The Hamptons International Film Festival takes place annually in October, with a number of additional events held year round in New York City and the Hamptons. Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World as well as one of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, HIFF is the premier film event on New York State's east end, and an intimate showcase of some of the year's best offerings in contemporary cinema. Recently referred to as "Telluride East" by Variety, the publication cited HIFF as "one of America's most glamorous displays of the best in cutting-edge cinema." Festival selections continue to play an important role during awards season, with a significant number of titles highlighted every year at the Academy Awards. In a recent article about HIFF, Variety noted "The Festival has grown a reputation for being able to read the Academy voting tea leaves and routinely promotes Oscar race front-runners, but has also become the place to see emerging talent before they become marquee names." Films featured at the 2022 Festival received 38 Academy Award nominations, and overall, films in the last 14 editions have received a total of 527 Oscar nominations.
The festival draws national film industry attendees, including representatives from a wide array of film and media companies, a range of journalists including the film trades, Oscar Bloggers, local publications as well as national journalists & New York based press. The Festival hosts multiple competitions focused specifically on early-career filmmakers, in the hopes of bolstering their work at an important juncture and helping develop a discussion around their films, both within the film community and beyond. With prizes of cash & in kind goods and services valued at more than $130,000, HIFF continues to support the artists that create some of the best films each year. The festival also features four signature programs: Films of Conflict & Resolution; Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights; Air, Land & Sea; and Views From Long Island.
Recent program highlights include THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (Academy Award Nominee), THE WHALE (Academy Award Winner), WOMEN TALKING (Academy Award Winner), EO (Academy Award Nominee), CLOSE (Academy Award Nominee), ALL THAT BREATHES (Academy Award Nominee), AFTERSUN (Academy Award Nominee, Best Actor), LIVING (Academy Award Nominee, Best Actor), TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Academy Award Nominee), ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED (Academy Award Nominee), GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (Academy Award Nominee), HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE, CHRISSY JUDY, THE POWER OF THE DOG (Academy Award Nominee), BEFLAST (Academy Award Winner), DRIVE MY CAR (Academy Award Winner), FLEE (Academy Award Nominee), THE LOST DAUGHTER (Academy Award Nominee), THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (Academy Award Nominee), PARALLEL MOTHERS (Academy Award Nominee), ASCENSION (Academy Award Nominee), SPENCER (Academy Award Nominee), NOMADLAND (Academy Award Winner), MINARI (Academy Award Winner), SOUND OF METAL (Academy Award Winner), THE FATHER (Academy Award Nominee), ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (Academy Award Nominee), COLLECTIVE (Academy Award Nominee), TIME (Academy Award Nominee), THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (Academy Award Shortlist), GUNDA (Academy Award Shortlist), PARASITE (Academy Award Winner; Cannes Palme d’Or Winner), MARRIAGE STORY (Academy Award Winner),THE IRISHMAN (Academy Award Nominee), THE TWO POPES (Academy Award Nominee), FOR SAMA (Academy Award Nominee), THE CAVE (Academy Award Nominee), LES MISERABLES (Academy Award Nominee; Cannes Jury Prize Winner), KNIVES OUT (Academy Award Nominee), PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (National Board of Review Winner), ATLANTICS (Cannes Grand Jury Prize Winner), WAVES (Gotham Award Winner, Film Independent Spirit Nominee), ROMA (Academy Award Winner), THE FAVORITE (Academy Award Winner), SHOPLIFTERS (Academy Award Nominee, Cannes Palme d’Or Winner), CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME (Academy Award Nominee), GREEN BOOK (Academy Award Winner), COLD WAR (Academy Award Nominee), BORDER (Academy Award Nominee), BURNING (Cannes FIPRESCI Prize Winner), THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM (Cinema Eye Honors Award Winner), THE SHAPE OF WATER (Academy Award Winner), THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Academy Award Winner), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (Academy Award Winner), DARKEST HOUR (Academy Award Winner), I, TONYA (Academy Award Winner), A FANTASTIC WOMAN (Academy Award Winner),THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Academy Award Nominee), THE SQUARE (Academy Award Nominee, Cannes Palme d’Or Winner), STRONG ISLAND (Academy Award Nominee), MOONLIGHT (Academy Award Winner), MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (Academy Award Winner), LA LA LAND (Academy Award Winner), LOVING (Academy Award Nominee), 20TH CENTURY WOMEN (Academy Award Nominee), TONI ERDMANN (Academy Award Nominee), and I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (Academy Award Winner).
Guests & attendees of the Festival include Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Edward Norton, Laura Dern, Julie Andrews, Brie Larson, Jordan Peele, Steven Yeun, Frances McDormand, Richard Gere, Timothée Chalamet, Kate Winslet, Annette Bening, Margot Robbie, Noah Baumbach, Charlie Kaufman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Todd Haynes, Chris Columbus, Holly Hunter, Hugh Jackman, Damien Chazelle, Olivia Wilde, Adam Driver, Mahershala Ali, Martin McDonagh, Lulu Wang, Josh O’Connor, Alan Alda, Sam Rockwell, Tom McCarthy, Alfre Woodard, Madonna, Amandla Stenberg, Julianne Moore, Leslie Odom Jr., Sir Patrick Stewart, Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Daveed Diggs, Bill Murray, Kumail Nanjiani, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Pryce, Mark Ruffalo, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosamund Pike, Rob Reiner, Trey Edward Shults, Mariska Hargitay, Sienna Miller, Domhnall Gleeson, Michael Moore, E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jamie Bell, Amy Ryan, Camila Morrone, Selma Blair, Zazie Beetz, Darren Aronofsky, Nadine Labaki, Andy Serkis, Stephanie Hsu, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Susan Sarandon, Spike Jonze, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Aldis Hodge, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick, Cristian Mungiu, Joe Wright, Tye Sheridan, Calvin Klein, Lakeith Stanfield, Jennifer Garner, Clifton Collins, Jr., Renee Zellweger, Peter Sarsgaard, Rupert Everett, Daniel Kaluuya, Ralph Lauren, Tom Quinn, Hilary Swank, Jason Blum, Paul Giamatti, Richard Jenkins, Paul Dano, Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Alan Cumming, Mia Hansen-Løve, Peter Hedges, Mariska Hargitay, John Sloss, Alex Gibney, Sally Hawkins, Rory Kennedy, Michael Barker, Hong Chau, Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Morgan, Freida Pinto, Jamie Dornan, Brian De Palma, James Schamus, Sting, Tom Hooper, Tim Blake Nelson, Elle Fanning, Alexander Skarsgard, Patricia Clarkson, Howard Stern, Isabella Rossellini, Julian Schnabel, Chinonye Chukwu, Stanley Tucci, David Duchovny, Alessandro Nivola, Odessa Young, Alex Winter, Neil Labute, Edie Falco, Shailene Woodley, Jane Goodall, Chelsea Clinton, Lee Isaac Chung, Christine Baranski, Don Lemon, Candice Bergen, Steve Buscemi, Marcia Gay Harden, Rufus Wainwright, Sandy Powell, Misty Copeland, Harry Belafonte, Wim Wenders, Rev Run, Doug Liman, Matthew Modine, Mark & Jay Duplass, Dick Cavett, Winston Duke, James Cromwell, Bill Pullman, Hans Zimmer, Christine Vachon, Dane DeHaan, Timothy Hutton, Billy Joel, Emma Roberts, Kayli Carter, Teddy Schwarzman, Jeff Zucker, Emily Browning, Oren Moverman, Lola Kirke, Lucy Walker, Carter Burwell.
Narrative Feature Competition Award:
The Narrative Feature Competition honors emerging directors who represent cinema’s next generation of innovative film artists. Juried by world-class filmmakers and industry professionals, the winning Narrative Feature film receives a $2,500 cash prize as well as a film production package of in-kind goods and services, with a total value of over $75,000. The 2022 award was presented to the Academy Award nominated CLOSE by Lukas Dhont.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
Cash Award Value: $2,500 USD
Value of Goods/Services: $72,000 USD
Documentary Feature Competition Award:
Featuring an array of powerful subjects, the Documentary Feature Competition honors new and distinctive voices in documentary filmmaking. Juried by world-class filmmakers and industry professionals, the winning Documentary Feature film receives a $2,500 cash prize as well as a film production package of in-kind goods and services, with a total value of over $22,500. The 2022 award was presented to PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS by Sinéad O’Shea.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
Cash Award Value: $2,500 USD
Value of Goods/Services: $20,000 USD
Narrative Short Competition Award:
Featuring exceptional technique and storytelling, the Narrative Short Competition honors the fresh perspectives of up-and-coming filmmakers. Juried by world-class filmmakers and industry professionals, the Narrative Short Competition winner will take home a cash prize of $1,000 and qualify for Academy Award consideration. The 2022 award was presented to SNOW IN SEPTEMBER by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
Cash Award Value: $1,000 USD
Documentary Short Competition Award:
The Documentary Short Competition celebrates new and emerging voices in the documentary film world. Juried by world-class filmmakers and industry professionals, the Documentary Short Competition winner will take home a cash prize of $1,000 and qualify for Academy Award consideration. The 2022 award was presented to WHEN THE LAPD BLOWS UP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD by Nathan Truesdell.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
Cash Award Value: $1,000 USD
University Short Film Showcase Awards:
Selected from hundreds of submissions by a jury of industry professionals, the University Short Film Showcase highlights the extraordinary talent and achievements of exceptional students. Awarded annually to five filmmakers, the winners take home a cash prize of $500. The 2022 University Short Film Showcase Awards were presented to GLORIOUS REVOLUTION by Masha Novikova, BERRY PICKERS by Agnes Skonare Karlsson, MOTHERLAND by Christina Yoon, TEXTURES by Lindsay Opoku-Acheampong, and WET by Marianne Bergeonneau, Lauriane Montpert, Mélina Mandon, Cloé Peyrebrune, and Elvira Taussac.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
Cash Award Value: $500 USD
The Peter Macgregor Scott Memorial Award:
The Peter Macgregor Scott Memorial Award aims to continue the celebrated producer’s mentorship for a new generation of passionate filmmakers. Sponsored by Susan Macgregor Scott, this $10,000 award is specifically designed to recognize narrative short filmmakers and reward creative approaches to solving practical production challenges in the service of storytelling. The 2022 award was presented to GLORIOUS REVOLUTION by Masha Novikova.
Cash Award Value: $10,000 USD
The Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict & Resolution:
For the past twenty years, the Films of Conflict & Resolution section has showcased films that focus on the realities of human conflict and injustice around the world, and inspire discussion about the possibilities for resolution. One film from this section will be awarded $5,000 as the Brizzolara Family Foundation Award winner. Recent program highlights include FOR SAMA (Academy Award Nominee); THE CAVE (Academy Award Nominee); OF FATHERS AND SONS (Academy Award Nominee); HUMAN FLOW (Academy Award Documentary Shortlist); I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (Academy Award Nominee); FIRE AT SEA (Academy Award Nominee); THE WHITE HELMETS (Academy Award Winner); and many more. The 2022 award was presented to FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE'S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM by Evgeny Afineevsky.
Sponsor: The Brizzolara Family Foundation
Cash Award Value: $5,000 USD
The Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award:
Presented to a film in the Compassion, Justice and Animal Rights section that raises public awareness and provokes discussion about contemporary issues of social concern, with a focus on the rights, as well as moral and ethical treatment of animals. The $2,500 award is presented to a film that inspires compassion, motivates action, and compels change, and is given by Zelda Penzel - a long time educator, advocate, and a volunteer at HIFF since its inception. Recent program highlights include ALL THAT BREATHES (Academy Award Nominee), VIRUNGA (Academy Award Nominee), UNLOCKING THE CAGE (Emmy Nominee), JANE (Academy Award Shortlist). The 2022 award was presented to EO by Jerzy Skolimowski (Academy Award Nominee).
Sponsor: Zelda Penzel
Cash Award Value: $2,500 USD
The Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award For Social Justice:
Presented to a film that exemplifies the values of peace, equality, global justice, and civil liberties; and named in honor of two people who spent their entire lives fighting for those values. Past winners include ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… (Academy Award Nominee), THE SQUARE (Academy Award Nominee), LOVING (Academy Award Nominee), and THE SILENCE OF OTHERS (IDA Award Winner). The 2022 award was presented to THE FOREST MAKER by Volker Schlöndorff.
Sponsor: Louis M. Rabinowitz Foundation
Cash Award Value: $2,000 USD
Suffolk County Film Commission Next Exposure Grant:
The $3,000 Suffolk County Next Exposure Grant is awarded to a film in the Views From Long Island section. This program supports the completion of high quality, original, director-driven, low-budget independent films from both emerging and established filmmakers who have completed 50% of principal photography within Suffolk County. The 2022 award was presented to THE PASS by Pepi Ginsberg.
Sponsor: Suffolk County Film Commission
Cash Award Value: $3,000 USD
The New York Women in Film & Television Award for Excellence in Narrative Filmmaking
This award honors an outstanding female filmmaker who has demonstrated exceptional artistic vision and dedication to their craft. The 2022 award was presented to OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL by Ellie Foumbi (Independent Spirit Award Nominee).
Sponsor: NYWIFT
Cash Award Value: $1,000 USD
The New York Women in Film & Television Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking
This award honors an outstanding female filmmaker who has demonstrated exceptional artistic vision and dedication to their craft.The 2022 award was presented to THE CAVE OF ADULLAM by Laura Checkoway.
Sponsor: NYWIFT
Cash Award Value: $1,000 USD
Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film
Past Audience Award winners include Academy Award®-winning THE WHITE HELMETS, LA LA LAND, ROOM, THE IMITATION GAME, THE ARTIST, THE KING’S SPEECH and Academy Award®-nominated I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO and PHILOMENA. The 2022 Audience Awards were presented to RETURN TO SEOUL by Davy Chou, BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT by Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo, and THE SENTENCE OF MICHAEL THOMPSON by Kyle Thrash and Haley Elizabeth Anderson.
Sponsor: Hamptons International Film Festival
