Welcome to Lonely Seal, the home of "Stories Aching To Be Told." Hosted at the Regent Theatre, a stunning gem with over 110 years of history in Arlington, Massachusetts (near Boston), we are more than just an event; we are a supportive community dedicated to championing your creative journey well beyond our festival dates.

We are excited to announce a Lonely Seal-branded FAST channel (Free Ad-Supported Television) will be launched soon. Lonely Seal founder Hammad Zaidi is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Ryz Sports Network (pronounced "rise"), which is the most widely distributed independently-owned FAST channel in the world. Ryz is available on every major streaming platform in the United States, reaching over 700 million user accounts.

Our mission at the Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay, and Music Festival is to nurture your growth and success, both now and in the future. We embrace diversity, women's voices, and films that address disabilities, and we welcome stories from all genres. We love premieres, so if you're interested in premiering at Lonely Seal, we have a particular interest in showcasing your work. Attending Lonely Seal is an unforgettable experience because you won't just join a crowd; you'll become part of a family.

So, take a moment to click that "submit" button you're considering and share your work with us. We can't help you thrive until you share your brilliance!

Awards & Prizes

Prizes & Key Dates

GRAND PRIZE AWARD

Grand Prize: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film. Strategy advice on distribution, financing, and international sales.

FILM AWARDS: Feature Length Awards:

Best Feature Film: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best International Feature Film: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Documentary Feature Film: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Comedy Feature Film: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Sports-Related Feature Film: An invite to broadcast on the Ryz Sports Network, with a revenue share from your broadcast, a showcase for buyers at Cannes, and a strategic distribution device.

Best Film Accessible Feature: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

FILM AWARDS: Short Form Awards

Best Short Film:  Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best International Short Film: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Documentary Short: Presenting the film to cinema buyers at Cannes, through a showcase at the Lonely Seal booth during the Cannes Film Festival / Cannes Film Market. Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Comedy Short Film: Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

Best Sports-Related Short Film: An invite to broadcast on the Ryz Sports Network, with a revenue share from your broadcast.

Best Film Accessible Short: Preferred placement on Lonely Seal Streaming, with a revenue share on advertising earned from the distribution of the film.

SCREENPLAY AWARDS

Best Feature Screenplay: Showcase for interested producers and sales agents at Cannes. Script development and financing advice.

Best Short Screenplay: Showcase for interested producers and sales agents at Cannes. Script development and financing advice.

Best Script Accessible Feature Screenplay: Showcase for producers and sales agents at Cannes. Script development and financing advice.

Best Script Accessible Short: Showcase for interested producers and sales agents at Cannes. Script development and financing advice.

MUSIC AWARDS
Best Music Video - Strategic distribution advice.

KEY DATES
Festival submissions open August 25, 2025.
The early bird submission deadline is October 31, 2025.
The regular submission deadline is March 31, 2026.
The late submission deadline is April 20, 2026.

All selections will be notified by April 27, 2026. Our festival will take place from August 27 to 30, 2026, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at our awards ceremony.

Rules & Terms

FILM FESTIVAL RULES & REGULATIONS

-- Competition is open to U.S. and International entries.

-- Entries must not have been publicly shown before 2025. 

- Preference is given to Massachusetts and Boston Premieres for our Arlington festival.

-- Entries must be submitted online through FilmFreeway.

-- You may submit multiple entries but must fill out a separate entry form and pay an entry fee for each entry.

LIABILITY
Every possible care will be taken with entries while in our possession; however, we cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage, or additional charges incurred en route due to normal wear and tear or equipment failure. Additionally, Lonely Seal International Film and Screenplay Festival is held harmless from any claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses that may be incurred because of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, or film screening.

THE FOLLOWING MUST ACCOMPANY YOUR ENTRY

-- Entry fee (must be paid online).

--3-Line Synopsis. 

--Feature Films: Please include no more than a 250-word synopsis (may be used for the Festival Program and website).

--Accepted entries must submit at least one web-ready still at 72dpi and 560x315 pixels.

SCREENWRITING CONTEST RULES & REGULATIONS

All entries are eligible to win the top prizes.

Employees (and their immediate families) of The Lonely Seal International Film and Screenplay Festival and any of their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies or festival sponsors are not eligible to win.

There is no limit on the number of screenplays you can submit; however, each script must be submitted separately and accompanied by its completed submission form.

Feature Film Screenplays must be between 70-120 pages in English and submitted in proper script format.

By submitting the material, the applicant agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the Festival and its employees from any liability, claims, and damages in connection with the submission and from any fees and expenses, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, that any of them may incur in addition to that.

I/We understand that failure to adhere to the competition rules and regulations will result in disqualification and forfeiture of the entry fee.

I/We agree to hold the Lonely Seal International Film, Music, and Screenplay Festival harmless and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising out of or in connection with any claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any music video, advertisement, film or media submitted to the Festival.

191 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
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Networking
  • Luke St Germaine

    Great time at the Lonely Seal, highly recommend! Really great shorts in my block, good turnout of filmmakers, in a fantastic theatre. Good communication throughout and run by people who truly care about supporting the film community. Thanks for having me!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Ryan Bell

    Hammad Zaidi makes this festival stand out! He's approachable, knowledgeable, and supportive of all the talent who participate in his Lonely Seal competitions. I'd recommend Lonely Seal to anyone starting into the industry, and to anyone who is based on the East Coast or elsewhere looking to make some West Coast connections.

    September 2025
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  • Misha Gankin

    Amazing festival - it was an honor to screen my USC thesis film in my Hometown. The festival is run by well-organized and passionate folks who have created an outstanding venue for filmmakers to show their work and take the next steps in their careers. Highly, highly recommend submitting to this one!

    September 2025
    Helpful
  • Catherine A

    I am so honored to have been the winner of Lonely Seal Int. Film Festival in my hometown with my debut feature, Growing Pains. The film is run by talented, thoughtful, and dedicated filmmakers who genuinely care about representing unique and diverse perspectives on screen and uplifting filmmakers. Thanks to Lonely Seal and Hammad, the festival director, my feature was selected to be represented at the Marché Du Film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The Marché Du Film is the buyers and distributors market, where films get sold, produced, greenlit, etc. This is a huge opportunity for my movie and I am eternally grateful. I will continue to submit my future work to this lovely festival, as will my hometown friends and community members from Women in Film & Video New England.

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Catherine,

    I am so very happy to call your amazing piece of genius our Grand Prize Winner. I look forward to working with you to make "Growing Pains," the smashing success it deserves to be.

  • Lauren Pizzicaroli

    My feature screenplay TONY won this year's Script Accessible award. Although I was unable to attend the festival in person, Hammad and his team were lovely to connect with online. Any festival that supports filmmakers and aims to help our disabled community in the process is a festival I could always get behind. Thanks, Lonely Seal!

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks for the kind words! As a disabled filmmaker myself, I'm always looking to create opportunities for the community. Thank you for writing such an amazing story, and we can't wait to read you again!