Hello filmmakers,

We're looking forward to the 20th anniversary of our festival in 2024!

The Newburyport Documentary Film Festival (NDFF) is held every September in a charming seaport village, 40 minutes north of Boston.

For two decades we have been committed to bringing the highest-caliber documentary films to our community. In addition to screenings at two historic venues, we hold filmmaker receptions, after-parties, panel discussions, Q&As, and workshops
with filmmakers and audience members.

For traveling filmmakers, we can provide two nights lodging in a B&B in Newburyport, and we go out of our way to keep you well-fed. Select films will also be made available in a virtual format to extend our geographic reach.

*STUDENT ENTRIES*
YES Award - Young Emerging-Filmmakers Showcase a juried competition launched in 2021. Since 2021 the NBPT DOCU FEST has been proud to present the YES Award (Young Emerging Filmmakers Showcase), a juried competition celebrating the work of aspiring documentary film directors.

If you are submitting a student film and are a current or recent graduate of a college or university you will use the entry form on our website at www.nbptdocufest.org/festival-yes-submission Read more at this site for rules and qualifications to enter.

For additional information, visit our website: www.nbptdocufest.org.

NDFF presents six awards:

-- Best Feature 51 minutes and longer
-- Best Short 50 minutes or less
-- Best New England film (either the crew has ties to New England or the subject matter
is related to New England)
-- Best First-Time Filmmaker
-- The David Kleiler Cinephile Award
-- Audience Award

While we cannot provide financial prizes, the bragging rights are priceless!

The filmmaker has read and understood the rules and regulations and to the best of their knowledge, all statements are true. The filmmaker is duly authorized to submit this film to the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival.

-- Upon submission, the filmmaker consents to allowing their screener material to be shared in its entirety with appropriate Newburyport Documentary Film Festival staff, including programming staff, volunteer screeners, and other appropriate members of staff; shared with press outlets in efforts to secure press for the film; with final jury members; and with select individuals representing community partners who may be interested in supporting the film’s screening or taking part in a panel or Q&A associated with the film.

-- The festival is hereby also granted the right to utilize image(s) and/or biographical information of the filmmakers for promotional purposes. The festival reserves the right to fill in any information not supplied by the filmmaker from whatever source available and will not be responsible if incorrect information is entered.

-- It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to secure authorization for any copyrighted material that may be used in the film. The filmmaker shall indemnify and hold harmless Newburyport Documentary Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

-- Films should be completed no earlier than October 1, 2022.

-- By submitting, the filmmaker expressly acknowledges and agrees that they shall be bound by the terms of this agreement.

-- If your film is accepted, you'll be asked to provide digital press materials that include a short 30-word synopsis, filmmaker credits, and high-resolution digital photos. and a trailer.

-- The screening format and all technical requirements will be shared in the acceptance letter sent to those filmmakers whose films have been selected.

-- Foreign language films must be made available with English subtitles.

-- Submitters of accepted films agree to provide a download link to the exhibition copy of their film to NDFF by the date requested by the technical team, usually three weeks before the festival. NDFF does not return marketing materials such as posters or postcards after the festival's conclusion.

-- All entry fees paid are non-refundable.

-- Student Entries rules, terms, and an entry form are located at www.nbptdocufest.org/festival-yes-submission

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Arthur Musah

    Great people, a gem of a festival! The team was easy to work with, and did a great job of profiling each of their features with an interview leading up to the festival. The hospitality was great, the audiences were fab, and plenty of opportunities to meet other filmmakers and to connect with unexpected opportunities for one's film. I'm happy to have had our world premiere here. I highly recommend this festival!

    September 2023
  • Ellen Moore

    Newburyport is very welcoming. The curating was excellent. The audience was enthusiastic and appreciative and the town is quaint and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would happily return.

    September 2023
  • Newburyport Documentary Film Festival is the epitome of what a filmmaker can hope for from a festival: they have organizers who truly care about and champion the independent work they receive, and they take the time to get in touch well in advance, staying in communication throughout and even after the festival. I was sad to not be able to visit in person, but they made me feel like I was part of the fun. And we got to do a livestream Q&A with a very enthusiastic audience. Overall, I can't recommend them enough, particularly if you are trying to find a voice in a very crowded festival market!

    September 2023
  • Bradley Berman

    Newburyport is a wonderful festival! The town is full of smart, engaged people who love documentaries. It's such a cute place and everything is walkable. The screening spaces are excellent, and everybody at the festival is incredibly supportive. What else could a documentary filmmaker want in a festival? The experiences I had at the 2022 festival are exactly why I wanted to make films--to share non-fiction stories with audiences who care and to meet other doc filmmakers. I'll be at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival every chance I get. It's a gem!

    September 2022
  • Barry Rosenthal

    I cannot find anything online about the festival this past weekend...what's up?

    September 2022