The Alpha Arts Film Festival (AAFF) invites filmmakers on a local, regional, and international level to showcase their original work in a cultural capital of the Northern New Jersey region, located in greater urban New York City.

AAFF takes place annually at the Alpha Arts Institute located on the beautiful campus of Sussex County Community College (SCCC) in Newton, NJ as a part of the Alpha Arts Institute’s "Festival of the Arts" during the month of May. The festival includes film screenings, workshops, and lectures led by SCCC faculty, industry alumni, and distinguished guest speakers culminating in a juried awards ceremony.

Founded in 2022, development of the festival began among members of the SCCC Film Studies Program and the SCCC Visual and Performing Arts Dept. as a means of exhibiting student work while connecting a community of impassioned filmmakers, artists and enthusiasts at SCCC’s vibrant campus. The purpose of AAFF furthers the Alpha Arts Institute’s goal of Sussex County becoming the cultural hub of the region, in greater fulfillment of SCCC’s mission of “providing a dynamic college experience to a diverse community of students that supports the economic prosperity of the region through lifelong learning, and high-quality academic and occupational programs, in an accessible and supportive environment to ensure student success.”

The festival brings together working professionals, faculty and students in a liberal arts environment by providing a platform to display work in an atmosphere that encourages intellectual growth, networking and professional connections while inviting worldly discussion and discovery through interpretation, analysis and shared experience.

Awards & Prizes

AAFF features category film competitions for professionals, amateurs, and students. Jurors, guest lecturers, faculty and teachers provide an opportunity for students and aspiring filmmakers to receive feedback from peers and professionals alike.

The Categories for selection and recognition are as follows:

High Drama - Narrative films focused on storytelling with exciting plot twists, snappy dialogue and excellence in dramatic performance

Visual Artistry - Films that show excellence in cinematography, a unique camera style and/or focus on imagery to tell a story

Arts Saturated - Dance and/or Music related such as music videos, dance performance and experimental films

Conversation Starters - Fiction or Documentary Films on hot topics that spark discussion and relate to students, education or local, national & international issues

Each category will receive recognition via laurels in a stepped category of "Winner(s)" and "Finalist(s)". A distinct category is reserved for "Honorable Mentions".

Rules & Terms

ENTRY REGULATIONS:
Open to U.S. and International entries. Maximum film age is 3 years. If a work is selected for public screening entrants are contractually obligated to provide an exhibition copy suitable for screening and cannot withdraw their film from the festival. Please note we do not pay screening fees. Entrants will be notified in advance if their work has been selected to be part of the festival.

ENTRY FORMATS:
Submit a DVD or Blu Ray or an On-Line Screener for pre-screening. If chosen for final judging a high-quality region free DVD or Blu Ray disc or Hi-Res Digital File (mp4 or mov) must be sent for Festival screening.

LIABILITY: Filmmaker shall indemnify and hold Alpha Arts Film Festival harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim in connection with the Film involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and/or loss of or damage to the screening videos submitted. In particular, Filmmaker expressly warrants it has obtained all necessary copyright clearances for original works of authorship used in the Film.

REPRODUCTION AGREEMENT: Submission of an entry gives the festival permission to have accepted work exhibited, photographed, locally telecast in part, broadcast on the internet and reproduced either in part or whole, for exhibition purposes.