Lighthouse International Film Festival on Long Beach Island, NJ, is much more than just a film festival. It's a vibrant cultural event that combines the experience of seeing quality films in dark screening rooms with enjoying beautiful sunny beaches and also includes engaging panels, invaluable networking events, tasty and plentiful food and drinks, and fun parties. LIFF was chosen as one of "The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World" by MovieMaker Magazine in 2018 and 2020. Over the years, the festival has been covered by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, NJ Star-Ledger, Rolling Stone Magazine, NBC 4 New York, and many more. The 15th annual edition of the Lighthouse International Film Festival will take place over one very fun long summer weekend between June 7-11, 2023.
We invite you to join us for the 15th anniversary of the Lighthouse International Film Festival and submit your narrative features, docs, shorts, TV/web episodic pilots, surf films, and (high school) student films. The selected films will participate in the festival's various competitions. The award winners will be decided by the festival jury and our audiences. Additionally, two cash prize awards will be granted: The Honey Levine Audience Choice Award for narrative and documentary features ($1,000 prize) and the Jennifer Snyder Bryceland Award – a $2,000 cash award for exceptional environmental/social issue documentaries.
Lighthouse International Film Festival accepts submissions in the following categories:
- Narrative Features – U.S. and International
- Documentary Features – U.S. and International
- Narrative Shorts (up to 45 minutes) – U.S. and International
- Documentary Shorts (up to 45 minutes) – U.S. and International
- TV and Web Series Pilots (up to 30 minutes in length) – U.S. and International
- Darkhouse Genre Films: Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Features & Shorts – U.S. and International
- Surf Films: Features and Shorts – U.S. and International
- High School Student Short Films
Write by the Beach Program for Female Screenwriters
Submissions are also open for LIFF's "Write by the Beach" writers’ retreat program. Three selected female filmmakers will spend a week in a beach house in the week leading up to the 2023 Festival (dates for the Write by the Beach program are subject to change). Submissions are open to any female writer with at least one credit as a primary screenwriter on a produced short or feature film, with priority in selection given to those writers currently working on feature-length screenplays. LIFF may require additional information in making its selections.
The Lighthouse International Film Festival is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to showcasing diverse, dynamic storytelling with a focus on unique voices. It blends the prestige of a carefully curated lineup of films with the intimacy of local arthouse screenings. Most screenings feature extended Q&As, while filmmaker breakfasts and filmmaker access to all film screenings and events encourage networking and relationship-building. Whether at a screening, a masterclass, a meeting over ice cream at the beach, or just catching some waves at one of LBI’s phenomenal surfing spots, LIFF wants filmmakers and attendees to celebrate the myriad ways in which storytelling is exploding.
Every year, the festival offers jury awards in numerous categories. Jurors for these awards represent some of the most talented leaders in the industry, including the likes of Oscar-winning director Guy Nattiv ("Skin"), Oscar nominees Jean de Meuron and Raphaela Neihausen, acclaimed documentary filmmakers Ondi Timoner, Keith Maitland ("Tower"), Sonia Kennebeck ("U.S. vs. Reality Winner"), Lynne Sachs, producers Meredith Kaulfers, Chester Algernal Gordon ("The Inspection"), Lee Broda ("Tesla"), and Jonathan Duffy ("Sorry To Bother You"), programmers Thom Powers (TIFF) and Meira Blaustein (Woodstock FF), as well as film scholars and industry executives.
The Jennifer Snyder Bryceland Filmmaker Award
A special prize that recognizes documentary filmmakers whose projects embody the generous, thoughtful, and positive energy demonstrated by beloved Long Beach Island resident Jennifer Snyder Bryceland in all aspects of her life. The $2,000 award is given to a filmmaker whose feature-length documentary displays artistic excellence, incorporates environmental and social themes (local, regional, or global), and inspires optimism in audiences. The award is offered by the family of Jennifer Snyder Bryceland.
The Honey Levine Audience Choice Award
LIFF offers an award for narrative and documentary features on the festival's program that are eligible for audience voting. The festival wishes to commemorate the legacy of Honey Levine, a local patron of the arts and a cinephile who is also the mother of LIFF board member Jerry Levine. The winning film will receive a $1,000 cash prize.