The Indy Film Library Awards are the competitive section of a new multi-faceted movie platform, aimed at providing trusted reviews of independent content, as well as a soapbox for filmmakers with something to say to reach distributors and festivals from.

Along with screening winners, we provided a guarantee that no other film event can match; every single film submitted will receive constructive feedback in the way of a film review published on our site (min. 100 words), as well as the option to supply a ‘film profile’ for the site, through which festivals, distributors and producers in our network can contact them.

At the 2024 festival in Amsterdam:
Best Short Narrative
Best Short Documentary
Best Feature Narrative
Best Feature Documentary
Best Experimental Film
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Screenplay

At additional focus events:
Best Music Video
Best Student Short Film
Best Horror Short Film
Best Experimental Short Film

Submissions for our 2023/24 season are open via FilmFreeway.

Entries for the Indy Film Library must provide a trailer, stills, synopsis and screening information, contact details, and information they wish to be included in a film profile. Director statements are also welcomed. Projects must also be submitted with English subtitles.

Upon submission of their film, the filmmaker supplies consent to Indy Film Library to publish a review of their film, alongside their trailer, even if the review is negative. Every piece written will contain constructive notes, however we make no guarantee of a positive review, and reserve the right to publish criticism.

At time of submission, the filmmaker also supplies consent for Indy Film Library to screen the film if it is selected, either as part of its physical annual festival in Amsterdam, or as part of one of four online focus showcases (focusing on short student films, experimental art, music videos and horror shorts) which will be hosted throughout the year. As part of this, upon submission, the filmmaker confirms they have the right to publish all material contained in their production (music, art-work, etc), and that the film is in its final, completed form.

Further to this, if the filmmaker has used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate part or all of the film, for animation, soundtrack, effects etc, they are required to confirm the following:

-Which AI programme was used?
-Who created the visuals and or sounds that the AI used to build the animation?
-Did someone from your team create a base set of images and or sounds, before the AI helped to make them move, create a whole soundtrack, etc?
-Or, did you give the AI a text prompt, before it took those keywords, and created the film's images and sounds from things it had been fed en masse, before animating and scoring the film? AI engines working on this basis regularly make non-consensual use of artists' labour, and Indy Film Library is ethically opposed to such production methods.

Films which fail to confirm these details, or which are submitted even when they were made simply by feeding an AI a suggestion may still be reviewed. However, Indy Film Library will not rate them, and it will not select them for competition in its annual showcase.

Indy Film Library does not pay screening fees.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Andreas Aicka Thomsen

    Jack gives an extremely personal and dedicated touch to a well organised festival with unprecedented communication and inclusiveness. A profound and honest review of every submitted film is something you don't experience everywhere.

    October 2023
  • There was so much personal attention and helpfulness from the director. A festival of great value!

    May 2023
  • Jack did a great job setting up the festival with screenings and Q&A's. He even reviews your film, which you can obviously learn from.

    Thank you Jack for having us and we're very proud at winning best feature!

    May 2023
  • Sara Bahramjahan

    Best festival 🫶Thanks for supporting Iranian filmmakers for submitting. I’m so glad that Childfree had chance to attended this festival 🍀

    May 2023
  • I am very happy that my film was criticized and noticed; a respectable festival and a professional look

    May 2023