The North East International Film Festival is the youngest BIFA qualifying and IMDB qualifying festival, one of only 80 festivals worldwide to adopt the F-Rating, representing females in film, the first EVER festival to sign up to the BBC 50/50 Equality Project, making that organisational commitment to diversity and the first EVER festival to receive the Raising Films Ribbon for creating an inclusive space for Filmmaker, Audience and our Team!

The NEIFF has been shortlisted for the prestigious BAFTA For The Love Of Film Awards Competition 2022, for the Makers & Shakers Awards for Initiative To Grow Local Industry, The Small Awards under the category New Kid On The Block, The British Business Awards in various categories and the Inclusive Companies Awards. Our Festival Director has also recently been added to the Northern Power Women 2022 Future List for her efforts in supporting and accelerating gender equality through the NEIFF and won a Champion Of Women Award 2022.

We are in partnership with BBC Radio and Regalier Magazine which is the worlds first online global, luxury magazine. One of our official distribution partners is Opprime TV. All of our festival award winners will automatically be offered the option of screening their films on the Opprime TV platform. The Filmmaker will receive a percentage of all subscriptions and winners of the Audience Awards and Best Of The Fest Awards will receive cash prizes, sponsored by Northumbria University. Other partners include Lexus, Northumbria Clear, Titan Media & Close Protection, No Worries Marketing, Northumbria University, Newcastle University and more. The NEIFF is also in partnership with iPitch.tv. All of our festival Winners will be awarded a complimentary 12 month code for iPitch.tv and every Official Selection will be awarded a complimentary 3 month code. even more reason to submit!
About iPitch: Industry members in their marketplace are scouting for Feature Film and Television projects for all the major networks, studios and platforms. These Executive Members include:
Discovery Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment Television, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, Echo Lake Entertainment, Relativity Television, CBS, WEtv, Authentic Entertainment, Forman Productions, Infinity Media Inc., Little Studio Films, Leftfield Pictures, Brian Graden Media... to name a few.

Their site also features educational content and interviews with industry notables such as: Mike Medavoy, Doug Mankoff, and Douglas Ross who share their experience and personal insights for our up and coming filmmakers and creatives.

The NEIFF is proud to be partnered with the European Independent Film Festival which is in it's 17th edition, takes place in Paris annually and is currently partnered with many renowned festivals and the New York Independent Film Festival Manhattan. This will allow not only our Filmmakers the option to have their work screened amongst other top films in Paris and New York but also allows our audiences the opportunity to view even more new and diverse works.

The North East International Film Festival is the World's most inclusive, collaborative and diverse female-founded film festival, connecting Filmmakers and Film-goers through an array of exciting film related activities and events. This is a festival in every sense of the word.

The NEIFF is humbled to have the support of our regions Universities and is proud to confirm the participation of 55 student volunteers and placements so far.

Our categories include the standard submission categories as well as Best LGBTQ+, Best Low/No Budget, Best Student Film and our VisABLE category which is to represent disability in all it's forms.

Our event is a 3 day theme park of award winning films to take place in various locations, through our 7 cinema partners, throughout the North East Region from 17th - 20th November 2022. Our Cinema partners range from independent, volunteer-led cinemas to 13 screen chain cinemas.

The festival is to include one off special screenings of award-winning films with cast and crew Q&A’s, VIP networking events, free, educational, film related workshops delivered by industry professionals and three full day screenings of finalist films. The festival will culminate in a Closing Awards Gala, with welcome drinks, networking/mingling and media opportunities, a 3 course gourmet Artisan meal, live music, entertainment and special guests.

Award trophies will be custom made and will be presented for each of the submission categories as well as for Audience Choice Award, Best of the Fest and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Our Grand Jury Members are chosen specifically for their expertise in the industry and their links to theatrical distribution.

Come and join us to appreciate stunning locations, regional specialities and the world famous Geordie hospitality.

Awards & Prizes

NEIFF is a BIFA qualifying festival and an IMDB qualifying Festival.

One of our official distribution partners is Opprime TV. All of our festival award winners will automatically be offered the option of screening their films on the Opprime TV platform (which is a direct competitor of Netflix and Hulu). The Filmmaker will receive a percentage of all subscriptions.

All of our festival Winners will be awarded a complimentary 12 month code for iPitch.tv and every Official Selection will be awarded a complimentary 3 month code. even more reason to submit!
About iPitch: Industry members in their marketplace are scouting for Feature Film and Television projects for all the major networks, studios and platforms. These Executive Members include:
Discovery Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment Television, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, Echo Lake Entertainment, Relativity Television, CBS, WEtv, Authentic Entertainment, Forman Productions, Infinity Media Inc., Little Studio Films, Leftfield Pictures, Brian Graden Media... to name a few.
Their site also features educational content and interviews with industry notables such as: Mike Medavoy, Doug Mankoff, and Douglas Ross who share their experience and personal insights for our up and coming filmmakers and creatives.

Custom-made award trophies will be presented at the Closing Awards Ceremony on the final night of the Festival.

You can submit to more than one category if you feel it is applicable to your film. To make the subcategories more accessible for everyone they are listed at a lower price point to the main ones.

Please see the rules and terms for submission criteria of each category.

Rules & Terms

All films will screen with subtitles for accessibility (even those originally in English). Please ensure you submit a captioned version of your film or can create one if your film is selected. The Festival has a broad scope but an inclusive narrative.

GENERAL RULES AND CONDITIONS

1. Submission Format
Films must be submitted via online screener.

2. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2019.
- NEIFF requires at least a North East premiere for all films.
- Works-in-progress and films with distribution are accepted.
- All films not in the English language are required to have subtitles.

3. Premiere Status
- NEIFF requires at least a North East premiere for all films. All films may have screened at other festivals but just not have screened in the North East Region.

4. Film Classification
All films screened during the North East Film Festival receive an age rating that is decided by the Newcastle City Council.

5. Submission Fee
All FilmFreeway submissions for North East International Film Festival are to be paid by card. The submission fee is non-refundable.

6. Shipping
All shipping and postage costs, if the film is selected for the Festival, for all DCPs and additional materials sent to and returned from North East International Film Festival must be borne by the submitting party. NEIFF will not accept Cash On Delivery shipments. NEIFF will not absorb any fees incurred in British customs. All charges must be pre-paid

7. Notification
NEIFF endeavours to complete all selection procedures by 7th October 2023 and inform all submitting parties, in writing, if their film has been successful or not after that time. Successful submissions will receive a Filmmaker Festival Pack that will include important information on shipping the DCP to the Festival, press and publicity, guest accreditation, contact information and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

8. Festival Screenings
Selected films MUST provide a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) and video file (.mov or .mp4).in order to be screened at the North East International Film Festival. The film title MUST be clearly labelled on the hard drive.
A selected DCP or video file must be received by the North East International Film Festival no later than TWENTY days prior to its scheduled screening date.

9. Scheduling
Screenings are scheduled during the Festival at the discretion of NEIFF. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, NEIFF reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason. North East International Film Festival will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its selection.

GENERAL AGREEMENT OF PARTICIPATION IN NEIFF:

By submitting to the North East International Film Festival I confirm that I have read and accept the terms and regulations of NEIFF. I will provide the festival with any additional information required pursuant to these rules and regulations. I authorize the NEIFF to exhibit my film, and if selected, I confirm that an exhibition copy will be available in a required format for screening during the 2023 festival (November 17th - 20th 2022). I certify that I hold all necessary rights for the submission of this film/video to the NEIFF and that all rights and clearances have been made. This film is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation. I hold NEIFF harmless from damage to, or loss of any or all materials en route to, from or otherwise at the festival. I assume all legal responsibilities therein. By Agreeing to these terms, I transfer to NEIFF the right to use excerpts of the submitted film, its stills, and trailers, for the purposes of publicity and marketing of the film at the 2022 festival, and for other non-commercial uses related to the promotion of the 2023 festival. I hereby agree to indemnify NEIFF, in the event that such rights have not been properly transferred.

19 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Hurricane & Yucca Films

    One of my favorite festivals! The organizers are wonderful and the filmmakers attending the festival are also amazing. The conversations are always interesting and so are the films. The curation here is very special, a blend of very independent films and larger mainstream projects with an independent soul. The mix truly works and the festival becomes an important creative hub that will certainly keep growing. The awards ceremony is pretty cool and fun as well. I am very happy that our film "The Last Election and Other Love Stories" won a major award at the festival this year. It was my second year in Newcastle and I will certainly return. The Star and Shadow theater is one of my favorite venues in the world and it must be mentioned here. It's really a dream come true. My one note for the third year is that the festival stays in Newcastle instead of screening in the entire North East. It was too spread out this year and this certainly didn't help and create logistical issues. But that's all. One of my favorite festivals!

    January 2023
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  • Rebecca Doherty

    This was such a fantastic and enjoyable festival to attend - thank you for making my short film Resonance an official selection! The team created a brilliantly organised event with a wide variety of screenings, amazing networking opportunities and a great sense of celebration for all selected films. Cannot recommend entering NEIFF enough - I will definitely be submitting every future film of mine for consideration!

    December 2022
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  • Ginevra Gentili

    One of our favourite festival experiences with fantastic hospitality. The NEIFF team is so dedicated and passionate, we will definitely be back even without a film in the selection!

    November 2022
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  • Lone Pine Pictures

    We really enjoyed the NEIFF this year and thank you for choosing our short film 'Burnt Toast and Cigarettes' as an award winner! All the best for 2023.

    November 2022
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  • John Lee Taggart

    Absolutely fantastic from start to finish - well done to all involved!

    November 2022
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