HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL™®
Hollywood's largest and most star-studded independent film festival - dedicated to showcasing the best in new and independent cinema.

From humble beginnings at the New Beverly Cinema, to becoming the longest-running film festival at L.A. LIVE - the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Fest is honored to be presenting the biggest festival program of in-person Hollywood film premiere screenings in Los Angeles!

Featuring public screenings for up to 400 movies annually at our legendary film festival, with screenings for every film taking place in the greatest Hollywood cinemas with the most state-of-the-art sound and projection.

CELEBRITY GUESTS & ATTENDEES
Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival celebrity guests have included Pierce Brosnan (James Bond 007), Sharon Stone (Casino / Basic Instinct), Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Harry Dean Stanton (Alien / Paris, Texas / Avengers), Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), Doug Stanhope (Louie), Donna Mills (Knotts Landing), Laura Prepon (That 70s Show), Tara Reid (American Pie, The Big Lebowski), Frances Fisher (Titanic), Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie), Alan Howarth (Halloween), casting director Bonnie Timmerman (Black Hawk Down), John Ennis (Mr. Show), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Sally Kirkland (The Sting), Dean Cameron (Summer School), Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica), Ed Asner (Mary Tyler Moore / Elf), Dominique Swain (Lolita), Dan Marino Jr, Al Lubel, Rick Shapiro (Marc Maron / Project X), Max E. Williams (Winning Time: Lakers Dynasty), Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall / Night of the Comet / Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do), Clark Duke (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine), Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer Simpson) and many many more!

HONORING CINEMA LEGENDS
Award of Excellence recipients include some of the greatest cinema luminaries of all time: Peter O'Toole, David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Warren Beatty, Kirk Douglas, Martin Landau, Vanessa Redgrave, Frances Fisher, Tinto Brass, Don Hertzfeldt, Dolly Parton, Robert Drew, Bill Plympton, Gerard Depardieu, Helmut Berger, John Heard, Ruben Ostlund, Jon Polito, Robin Williams, Elaine May and the amazing Harry Dean Stanton have all been honored with HRIFF retrospectives, honors, and festival events.

The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival is the most star-studded independent film fest in Los Angeles, with all the movie legends above, as well as many other celebrities and cinema icons, all appearing at the festival over the last three decades.

HRIFF is a classic and traditional Film Festival - not a "laurel farm" nor an "online festival", but a place where all Officially Selected films are given the opportunity to screen in a true motion picture cinema, at a festival where projects are picked up for distribution every year.

HISTORICALLY INDEPENDENT
HRIFF at the New Beverly Cinema. Growing to prominence as part of Quentin Tarantino's New Beverly Cinema, the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival has now partnered with the largest and most glamorous venue in Los Angeles: L.A. LIVE (Regal Cinemas / Microsoft Theater / L.A. Convention Center / Crypto.com aka Staples Center sports arena) over the past decade to grow into an event that hosts hundreds of film premieres across multiple weeks, alongside our legendary Award Ceremony, Red Carpet, Press Events & Receptions and Parties.

From those grindhouse beginnings, it is assured that everyone involved with the festival— from the HRIFF Membership, Judges, and Festival Programmers, to the Event Organizers, Staffers, and Volunteers—is a passionate cinema historian, movie nerd, and film outsider, all fueled by a dedication to our festival's stated mission of recognizing the best new filmmakers while discovering important cinema from around the globe. HRIFF combines film premieres, parties, celebrity events, and film fandom, all held in the most iconic and best cinemas in Hollywood.

LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD ALUMNI
Werner Herzog, Ron Howard, Michael Apted, Errol Morris, D.A. Pennebaker, Emily Mortimer, James Franco, James Caan, Fred Roos, Paul Rudd, Guy Pierce, Joe Lo Truglio, Blake Anderson, Mercedes Ruehl, Ian McShane, Edward James Olmos, Sandra Oh, Lisa Kudrow, Danny Trejo, Jason Alexander, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elliott Gould, Terri Polo, Janeane Garofalo, Zack Braff, Winnie Holzman, Martin Starr, Fred Willard, Tony Hale, Richard Lewis, Doug Jones, David Arquette, Carla Gallo, Bai Ling, C. Thomas Howell, Harry Lennix, Takuji Suzuki, Rainey Qualley, Daryl Hannah, Tom Noonan, Jeremy Sisto, and Jonathan Pryce are only a few of the notable HRIFF alumni to have participated in past festivals.

HRIFF is also proud to have premiered the newest international feature from legendary Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono, director of Suicide Club, Why Don't You Play In Hell, The Forest of Love, and Prisoners of the Ghostland (starring Nicolas Cage).

ACADEMY AWARD© WINNING DISCOVERIES
Oscar© and Golden Globe© winning & nominated films to have had HRIFF premiere screenings include "Manchester By The Sea", "The Act of Killing", "Anomalisa", "Force Majeure", "The Look of Silence", "Rules Don't Apply", "Trumbo", and "At Eternity's Gate".

Academy Award© Winning Short Films to have premiered at HRIFF include "The Lady In Number 6" (documentary short film winner), as well as the animated works of Bill Plympton, and the Oscar© Winning animated short "Mr. Hublot".

Other Academy Award winning films to have screened at HRIFF include: "Oppenheimer", "The Lighthouse", "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood", and "The Holdovers".

Additional major Award Winning films to have premiered at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival include: "Lucky", "Blade of the Immortal", "The Sisters Brothers", "Killing of a Sacred Deer" and many more!

DISTRIBUTION & ACCLAIM
A small sample of screenings and festival discoveries to receive distribution and acclaim include "Drive", "Bridegroom", "Assault on Wall Street: Bailout", "A Day At The Pool", "Henri", "Sex, Violence and Family Values", "Forget Me Not", "Bible Storyland", "The Silent Thief", "Studio One Forever", "The Lady In Number 6", "The Act of Killing", "The Look of Silence", "Force Majeure" and many more.

HRIFF is a classic, traditional Film Festival - where all Officially Selected films are given the opportunity to screen in real motion picture cinemas.

NEW TALENT DISCOVERIES
Known for our new talent discoveries, HRIFF is proud to represent success stories that include Keir Gilchrist (Netflix's Atypical), Alanna Masterson (from HRIFF Best Actress to a starring role in The Walking Dead), Jake Bongiovi, HRIFF Award Winners Savannah Kennick (Arrested Development), Alex Meraz (Twilight & DC's Suicide Squad), Toby Hemingway (Black Swan), and Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars) and many more!

CINEMA RETROSPECTIVES & RESTORATIONS
HRIFF has overseen Retrospectives, Restorations, and Tributes to Kenneth Lonergan, Haskell Wexler, Michael Mann, John Cassavetes, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Warren Oates, Burt I. Gordon, Dusan Makavejev, David Lynch, and many other cinema icons.

The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival is proud to have also shown festival-funded restorations of rare and restored films from Tinto Brass and Hugo Niebeling.

OUTSIDER CINEMA - PREMIERES & GUESTS
HRIFF has a strong connection to outsider cinema, having been the rare festival to premiere new films from both Neil Breen (Twisted Pair) and Uwe Boll (Postal) - who both appeared in person for their HRIFF screenings and events.

HRIFF is also very proud to have discovered the popular new underground feature film sensation Deformelody, while also being the first festival to discover and screen the slasher film Terrifier, which has become a now legendary horror film franchise.

LARGEST SELECTION OF FESTIVAL JUDGES & VOLUNTEERS
All film submissions are watched in their entirety in private cinema viewing sessions. Partnering with local film membership groups allows HRIFF to have all submissions judged by our membership as well as an additional 100+ Los Angeles based industry professionals, journalists, and film creators who view all submissions in a movie theater group experience to ensure every submission is seen in its entirety, by over 40 judges.

HRIFF membership, volunteers, attendees, staff and festival programmers are drawn from the film industry and cinema community - including the film festival and movie studio fraternity. Many HRIFF members, staff, and attendees have connection and experience with industry giants like Lionsgate Films, Tribeca, Sundance, Telluride, Newport Beach Film Fest, Alamo Drafthouse, Cannes, Berlinale, Severin, A24, Kino Lorber, Vinegar Syndrome, XYZ, Gravitas Ventures, Fantastic Fest, Grindhouse Releasing, and TIFF.

AFFORDABLE PRICING
Our unique judging process, in addition to huge amounts of volunteer support, allow savings that are passed on to keep filmmaker costs at the lowest price point in the industry. Even during recent years of extreme inflation our festival has made dedicated efforts to reduce festival entry and submission costs and offer the lowest legitimate submission prices possible.

LARGEST HOLLYWOOD FESTIVAL - BROADEST FILM SELECTION
The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival's size allows multiple weeks of film programming, and as a result can offer the largest, most inclusive selection of submission categories for festival screenings and showcases.

Featuring the broadest range of genres, styles and categories: Feature Films, Short Films, Dramatic Films, Drama Shorts, Comedic Films, Comedy Shorts, Narrative Films, Non Narrative Films, Documentary Features, Doc Shorts, Animation, Horror, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Noir, Musicals, Westerns, L.G.B.T.Q. Films, Student Films, Music Videos, Screenplays, Teleplays, Live Table Readings, V.R. Virtual Reality, Web Content, Episodic Television, Short Video (YouTube / TikTok), Podcasts, Streaming Content, featuring International, American, and Global World Cinema all being embraced and welcome in our festival programming - with screening categories specifically devoted to premiering a significant number of films from all of the above categories in front of our large Los Angeles film audiences.

These offerings combine to create the only Hollywood Film Festival not-to-be-missed, for both audiences and independent filmmakers. HRIFF is the only Hollywood Film Festival known world-wide for screening the largest selection of up-and-coming filmmakers, while hosting the biggest selection of celebrity guests and attendees.

Our festival invites you to Join our historic family of HRIFF filmmakers, by submitting your project today for consideration to be part of HRIFF 2027!

Awards & Prizes

Officially Selected films are eligible to be honored with our 26 annual HRIFF Awards of Merit. These Awards are given out annually at the historic (and often celebrity filled) HRIFF Award Ceremony - which has been held at various locations within L.A. LIVE (Crypto.com / Los Angeles Convention Center / Microsoft Theater) over the past ten years.

Hollywood Screenplay Contest - 1st Place Winner for Best Screenplay is awarded $3,000.00 each festival season. All Screenplay Contest entries are eligible for Screenplay Contest Awards.

HRIFF Award Winners may also be eligible for potential additional sponsored prizes, to be announced during the festival.

Award of Excellence Honors for Lifetime Achievements in Cinema also are given each year at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival's legendary Award Ceremony.

Rules & Terms

HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
RULES, REGULATIONS, TERMS & CONDITIONS

I.) PRINT REQUIREMENTS
a.) SUBMISSION PRINT REQUIREMENTS
- Submission Screener must be sent via FilmFreeway.
- Accepted Submissions will be notified via personal email.
- Non-Accepted Submissions will be notified via email.
- Check submission platform (FilmFreeway) account at notification deadline.
- Include up-to-date passwords/encryption for any password locked submissions.
- Deadline dates on FilmFreeway are postmark deadlines for mailed prints.
- All mail should be in standard small flat rate envelope or smaller, to reduce waste.
- HRIFF is not responsible for postal damages or delays.
- Do not send Registered Mail, or require signature for pick up.
- Do not send cash or payment requests via mail.
- Works revised / modified after submission, must re-submit with new fees paid.

b.) EXHIBITION PRINT REQUIREMENTS / VENUE PRINT REQUIREMENTS
Selected Film Print Exhibition Guide:
- Exhibition Print RUN TIME must not exceed the Submitted Versions original length.
- Venue Print Requirements released after acceptance.
- DCP (CRU) is preferred exhibition format for all professional cinemas.
- DCPs authored & tested by outside company "DCPforAll" for all exhibition prints.
- Other DCPs may be allowed (depending on venue discretion).
- DVD / BluRay Back-Up is highly recommended (even if using other print format).
- Blu-Ray (Region 0 or 1) accepted for Exhibition.
- DVD+/DVD- (NTSC, Region 0 or 1) accepted as back-up.
- Films must be non-watermarked.
- Multiple prints must have matching chapters and aspect ratios.
- No menus, no test footage, no pre-film footage, on any Exhibition Print.
- A physical Exhibition Copy of submitted film is required after festival acceptance.
- Print Requirements may change, without notice, at the sole discretion of our venues.

II.) GENERAL FESTIVAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
- Submitter must be 18 years of age or older to enter competition.
- Adult Guardian or Parent may submit on your behalf of minors.
- By submitting to HRIFF, submitter is:
a) admitting copyright of film and images, and
b) granting permission to use the images and content from the submission in advertisements and promotions both for any screening of the submitted film, but also in any promotions for HRIFF in general for 36 months following first receipt of submission.
- Festival times may be subject to delay or change.
- All fees are non-refundable.
- HRIFF is not responsible for broken or non-functioning prints.
- In submitting, HRIFF is given the right to screen submission at no charge to the fest.
- HRIFF reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.
- All films submitted for review are consenting permission to have HRIFF publicly screen the film submitted (at least) one time in 24 months after your selection notification.
- Not all submissions received will be selected for live exhibition, nor award honors.
- By submitting via FilmFreeway, you are agreeing to these Rules as well as all HRIFF Terms and Conditions below.

III.) TERMS AND CONDITIONS
General Terms & Conditions for the HRIFF FESTIVAL, TICKETING, & WEBSITE.
If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall be enforced. You agree that this Agreement may be automatically assigned by the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (HRIFF), in its sole discretion, to a third party.

Section headings are for reference purposes only and in no way define, limit, construe or describe the scope or extent of such section. Our failure to act with respect to a breach by you or others does not waive our right to act with respect to subsequent or similar breaches.

This agreement, along with any other terms and conditions listed by HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between us with respect to the subject matter hereof. The provisions of this Agreement and any ancillary terms and conditions will survive termination or expiration to the extent necessary to carry out the intentions of the parties.

GOVERNING LAW
You acknowledge and agree that this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of California, excluding conflict of laws provisions thereof that would indicate the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction and you hereby submit to exclusive jurisdiction in the federal and state courts of California. You agree to receive service of process through certified mail or by other means sanctioned by law, and you expressly waive any claim of improper venue and any claim that such courts are an inconvenient forum.

Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold The HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL harmless from any claim, expense or demand, including without limitation reasonable attorney fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of your breach of this Agreement, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

By agreeing Submitter agrees to abide by all the Terms laid forth in the General Festival Rules listed for HRIFF, including FESTIVAL RULES AND REGULATIONS noted below.

FESTIVAL RULES & REGULATIONS
- Film must not have major USA distribution in conflict with exhibition date at festival.
- Festival only accepts international films (not in English) - that have been subtitled.
- Festival screening times are subject to delay, change, or cancellation.
- All fees (Submission, Ticketing, etc.) are non-refundable.
- HRIFF reserves the right to refuse service.
- HRIFF reserves the right to remove screenings from program at any time.
- Films submitted for review are consenting permission to publicly screen the film submitted (at least) one time in the next 48 months as to be determined by HRIFF.
- By submitting your film for review submitter is a) admitting copyright of film and images and b) granting permission to use the images and content from the submission in advertisements and promotions both for any screening of the submitted film, but also in any promotions for HRIFF in general for the 48 months following first receipt of the submission.
- By submitting you agree HRIFF has the right to screen your film with no additional exhibition fees or charges to the festival from filmmakers or film copyright owners.
- Festival is not responsible for broken or non-functioning films.
- Submitter must be 18 years of age or older (or have parent/guardian submit on your behalf) to enter the competition.
- In case of non-functioning Exhibition Print, festival may use any submitted prints.
- By submitting with payment, you are agreeing to abide by all the above terms, rules, and guidelines, as well as the following Terms and Conditions:

COPYRIGHT
All content contained on HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (HRIFF) website, including but not limited to photographs, text, graphics, logos, icons, images and software (collectively, "Content"), is the property of HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL and protected by U.S. and/or international copyright laws.

RISK OF LOSS
You acknowledge and agree that your only remedy for failures, delays or interruptions with respect to the ordering of and delivery of passes ordered by you is limited to a refund for such passes, with such refunds issued at the sole discretion and judgement of the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL.

RIGHT TO ENTER
Entrants warrant that they have the legal right to enter film work to the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL. As Director/Producer/Submitter of the Film, entrants have submitted and represent and warrant to the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL that the Film and all parts thereof are original; that the Film does not contravene the rights of any person or entity and that entrants own or control the Film and all parts thereof and have the sole authority to submit the Film to the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL; the Film entrants submitted to the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is not subject to nor threatened by any litigation. Entrants acknowledge that no fiduciary or confidential relationship now exists between the Festival and entrants, and entrants further acknowledge that no such relationship is established by these guidelines, the submission of the Film, or by the HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL acceptance, review or retention of your submission: film, screenplay, etc.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, HEALTH, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, THAT ARISE OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ATTENDANCE AT ANY EVENT / ENTERING ANY COMPETITION / SUBMITTING ANY WORK FOR REVIEW OR SCREENING, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FOR LOST PROFITS OR BUSINESS, OR ANTICIPATED LOST PROFITS OR BUSINESS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL AND ITS AFFILIATES AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE WEBSITE OR THIS AGREEMENT IS LIMITED TO $200.

THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND TO YOU, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. SPECIFICALLY, THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY YOUR RELIANCE ON CONTENT OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE OR CAUSED BY YOUR CONDUCT. THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED OR SECURE ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE OR FESTIVAL VENUES, AND THE OPERATION OF THE WEBSITE OR FESTIVAL VENUES MAY BE INTERFERED WITH BY NUMEROUS FACTORS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES.
SUBMITTER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THEIR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION AT HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS, OR ENTERING INTO ANY HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL EVENT, CONTEST, FESTIVAL OR COMPETITION IS AT THEIR OWN SOLE RISK.