts only.
• Hamilton Film Festival accepts entries via FilmFreeway.

Selection formats: online screeners (preferred), DVD / Bluray 

Exhibition formats: Currently, Bluray and file format (Quicktime, Mpeg, Mov) 
We currently do not accept PRO-RES 
DCP may be an option once we know what films go to theatres with DCP capability.

Premiere Requirements

Regional premiere required.