The Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF) is the largest film festival in Alaska. It was founded in 2001 in order to bring independent and international films to Anchorage, and to showcase the quality independent films made in Alaska. Our mission is to develop, promote, and sustain a film festival that supports new media and independent filmmaking in Alaska and around the world, while enriching cultural and entertainment opportunities for Alaskans.

The AIFF is a cosmopolitan film festival that strives to reflect the diverse character of Anchorage by screening captivating and well-crafted independent films from all over the world. The AIFF also provides a forum for the work of independent Alaska filmmakers and opportunities to network with fellow filmmakers. In the past, several films receiving jury awards from the AIFF have gone on to win Academy Awards and awards at major film festivals, such as Hot Docs, Tribeca, Sundance, South by Southwest, the Sheffield Doc Fest, and the Seattle International Film Festival.

The AIFF programmers look to program a wide variety of quality, independent films as colorful as the Northern Lights themselves, in categories of: Features, Documentaries, Shorts, Super Shorts, Animation, and films Made in Alaska. In addition to this, we also have our beloved youth and family programming and our Feature Screenplay competition.

If you've been here before, you know Alaska's an intriguing place. About 40% of the population of Alaska lives in Anchorage (2019 population 293,531), a modern city with differing lifestyles and independent spirit. Situated between the striking Chugach Mountains and the stunning Cook Inlet, Anchorage is known for its outstanding natural beauty. The city is only a short drive away from glaciers, downhill ski resorts, and unparalleled cross-country skiing, hiking, and bike trails. Anchorage has a vibrant arts community, is home to two universities, and hosts the world-class Anchorage Museum. Anchorage is also a culturally and ethnically diverse city. In 2014, as many as 99 different languages were spoken by students enrolled in the Anchorage School District.

The AIFF encourages filmmakers to attend our festival and experience the beauty of an Alaska winter. AIFF attracts filmmakers from all over the world, who spend ten days in Anchorage together, watching films, going on excursions in the winter wonderland and making lifelong friendships. We love to have filmmakers attend the festival so much that we happily help out with travel assistance and sometimes even some stipends.

The enthusiasm, sophistication, and passion of the AIFF audience often impress visiting filmmakers, and the AIFF has received uniformly positive feedback about the care and attention visitors receive from the festival staff. We are the warmest festival in a cold climate!

Our main host venue is the 400-seat Bear Tooth Theatre, a brew-pub where moviegoers are able to enjoy a drink and delicious food while watching films. A variety of other excellent exhibition venues around Anchorage host films and events during the festival.

We encourage you to submit your films and come join us in December, a time when the winter weather creates a dramatic and impressive beauty all its own and where you can discover “Films Worth Freezing For.”

***COVID UPDATES***
1. The Anchorage International Film Festival is currently planning for a hybrid festival in December 2021, with as many safe and distanced in-person screenings as permitted by local guidelines. We will post updates here, on social media, and on our website.
2. The earliest premiere date for films to be eligible to participate in AIFF 2021 has been pushed back 1 year to January 1, 2018, to help accommodate for the disruption in film production, festival screenings, and distribution during 2020-2021.

Awards & Prizes

The AIFF-award categories are:*

Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Animation Feature
Made in Alaska Narrative Feature
Made in Alaska Documentary Feature

Narrative Short
Documentary Short
Comedy Short
Animation Short
Made in Alaska Narrative Short
Made in Alaska Documentary Short

Screenplay (feature-length)

*Some award categories may be combined based on the total number of films accepted in each category.

Rules & Terms

The 2021 Anchorage International Film Festival is open to any film that has premiered after January 1, 2018, regardless of content, subject, or origin. The film must not have screened or be scheduled to screen on cable or broadcast television in Alaska or any other U.S. state prior to December 13, 2021. Submitting your film to the 2021 AIFF is not a guarantee of selection.

A film will only be eligible for the 2021 AIFF jury competition if fees and forms are submitted with the film by the September 15, 2021 extended deadline. We support independent film and encourage all genres to enter.

The AIFF will not refund any fees if the filmmaker fails to submit the film in the correct category. Films submitted without the correct fees or proper submission media may be deemed ineligible at the discretion of the AIFF programming director or executive director. The AIFF will not refund any fees if the filmmaker fails to submit a suitable exhibition copy in an acceptable format.

Once a film is accepted and becomes an official selection in the festival, AIFF WILL NOT consider screening fees of any kind. If accepted to the festival, the applicant grants the 2021 AIFF the right to show the submitted film publicly in Alaska until December 31, 2021, UNLESS written notice is provided to AIFF. If a selected film is chosen for an outdoor screening, AIFF has the right to play film audio over necessary radio channels. Failure to submit film in the correct category and/or non-payment of submission fees could disqualify film for selection at the discretion of the programming director.

If film is selected, exhibition media MUST BE IN THE REQUESTED FORMAT and should also be clearly marked with the film title, director, and exact running time.
AIFF will ONLY return EXHIBITION MEDIA if the proper packaging with correct postage is provided by the film submitter at the time the film is submitted.

AIFF WILL NOT RETURN OTHER MATERIALS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, i.e. posters, postcards, director statement, or press kits. Send only the type and number of other materials requested by the programming director. Failure to follow any of these guidelines could lead to disqualification of the film, at the discretion of the programming director. Films must be insured by the film submitter. The AIFF is not responsible for damaged or lost media during shipping.

The AIFF is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the festival for promotional purposes. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The film submitter/director/producer shall indemnify and hold harmless AIFF 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 involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening media entered.

Unless negotiated with the festival programming director, all shipping fees are the responsibility of the filmmaker. Any other arrangements must be agreed to in writing by the programming director. If a film is accepted for the festival, the filmmaker will be informed well in advance on the type of exhibition media to provide.

Questions should be directed via email to the AIFF Programming Director at programming@anchoragefilmfestival.org.
46 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Tobias Forrest

    So much gratitude to AIFF for being the world debut for Dead End Drive! Although we could not be there in person this was such an excellent festival! Plus one of the stars of our film, Eileen Grubba is in Anchorage native! Thanks for the inclusion and for helping us celebrate diversity in film making! ~DED

    July 2021
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  • Jon Crefeld

    The AIFF was terrific and really leveraged going fully virtual. Not only were the movies terrific, but there were many meetings with film makers and writers. Thanks.

    February 2021
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  • Danae Grandison

    For my first virtual film festival with my screenplay the hospitality is met with los of one and care for the filmmakers experience. The films curated fo this festival were exceptional, showcasing domestic and international gems.

    January 2021
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  • Colin Scott

    John and Ida, and the rest of AIFF, moved mountains to make for a stupendous virtual experience. Can't wait to be there in person next year!

    December 2020
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  • Naida Osline

    Our experience with screening HOMETOWN PROUD at the AIFF was amazing. John & Ida do an amazing job with creating a sense of community among all the selected filmmakers with their communication, Zoom events before the festival began, and their Q&A sessions during the festival. We also felt fortunate to have our film in the context of such a wonderful selection of other features and shorts.

    December 2020
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