If you know us, you already know.

If you‘re just discovering us, we strive to be that independent fest that loves filmmakers, screening films, and then talking about them in the most convivial of ways. We believe we’re getting better at it. That’s us. That’s Boston SciFi aka Boston Science Fiction Film Festival & Marathon. We love the film culture, we love the possibility of ‘if’, and we’ve been doing it for 50 years. So there’s history.

We began at the legendary Orson Welles Cinemas.. Legendary? Yep, the first manager was some dude named Tommy Lee Jones, and people like Peter Bogdanovich, Neil Young, Errol Morris, Francis Ford Coppola, Nicholas Ray and many more, experienced formative cinematic awareness there. It was a 3-screener. It had a restaurant. There was a film school and more. It was 50 years ahead of its time. Sadly it burned in 1986, and we are all that survived. Making films, showing them, and celebrating the creators is in our DNA.

Now as we enter the post Covid period (hopefully) we are alive and virtual festival. Our live screenings are showcased at vintage 1914, independent Somerville Theatre. That’s in Davis Sq, the front door to Tufts University, and just a few T stops (Boston’s subway system) to Harvard, MIT, Boston University & Northeastern.

For 2025, we are an 5-day live event and an ensuing 5 day virtual event.

The in person Fest is 5 days of submitted films. Tossed into this will be curated films that our experienced team searches for. We also will add a few classic films, cartoons and more. There are also workshops, panels, and other special events. There a number of events/parties for filmmakers including weekend brunches and evening parties. They are convivial networking opportunities with fellow filmmakers and the industry.

We experienced a lot in the last few years. The world has changed. Virtual screenings are here to stay. and now we can also return to the comfy confines of theatres and share in person. Please sign up of your newsletter. We'll keep you posted on year round events as well as the countdown to our 50th iteration.

As with every year, our closing live event is “The Marathon”, aka The Thon. Where the greats, the not-so-greats, the not-even-close-to-great films screen in a 13 film, 24 hour roller coaster of cinema and community. Think of it binge viewing with hundreds of your best friends, even if you just met. Since we’ve been doing this for 50 years, we consider ourselves the “Original Binge View.” We also consider ourselves an Sci-Fi equivalent of Brigadoon, where every year a small town emerges from the bleak New England winter to warm us up with good stories, good food and good films.

That’s the layout. When it comes to asking yourself to submit, you probably have questions. Hopefully you can find the answers here. One question often asked is how do we define science fiction. If Rod Serling would play it on the original TWILIGHT ZONE, then who are we to argue? Whether it's shorts, features, documentaries, animation, webisodes, whatever, we'll screen it. In our world, good scripts are more important than explosions. Although, a well done, nicely timed explosion is fun.

The organizers of BostonSciFi are industry professionals with decades of experience. One of the biggest reasons to enter your film is to get exposure to audiences AND the industry. It is this latter piece where our experience helps. We invite our friends to come, and we recommend BostonSciFi films to those we know.

So welcome to SF50, the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, the oldest, and perhaps the coolest, genre festival in the US with a passion for film that comes with age.

By the way, did you notice that FilmFreeway has awarded us their Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival? Not just once, 12 times. Of the 9,000 festivals in FilmFreeway's universe, Boston SciFi consistently ranks in the top 100. Dread Central also selected us for our commitment to filmmakers and the genre. And in 2023, Filmocracy presented Boston SciFi with five awards including best fest. We blame it on our staff. Our team is committed to the filmmakers who share their creativity with us.

Awards, including The Gort, are given by judges and by the audience. Sponsors provide additional booty. Traditionally we give out between 10-14 awards and about 25 Certificates of Excellence. The Awards change from year to year to reflect the changes in content and method of storytelling. The regular awards are the standards: Best Feature, Shorts Director, Special Effects, Documentary, and more. We also empower our judging team to add additional awards based on the films they have seen. For example, we've added webisodes, music, and sound design based on judges recommendations,

Judges, at their discretion, may add additional awards based on merit.

Features and Shorts SUBMISSION Guidelines:

- Any film that has a science fiction, fantasy, horror, or science underpinning.
- Our definition is broad.
- Film has been made in the last 18 months (older films can request consideration)
- Works in progress are accepted
- Waivers are rare
- Premieres are welcome.
- Attendance is encouraged.
- Non-English films must be subtitled.
- Each film is a separate entry.
- Boston SciFi does not use DVDs for screening purposes
- Selected films must be delivered on a timely basis
- Selected films should actively assist in social media and traditional marketing
- Selected films must meet theatrical exhibition quality.
- Please note DCPs made using a Mac software will probably not work.

PROGRAMMING Guidelines
- When films are scheduled is Boston SciFi’s sole decision
- Changes to a schedule may occur at any time. Life can be unpredictable.
- Missing deadlines may result in eligibility negation
- Films may screen more than once during the course of the Fest
- Decisions of Boston SciFi and Judges is final.
- Any screenings on our virtual platform will have full Digital Rights Management.
- Any virtual screening will be done with filmmakers agreement.

Judging notes are retained. If any applicant, who is not accepted, wishes to get feedback from the judges, we will make that available, but only after the festival as concluded and we've recovered.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Crosstunnels is proud to be presented in the epicenter of science with fiction!

    February 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for sharing your visually compelling film short with our audience! We wish you all the very best in the year ahead!

  • Incredible festival filled with amazing films and filmmakers! We were honored to have our short film THE STRING ABOVE THE STARS screened during the online festival!!

    February 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your artistry and passion, Michael! The honor and privilege was ours! Have a successful 2024 and please remain in touch with our Fest!

  • Dan Clifton

    Amazing festival with a deep love for the sci-fi genre

    February 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Dan, thank you so much for sharing "Trigger.Charlie.One" with our Festival goers. We are humbled and honored by your comment and hope you will submit with us again. Be well!

  • Diana Porter

    I had a fantastic time at Boston Sci-Fi. The programming was fantastic and the location is fantastic, with easy parking, train access, and lots of great restaurants nearby.
    There were some technical issues with a few screenings, but the fest did their best to replay those films and hopefully this won't be an issue in the future.
    There were so many great workshops and speakers, I wish I had been more aware of them so I could have planned better and invited local film makers to join me. I'll be looking for them next year!

    February 2023
  • Nick Ronan

    Great communication and stellar programming of both short and feature films! It was an honor to be invited to speak on the short film director’s panel and screen BLUE FiRE at the Boston Sci-Fi. Definitely a must for all filmmakers on the Science Fiction track!

    March 2022