Produced by The Boston Globe, GlobeDocs Film Festival celebrates documentary filmmaking and invites filmmakers, award-winning journalists, and special guests from around the globe to gather in Boston for this annual event.

GlobeDocs Film Festival is a five-day non-fiction festival designed to engage, promote, and celebrate documentary film and filmmakers. The festival, which takes place in select independent theaters across Boston, and online, is specifically curated to include lively, hosted post-film conversations with filmmakers and Boston Globe journalists to turn screenings into an opportunity for the community to come together and have an open dialogue.

The annual festival continues the tradition of highlighting important stories and recognizing Boston as a touchstone of the non-fiction film world. Festival programming foregrounds distinct perspectives, diverse communities and BIPOC voices, covering a wide range of topics including science and technology, public health, arts, LGBTQ+ issues, education, racial injustice, and politics.

Recent GlobeDocs festival highlights include: ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED (Academy Award Nominee), ALL THAT BREATHES (Academy Award Nominee), FLEE (Academy Award Nominee), ATTICA (Academy Award Nominee), CITY HALL, I AM GRETA, CODED BIAS, FOR SAMA (Academy Award Nominee), THE CAVE (Academy Award Nominee), ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN (Academy Award Nominee).

The ninth annual festival will take place on October 25-29, 2023 at the Brattle Theatre and Coolidge Corner Theatre and online.

Awards & Prizes

Audience Award: The GlobeDocs Film Festival offers an Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature and Best Short Film. Filmgoers will have an opportunity to vote at each screening they attend. Cash awards: $1,000 USD for Best Feature and $500 USD for Best Short Film.

The Boston Globe Filmmakers Fund Award: The Boston Globe Filmmakers Fund Award, established in 2014, supports visionary filmmakers with an annual grant while furthering Boston’s role as an epicenter of documentary film. Contributions to the fund have been donated by patrons of GlobeDocs throughout the year.

Rules & Terms

The GlobeDocs Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing independent US and international documentaries, offering a full program of full-length and short films curated by an established programming team, with submissions reviewed by a dedicated screening committee. If you are interested in submitting your work, please read all the information below and follow the instructions.

• GlobeDocs FilmFestival shows documentary features and documentary shorts in DCP and BluRay.

• Film must have been completed after January 1, 2022.

• Any number of titles may be submitted by an entrant. However, each title requires its own separate entry form, review copy and entry fee.

• All accepted films are eligible for the Audience Award.

• Feature films may not have been released theatrically or aired on television in the U.S. prior to the festival.

• ONLY online preview copies are accepted for submissions.

• Be sure to upload photos, stills and press kits or include a web link. If your work is selected, photos will be used for promotion and for the GlobeDocs Film Festival website and catalog.

• Acknowledgment of receipt of your entry will be made by via FilmFreeway. Preview DVDs and support materials will not be returned. You will be notified of acceptance or rejection via FilmFreeway by approximately September 15, 2023.

• Filmmakers MUST be available to attend the festival to participate in a Q&A with Boston Globe journalists.

• GlobeDocs Film Festival does NOT pay rental/screening fees for submitted works which are programmed.

• GlobeDocs Film Festival will pay RETURN shipping for the film (exhibition copy) within the Continental U.S. ONLY. It is the filmmaker’s responsibility to deliver the film to the festival via the requested method by: October 1, 2023.

• Selected short films may be programmed to screen either before a feature, as part of a shorts program, at an event, or any combination thereof.

• For Shorts Programs: GlobeDocs Film Festival creates a master exhibition reel of every shorts program. If your film is selected for a shorts program, final cut must be provided in the form of digital upload (acceptable formats include Apple ProRes (HQ, or LT) 4:2:2 or h.264 HD 1920x1080 Bit rate at least 8mb/s).

Contact email: filmfest@globe.com
1 Review
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Al Crockett

    A really awesome experience that was well organized and executed! Great communication from Mary, Lisa, and Erika about all aspects of the festival—they clearly cared a lot about making a great experience for audiences and filmmakers. Top notch!

    October 2022
    Helpful