Lynchburg Film Festival

Lynchburg Film Festival (LYHFF) takes place in the beautifully restored Historic Theater of the Academy Center of the Arts in the heart of downtown Lynchburg, Virginia.

We screen innovative and exceptional films with a focus on the craft of filmmaking: direction, editing, cinematography, lighting, sound, post-production. We screen films that are intentional and deliberately well-executed.

Our festival is distinctly better than the outdated film festivals that your boomer grandparents went to. We focus on the "film" part of film festival, and are committed to supporting filmmakers.

First and most importantly, we respect the films we screen. We guarantee that all films will be projected flawlessly in maximum high-quality, with clean sound and a clear picture, in front of an attentive, respectful, and welcoming audience of film-lovers and fellow filmmakers. This guarantee is also made to our audience, that they will have a full and properly presented cinematic experience.

LYHFF is not a lifestyle event, We will never have bands, DJs, or a dance floor. We do not offer swag bags, merch, green rooms, or special VIP areas. We do not do workshops, panel discussions, or product demonstrations. We do not have special ass-kissing events for donors or sponsors, and we do not give out awards.

All attendees can watch all of our films for $26. No tiered access, upgrades, or status levels. Each ticket grants full access to everything the festival has to offer. We do not upsell anything. We do not sell extra access to private areas, launches, and afterparties.

We do not believe in parallel screening. Everyone is able to watch every film in the entire program. One audience, one screen, one film at a time, everyone together, throughout the festival.

All filmmakers are contacted directly by our Executive Director and will be in touch with him directly throughout the festival season and beyond. Visiting filmmakers receive hospitality and lodging arrangements, in-town transportation, and any special considerations we can provide.

Lynchburg is an independent city in the center of an under-screened region with no arthouse or indie cinemas. The population of the city itself is 80,000, but the metro region is 260,000. Visitors have driven to LYHFF from Atlanta, Charlotte, DC, and Philadelphia, as well as filmmakers that flew in from Los Angeles, Chicago, Texas, and France.

We believe in transparency in our selection process. Every submission is screened in full by our team of experienced, trained, and qualified screeners. After reviewing the submissions individually, the panel meets to discuss every film in person, then and collectively consider each film and determine the final program.