Join us for the Fifteenth Anniversary Season of the Green Bay Film Festival.

The Green Bay Film Festival now takes place over the course of a year with 6 distinct curated events showcased at our festival home, the historic Tarlton Theatre, in the heart of downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The 2025 festival season will utilize our year around format. Our festival is split into seasonal events each with its our unique theme; SPRING: March 15, April 12, May 10; FALL: September 13, October 11 and November 15.

We connect filmmakers and audiences to provide a rich viewing experience, including “talkbacks” and behind the scenes insights. We enthusiastically support our local film community, a live cinema experience and our local historic theatre and home. We delight in giving our filmmakers an extraordinary welcome in traditional Midwest fashion.

GBFF will introduce 5 distinct themes from which we will select the best to exhibit.

This Year's Categories Are:

WISCONSINS OWN: The best the badger state has to offer both in front of and behind the camera. Celebrating the stories and triumphs of the people who live in and work in or just love Wisconsin!

ANIMATION: Films that explore the boundaries of imagination from hand drawn to digital creations, all stories welcome.

COMEDY: "Does anybody remember laughter?!" Let's explore the world of comedy! Defined differently by nearly everyone, we can all agree that laughter is the best medicine so bring on the jokes! Bring on the situations! Just be sure to bring the laughs.

SCI-FI: Science fiction spans a wide range of themes that can explore time travel, space travel, are set in the future, and deal with the consequences of technological and scientific advances and themes about humanity. “What If?” Every great science fiction film explores a “what if” question that ignites the imagination. ...

ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARY: Channel your inner David Attenborough; environmental documentary film has the ability to dramatize the reality of environmental issues and empower audiences to become an active part of the change necessary to address environmental crises. This can also be an opportunity to shine a light on the people who are having successes within our climate crisis or areas that are turning negatives into positives.

JURIED AWARDS will be determined in advance. Physical trophies awarded to in person participants only.

As one filmmaker said, “Green Bay is the perfect place to host a film festival. The talent is real and everyone’s doors are open.” We couldn’t agree more!

Awards and Prizes

JURIED AWARDS will be determined in advance. Physical trophies awarded to in person participants ONLY. We hope you will attend and help us create an experience that goes beyond "watching a movie"!

All films submitted will compete in noted categories

Juried Awards:

GBFF 2025 Jury's Choice Award for Best WISCONSINS OWN
GBFF 2025 Jury's Choice Award for Best ANIMATED FILM
GBFF 2025 Jury's Choice Award for Best COMEDY
GBFF 2025 Jury's Choice Award for Best ENVIRONMENTAL DOC
GBFF 2025 Jury's Choice for Best SCI-FI

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Green Bay Film Festival does not select the category you are competing in. Your category selection when submitting your film determines which category you compete in.

Note: if Green Bay Film Festival feels that your film fits into a different category, you may be notified with an option to change. Please review the categories to ensure your film fits the selected category.

**NOTE: ANY film that receives a fee waiver or is invited by the festival will not be considered in competition.

Special Note: Awards! All filmmakers will be notified via the email address submitted on FilmFreeway. Awards will be sent to the address listed on FilmFreeway. Please make sure this information is correct and updated. Should an address not be provided, your response to award notification should be immediate.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
BY SUBMITTING YOUR FILM, YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Terms and Conditions are written such that; I or my represents the (Filmmaker) and that Film Green Bay/ Green Bay Film Festival may also be represented by (Festival, FGB/GBFF).
1. I have read, understood and complied with all eligibility requirements of the categories for which I would like this film to be considered.
2. To the best of my knowledge, all of the statements in this document are true.
3. This film is not subject to litigation nor is threatened by any litigation.
4. I am duly authorized to submit this film to the Festival and its Competition and understand if selected, the Festival holds the right to screen my film.
5. Should my film be selected, a trailer will be requested for non-commercial promotional purposes. The festival may extract clips from my film or use submitted images for festival promotional purposes only, during the sales and promotional period in which the festival plays my film.
6. Should my film be selected, I will notify GBFF of all screenings and distribution that will be taking place prior to my film playing at the festival. I understand that should the festival determine that some screenings and distribution interfere with the festivals ability to draw an audience, they will request that my film will be withdrawn.I understand that the festival does not pay screening fees and that should I submit my film and it is selected to play that I will provide an exhibition copy to be shown for one screening without fees.
7. While the festival does not require a printed disc of my film, I understand that should I send GBFF or FGB a disc, the Green Bay Film Festival and Film Green Bay are not responsible for any type of damage to or loss of the print during screenings, at any other time during the course of the Festival, while the film is in the Festival's possession or while en route to or from the Festival, and I release Green Bay Film Festival and Film Green Bay from any and all liabilities regarding damage to or loss of the print while en route to/from the Festival or while it is in their possession.
8. In the event the designated party is unable to attend the awards ceremony; I understand that any party representing the film as listed in the credits of the film shall accept any and all awards in their stead.
9. I must clear all copyrighted material included in my film before it can be publicly screened. The Green Bay Film Festival does not check to make sure that I have cleared these materials at any point during the application process, nor will GBFF or FGB be held responsible for any inclusion of un-cleared materials in my film. It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the copyright holder of the material in question, whether it is music, stock footage, or any other elements that could violate an existing copyright. Quite often, rights holders offer reduced rates for festival films, so I should contact them directly to avoid any possible rights infringements.
10. I am aware Festival may provide critics an opportunity to review films prior to the Festival.
11. I understand that should I send a disc to the festival that the Festival will not return my film to me.
12. I understand that if a exhibition copy of the film has not been delivered by the deadline, the version of the film submitted for selection purposes may be played for an audience.
13. I understand that once I agree to accept my selection to the festival, the festival has an irrevocable license to exhibit the film one time.

FILM FORMATS:
Submissions: FilmFreeway’s high-quality digital online submission platform. Our jury screens online films only. Please make sure your uploaded file works correctly. If you have any problems with FilmFreeway secure online screener, please contact FilmFreeway; the festival cannot help you with this.

Exhibition Copies to show at Festival:
All films will be shown as an electronic file via a projector in mp4. Please be sure you read the technical specifications on how to submit your exhibition copy should you be selected.

Trailers: If you are selected we encourage you to send your trailer. (Please, no longer than One minute.) Trailers should be submitted as an electronic file in mp4 format.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Wonderful communication and professional interactions with us filmmakers

    April 2024
  • Judith Simonds

    A wonderful little film festival at a cozy theater. The people who ran the festival were professional, enthusiastic, friendly, and extremely supportive! Thank you for selecting our movie!! We won the audience choice award as well! Great experience.

    November 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Judith for allowing us to screen your work and supporting the festival with your attendance, we love getting to ask questions!

  • Isaiah Malnory-Brown

    What a wonderful festival! The audience, staff, films, and venue were all fantastic. I had much a blast screening my music video and speaking to other fans of the film-making arts. Such a warm and inviting film festival, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to screen in the midwest!

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Isiah! It was really fun to play your music video, playing with sound was such a fun category!

  • John Mendoza

    FANTASTIC FESTIVAL!!! Really encourage Filmmakers to submit to this very supportive festival.

    October 2023
  • Joanne Williams

    What a fun festival! The venue was different but the food served during the screenings was great!! Thanks for including our Wisconsin film in this event.

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Joanne! Thank you foe joining us with your team at the festival! We had such a great Wisconsin Session and it was wonderful to have your film be part of it, we look forward to your next project.