HIFF29: Submissions

Submissions for the 2021 Hamptons International Film Festival are now closed

Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World, and one of the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, HIFF is the premier film event on New York State’s east end, and an intimate showcase of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema. Recently referred to as “Telluride East” by Variety, the publication cited HIFF as “one of America’s most glamorous displays of the best in cutting-edge cinema.”

Official Deadlines:

  • Earlybird Deadline | March 16, 2021
  • Regular Deadline | April 6, 2021
  • Late Deadline | April 27, 2021
  • Extended Deadline | May 18, 2021

With four competitive categories in narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short film, documentary short film, and programs in seven non-competitive categories, the Hamptons International Film Festival seeks diverse films made by filmmakers who traverse the globe in order to tell their stories through different cultural styles and experiences.

The Festival hosts multiple competitions focused specifically on early-career filmmakers, in the hopes of bolstering their work at an important juncture and helping develop a discussion around their films, both within the film community and beyond. With prizes of cash and in-kind goods and services valued at more than $130,000, HIFF continues to support the artists that create some of the best films each year.

The festival also features four signature programs: Films of Conflict & Resolution; Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights; Air, Land & Sea; and Views From Long Island. The winners of two of HIFF’s short film competition programs—Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short—will automatically qualify for the Academy Awards® without a standard theatrical run, provided they meet all other Academy requirements.


The festival draws national film industry attendees, including representatives from a wide array of film and media companies, a range of journalists including the film trades, Oscar bloggers, and local publications, as well as national journalists and New York-based press.

Films in the 2020 Festival have already received numerous year-end accolades, including NOMADLAND, MINARI, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…, SOUND OF METAL, COLLECTIVE, and TWO OF US. The 2019 festival screened numerous 2020 Academy Award® winners and nominees, including PARASITE, MARRIAGE STORY, FORD V FERRARI, THE IRISHMAN, and JOJO RABBIT.

Previous films screened at HIFF include Academy Award®-winning films ROMAGREEN BOOK, THE SHAPE OF WATER, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, THE ARTIST, BIRDMAN, BLACK SWAN, THE KING’S SPEECH, LA LA LAND, MOONLIGHT, ROOM, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, and STILL ALICE, along with numerous additional nominated and critically-acclaimed films.

For submissions questions, please email programming@hamptonsfilmfest.org

Due to the ongoing pandemic and the changing landscape of exhibition in New York State, the exact nature of the 2021 Hamptons International Film Festival has not yet been finalized. Last year’s edition featured a combination of in-person, outdoor screenings, drive-in screenings and the availability of all films online via our secure web portal. We will continue to work with local health and town officials to explore all exhibition options for the 2021 edition.

Please follow HamptonsFilm on FacebookTwitter and Instagram for regular updates about the Festival.


ABOUT HamptonsFilm

HamptonsFilm was founded in 1992 to celebrate the art of film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences with an annual film festival each October. A non-profit organization with year-round screenings of global narrative and documentary films, a Screenwriters Lab, and extensive educational initiatives, HamptonsFilm offers programs that enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers, while also providing the East End of Long Island with an educational and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy.

The annual film festival, the premier film event on New York State’s East End, recently referred to by Variety as “one of America’s most glamorous displays of the best in cutting-edge cinema,” is an intimate showcase of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema from around the world.

Selections from all of our programs continue to play an important role during awards season. 2020 marked the 11th year in a row that a film in the Festival has become the eventual Best Picture winner at the Oscars, making HIFF the only Festival in the world with such a distinction.