The Interbay International Film Festival (IIFF) is a boutique Seattle festival celebrating movies of all genres in the intimate 49-seat theatre of our presenting sponsor, the Seattle Film Institute.

IIFF is a filmmaker-friendly festival built around a simple idea: films and filmmakers deserve to be celebrated by an attentive audience with genuine respect. This is a festival put on by filmmakers, for filmmakers, at the Northwest’s premier film school. Our goal is to connect independent and established filmmakers, film students, industry professionals, and film lovers of all kinds in a fun environment, and help strengthen Seattle’s vibrant and growing film community.

Our screenings take place in SFI’s 49-seat theatre — a jewel-box cinema designed for audiences who want an intimate screening experience and for filmmakers who want their work seen, heard, and appreciated. IIFF is compact by design: curated, personal, lively, and serious about the films it selects.

Located in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood — betwixt and between Ballard, Queen Anne, and Magnolia — the festival sits in one of the city’s most distinctive and quietly cinematic areas. Nearby are the Ballard Locks, Kerry Park, Fishermen’s Terminal, Fremont, Wallingford, neighborhood restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and waterfront views. This is the perfect place to experience authentic Seattle culture.

IIFF welcomes local, regional, national, & international submissions and is open to all genres, tones, styles, and budgets. Narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, comedy, drama, horror, science fiction, music-driven work, student work, and deeply personal work are all welcome.

For short films, we have a strong preference for work that is eight minutes and under. For features, preference will be given to films that are at least Pacific Northwest Premieres.

Seattle Film Institute students are involved in every aspect of the festival; bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a love of cinema to the entire festival experience.

Selected filmmakers will receive festival passes/guest tickets and will be eligible for the coveted IIFFY Awards.

Small festival. Intimate theatre. Engaged audience. Serious respect for filmmakers.

Welcome to Interbay.

Festival Mission
The mission of the Interbay International Film Festival is to celebrate distinctive, memorable filmmaking from across the country, and around the world; to give independent filmmakers a warm and respectful theatrical platform; to connect audiences with exceptional new work; and to channel the abundant energy, creativity, and love of films & filmmaking of the Seattle Film Institute students into the festival programming, marketing, hospitality, and exhibition.

IIFF exists for filmmakers and audiences who still believe there is magic in gathering together, in the dark, to watch a great movie.

What We’re Looking For
We welcome films from around the world and across all genres.
Our taste is broad, but our space is intimate, so every selection matters.
We are especially interested in films that are:
Smart
Emotionally alive
Visually compelling
Distinctive in voice
Economical and memorable
Alive to the possibilities of cinema
Created by a diverse team, with a fresh, inclusive, representational perspective
Made with craft, conviction, imagination, and nerve

For short films, we strongly prefer films eight minutes and under. We love short films that make a complete, memorable impression in compact running time.

For features, preference will be given to films that can screen as Pacific Northwest Premieres or higher.

Why Submit to IIFFY?
Because your film will not disappear into a giant festival schedule. IIFF is deliberately compact. Every selected film is part of the identity of the festival. Every screening is intentional. Every filmmaker is treated with respect. Every audience member is close to the screen.

Selected filmmakers receive:
A live theatrical screening in Seattle
Guest tickets / festival passes
Eligibility for the coveted IIFFY Awards
A curated boutique festival environment
A filmmaker-friendly atmosphere
A real audience in an intimate 49-seat theatre
Student-powered hospitality and support
A chance to screen in one of Seattle’s most distinctive neighborhoods
IIFF is selective enough to care deeply about curation, comfortable enough to make filmmakers feel welcome, and fun enough to remember that festivals should actually be enjoyable.

Every selected film will have a public festival screening in our theatre.

Awards & Prizes

Selected films will be eligible for the IIFFy Awards. The IIFFy is awarded in recognition of excellence, originality, impact, craft, audience connection, and the indefinable quality that makes a movie linger after the lights come up.

Rules & Terms

By submitting to the Interbay International Film Festival, you agree to the following rules and terms:
1. The Interbay International Film Festival accepts films of all genres from filmmakers around the world.
2. Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway with an online screener.
3. All non-English-language films must include English subtitles.
4. The submitter must have the legal right to submit the film and must have secured all necessary rights and permissions, including music, images, archival material, performances, trademarks, and any other copyrighted material.
5. Submission fees, once established, will be non-refundable.
6. Submission does not guarantee selection.
7. If selected, the filmmaker agrees to provide an exhibition-quality digital screening file by the deadline provided by the festival.
8. Selected filmmakers authorize the festival to use trailers, clips, stills, posters, filmmaker bios, and other submitted promotional materials for festival marketing, press, social media, website use, and audience outreach.
9. The festival may use brief excerpts from selected films for promotional purposes, consistent with customary festival promotional use.
10. For short films, preference will be given to films with a runtime of five minutes or less. Longer shorts may be considered at the discretion of the programming team.
11. For feature films, preference will be given to films that are at least Pacific Northwest Premieres. The festival may consider exceptions at its discretion.
12. International submissions are welcome.
13. Selected filmmakers will receive guest tickets and/or festival passes. Specific allotments will be announced prior to the festival.
14. The Interbay International Film Festival does not pay screening fees unless agreed to in writing in advance.
15. The festival does not guarantee travel, lodging, appearance fees, or other expenses unless agreed to in writing in advance.
16. Films previously submitted to the Interbay International Film Festival may be resubmitted only if there have been substantial changes or by invitation of the programming team.
17. The festival reserves the right to determine eligibility, programming placement, award categories, and final selections.
18. Selected films may be considered for juried awards, audience awards, special mentions, and/or the coveted IIFFy Awards.
19. The Interbay International Film Festival is a live, in-person festival. Screenings will take place at the Seattle Film Institute theatre in Seattle, Washington.
20. The festival reserves the right to make schedule adjustments as necessary.
21. By submitting, the entrant confirms that participation in the festival will not violate any rights, contracts, licenses, or obligations connected to the submitted film.