"Amazing festival! It is Canada’s TriBeCa!" - Filmmaker James Stewart

The 14th Annual Hamilton Film Festival continues to be one of Canada’s most important film festivals for Canadian and International films. Hosted in a city with a booming art scene, it has become a go-to destination to live and work for several people in the film and television industry with year-round opportunities to network, engage, pitch and participate. Distributors, festivals and industry professionals actively look to the Hamilton Film Festival for content, connections and top-notch engagement.

HFF Guests have included Academy Award® winner Colin Chilvers, Daniel Baldwin, Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), Tony Rosato (SCTV), Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Robert Miano (Donny Brasco), Alex Elena (Drummer for Bruce Dickinson) Frank D’Angelo (Red Maple Leaf), Fred Fuchs (Godfather III Executive Producer, Milton's Secret) Art Hindle (Black Christmas), Doug McGrath (Goin’ Down the Road), Lynne Griffin (Curtains), Julian Richings (Superman: Man of Steel), TJ McGibbon (The Umbrella Academy), Craig Davidson (Author / Rust and Bone) Kirsten Bodenstedt (COO and Co-Owner of Peregrine Labs) Academy Award® winner Colin Doncaster, Bob Munro (VFX Supervisor), Sean Sullivan (Wayne’s World, Back to the Future III) Lisa Langlois (Class of 1984) Dan Lyon (Telefilm), Matthew Willson (Producer) and many, many more! Filmmakers and producers attended from Italy, Germany, Austria, France, the USA and all across Canada.

The theme this year is COMEDY: HAPPY STUFF! Our main focus will be around fun, energetic, uplifting, inspiring films. However you interpret that, is up to you! Features, Shorts, Docs, Experimental, Animated, Student, Web Series...we accept all genres and lengths. Don't worry, we will always make room for your dark, fun-less films, but it will have to be really good since you will be competing for limited space.

We have 15 prize categories, including Jury, Feature, Short, Doc, Actor, Actress, Editing, Cinematography, Screenplay (x2), Music, Student, Truly Independent local award and the legendary Sparquie the Squirrel award! This year we are adding a Best Sound category.

More prizes will be announced!

Your project could be a feature, short, documentary, animated, experimental, web series or TV pilot or series. If it's great, it will be great on our screen!

INCLUSION
The festival is as diverse as our alumni, who come from over 50 countries around the world. Filmmakers globally are looking to the Hamilton Film Festival as an accessible event with multiple chances to screen, network, win awards and gain post-festival promotion as our Alumni is our family and your movie never has a shelf life with us! You’d be surprised how much we remember about you and your film even from our earliest screenings!

DISABILITIES
We want you to think about disability and film. Specifically we want you to consider the people who are hard of hearing or Deaf. These people want to watch your films! We had a night dedicated to this and had ASL interpreters on sight, something we hope to duplicate this year.

The Hamilton Film Festival is again offering a submission discount to films that have English subtitles. Yes, even for English-language films. If your film has (or will have) subtitles please reach out to us prior to submitting and we will offer you a discount code which will apply to both the Hamilton Film Festival screenings and the Canadian Film Market. Contact us directly for the code.

YOUR CHANCE
We receive between 400 - 700 films, typically screening around 150 of them, so if your film is good…so are the odds!

We are a festival that is very proud of screening films made by all filmmakers, regardless of gender or race. Everyone has a chance!

We aim to earn the "Hamilton" in our title so we do our best to make sure there is dedicated screen-time for locally made films!

To date we have screened 724 Canadian Films!

THE MARKET
We are proud to offer, for the fourth year, the Canadian Film Market which runs the final weekend of the festival and will include Industry Development events, quality networking, pitches and more! 50 countries have participated. You should too!

OUR CITY
Guillermo Del Toro love’s our city and say’s he’s been watching it since the 90’s and would like to set up his own studio here. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is a major destination for film and television productions. Shows like The Umbrella Academy, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Shape of Water, Spotlight, Crimson Peak, Suicide Squad, The Hulk and Robocop are just a few films that have taken advantage of Hamilton’s many incredible locations. Producers love the additional tax credits, Directors love the “anywhere is here” look of the city, and people love seeing it on screen! You will also have the opportunity to meet with the people who run the film office, should you wish to film in our great city!.

Filmmakers around the world are choosing the Hamilton Film Festival as a required stop, and we want YOU to be a part of this growing scene that is on the verge of expanding into a not-so-hidden gem! See you, and your film, in Hamilton this November!

Awards & Prizes

FILM SUBMISSIONS - TROPHIES ($500 value)
Jury Choice
Truly Independent
Best Film (Feature)
Best Short
Best Documentary
Best Screenplay (for a submitted film)
Best Screenplay (script submission)
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Music
Best Sound (new category)
​Best Special FX
Best Student
Sparquie the Squirrel
(the most electrifying film in honour of a squirrel who knocked out the power during our gala in 2012. Sparquie did not make it but his legacy lives on)

Film Challenge
($6000 value) Gear Rental certificates prize value

Each film accepted receives a pass to attend all films, panels, and events!
($15000 total value from approx. 150 passes at $99each)

SCRIPT
The top three (3) screenwriting contest winners get a prize package that includes one (1) InkTip script listing and one (1) InkTip magazine listing to promote yourself and your script to InkTip's large network of producers and reps.

Listings also for Best Feature, Best Short and Best Screenplay

Every InkTip producer has been vetted via resume and references and demonstrated the ability to get movies made. Companies who are InkTip members include ABC, Anonymous Content, APA, CBS Films, HBO Films, ICM, Paradigm, Paramount Pictures, Hallmark Channel, FX, Universal, WME, Echo Lake, Zero Gravity, Bad Robot, and 20th Century Fox.

Rules & Terms

TERMS for 2019 coming soon.

PAST TERMS FOR 2018
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
It is recommended that you print this / view this and check off all the requirements one at a time, make notes, before submit and/or contact us with questions.

WHAT WE ACCEPT
All film lengths and genres will be considered. Selection is at the final discretion of the programming team. COMEDY: HAPPY STUFF is the main theme this year, but your film does not have to fall under this category as we have many opportunities to screen other genres.

PREMIERE STATUS
We require a Hamilton Ontario area premiere status. Films that have, or will, screen in the Hamilton area prior to this festival will not be selected. Special circumstances may be considered. The festival is rapidly growing and your film will have greater publicity, and opportunities exclusive to HFF that other festivals in the area do not offer. By considering our event as your primary festival in the area, you are making a choice that will benefit your film. All selected films get special access passes, opening up your visit to any opportunities we bring. And we do bring them!
(Toronto is not included as being in our area) If you have questions about this, contact us.

WHAT EVENTS CAN I SUBMIT TO
Either one, or both! The Film Festival is for public screenings and the Film Market is a private exchange of information and screeners to industry professionals.

Hamilton Film Festival
Public screenings, Juried selections, ALL selected films get a special pass for films and events!

Canadian Film Market
Not public, not juried, automatically available for online screening access to industry professionals / distributors / agents, ALL entries will get a special pass for special events, screenings and Market Guide access (industry contacts and participants)
If submitting to the Canadian Film Market, your contact information will be added to the Market Guide, should an industry professional wish to access this. If entering the Market, you will also get a contact guide so that you may reach out to the industry professional.

SUBMISSION DETAILS
The Canadian Film Market and the Hamilton Film Festival make NO guarantees that your film will be acquired (MARKET) or selected (FESTIVAL).

By submitting, you agree that you have full rights to be able to submit your work, for viewing in either the CANADIAN FILM MARKET or the HAMILTON FILM FESTIVAL, and that you have obtained all necessary rights to be able to submit for exhibition.

OBLIGATIONS
Once a film is programmed in the FESTIVAL it may NOT be removed. If you want to remove your film you MUST do it before the final deadline. After the final deadline, a film is considered entered and we will begin programming immediately, at our discretion, with no further contact required as to your inclusion in the festival. (You may see your film listed as being programmed before you have been contacted - check your inbox). Once a film is programmed, you will receive a welcome package with all the information you need to attend and any further materials you need to submit.

HAMILTON FILM FESTIVAL SCREENER FORMATS
We prefer to view online screeners only.

If you must mail a screener, please contact us
info@hamiltonfilmfestival.com

EXHIBITION FORMATS
Currently, Bluray and file format (Quicktime, Mpeg, Mov)
DCP may be an option once we know what films go which theatres with DCP capability.

If you do not supply us with an Exhibition copy by the deadline, we will screen the version we have. Please note: If you want us to use a VIMEO for exhibition, make sure your profile allows the DOWNLOAD option.

Delivery details will be listed in your acceptance letter and will include request for press access / screeners and links to excerpts for press.

PRESENTATION
We are a truly independent film festival that does not receive any arts grants to loans. For that reason, we are a service-based arts event. For those accepted, that service includes a theatrical screening, a $200 value access-pass to public screenings (many festivals only offer a ticket to your own screening program) promotion & visibility, post-fest alumni promotion, access to industry professionals, quality networking and engaging experiences. We also have prize opportunities, official laurels and some year-round opportunities that come our way! (For example, we have worked with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra to book HFF alumni filmmakers who create original films to be screened with a live orchestra) We are also in touch year-round with many organizations that hire filmmakers, or offer paid screenings and we look directly our alumni to give back those opportunities.

INFORMATION
While we will do everything we can to protect your information, what happens with it when another person has it in their possession (like a film guide, or screener access) it is impossible for us to manage and therefor, The Hamilton Film Festival and the Canadian Film Market, and it's employees and volunteers can not be held liable for what happens to your information once released via your screener and Market Guide.

Thank you for reading and we look forward to seeing your work at the 13th Annual Hamilton Film Festival and the 3rd Canadian Film Market.

F.A.Q.
Q) Why would I want to submit to both FESTIVAL and MARKET?
A)Having a selection in the festival tells buyers that your film has been filtered by a jury of
your peers.

Q) Why would I NOT want to be in the MARKET?
A) You may already have distribution and you may also have a strategy that includes festivals only.

Q) Why would I opt into the MARKET only, not the FESTIVAL?
A) You may not want your film displayed to the public and may wish to keep your premiere status for another festival. Your contact info and screener is for the Canadian Film Market participants only. Participants will be know as the year rolls out.

Q) If I submit to the Canadian Film Market, do I pay extra for the Market Guide
No, your submission includes the Market Guide which is typically released a few weeks prior to the beginning of November.

34 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Gavin Hopkins

    Really well-organised festival! A pleasure to be a part of it.

    January 2019
    Helpful
  • Andrew Simpson

    It was such an honour to be selected to HFF and was thrilled to see my work play to a sold out crowd! Also, the crowd was fantastic, super enthusiastic and engaged. HFF was stellar to work with from the day I was selected and would highly recommend that everyone submit their films here!

    November 2018
    Helpful
  • Tomas Street

    Wonderful people, GREAT communication. intimate venue

    November 2018
    Helpful
  • Ian O'Neill

    A very warm, welcoming experience that I think anyone accepted to this festival would receive. Well worth the entry fee!

    November 2018
    Helpful
  • Colin Baxter

    This film festival has a very welcoming atmosphere for those submitting any type of film of any length. Audiences are very much participants and they appreciate the efforts filmmakers make to create and submit films to the festival. The way categories are arranged allow for a lot of opportunity to screen films and chances to network with others.

    November 2018
    Helpful