Rochester International Film Festival

We are devoted to showcasing the art of making short films--and have been selecting and presenting the best to our community for 68 years! Audience members love our festival because they know they'll enjoy a variety of shorts that they won't see anywhere else: dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation. And filmmakers love attending because of the unique festival experience we offer: informative and enjoyable tours and activities, homestays, meals, local transportation, and lots of opportunities to network with other filmmakers from across the US and around the world. Just read their reviews on this site and you'll be convinced that this festival is one you want at the top of your list.

Movies On a Shoestring, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1959, produces and presents the annual Rochester International Film Festival. It's one of the longest running, continually held short film festivals in the world. No wonder we've been voted "BEST Local Film Festival" by readers of City Magazine since 2014, despite stiff competition in our festival-rich region.

Selected entries are screened in four separate programs at the George Eastman Museum's historic Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY. We foster a love of motion pictures by screening short films from around the globe that are rich in artistic expression. We also educate viewers in art and technique, resulting in an eager reception for your cinematic creations. Audience members and filmmakers enjoy a Q & A session following each screening.

While the Rochester International Film Festival does not offer cash prizes, it delivers hospitality and recognition galore! To start with, every filmmaker who submits to our festival receives a detailed critique letter summarizing the impressions and suggestions of our preliminary screening committee. Filmmakers have consistently told us how much they value and appreciate this feedback.

During the fest we provide filmmaker homestays, meals, networking opportunities, local transportation, private tours, and parties. Depending on budgeted funds, a limited number of stipends may be available to help defray travel costs for selected filmmakers who might otherwise be unable to attend. All films screened at the fest receive our unique Shoestring Trophy and commemorative program book.

We issue Certificates of Merit to films not screened but of notable technical or thematic quality, and we list Honorable Mentions in the program book and on our website.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Participating filmmakers receive:
• Distinctive Shoestring Trophy and commemorative program
• Opportunities to network with filmmakers from around the globe
• Homestays or assistance locating accommodations, meals while in Rochester
• Tours of Eastman Kodak, the George Eastman Museum, RIT MAGIC Spell Studios
• Filmmaker hospitality bags
• Local press coverage

Films not selected for screening, but deemed notable:
• Honorable Mention or Certificate of Merit, listing in program book and on our website

EACH film submitted:
• Individualized critique letter summarizing the impressions and suggestions of our preliminary judging committee

GENERAL GUIDELINES & RULES

+ Entries: 30 minute MAXIMUM
+ We welcome all kinds of short films up to 30 minutes - drama, comedy, experimental, animation, documentary, and student projects. But--no promotions/commercials, music videos, or teasers/pilots for TV shows.
+ Standalone, self-contained works--no episodes or fragments of larger works
+ We love having a range of international submissions, but please make sure your film is subtitled in English or English CC that we can activate. We prefer large, bold, clear subtitles - they are most visible in borders or on black backgrounds.
+ NO fee waivers available (we're an all-volunteer nonprofit)
+Online submission recommended.
+ NO late entries accepted--must be submitted by deadline. If sending by postal mail, we recommend sending at least one week prior, longer for international post.

MAIL SUBMISSION

When mailing correspondence or submitting films, include a copy of your entry form (http://rochesterfilmfest.org/riff/wp-content/uploads/RIFF-Website-Entry-Form.doc) and use ONLY the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). We use a P.O. Box and CANNOT accept deliveries initiated through any other courier. While your entry is handled with care, we DO NOT accept responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged entries.
+ File format: DVD as data disc or USB Drive, see technical specs below
+ If submitted on DVD or USB drive, one entry only per device - do not place multiple entries on one device
+ Payee: "Movies On A Shoestring, Inc."
+ Payment (USD only): PayPal (WE NEED PAYPAL ADDRESS HERE), Check, International Money Order

Send DVD or USB Drive by Postal Mail to:
Movies On A Shoestring, Inc.
ATTN: Submissions
PO Box 17746
Rochester, NY 14617

Include
+ Entry form
+ Payment--or indicate how payment was made
+ A few film stills

SELECTION & SCREENINGS

Our selection process unfolds in two stages. First, each entry is viewed in its entirety by our screening committee. Members discuss the film's merits and vote on whether to advance it to final judging. Whatever the outcome, each filmmaker receives a detailed critique letter that sums up viewers' impressions. After preliminary judging ends, a select panel of final judges views the advanced entries to select those to be screened at the festival.

Films screen at the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman Museum in four distinct screenings over the course of three days. Our festival attracts large and enthusiastic crowds of film lovers who may attend screenings free of charge to give your film the widest possible exposure. Filmmakers submit their films time and again because of the special support and attention we give their work and the hospitality they experience here in Rochester. We hope you'll join them!

HELPFUL TIPS

• $35 entry fee applies if submitted/postmarked by December 26, 2025
• $60 entry fee applies December 27, 2025 through February 20, 2026
• Entries MUST be submitted/postmarked by February 20, 2026
• Entries CANNOT exceed 30 minutes in length.
• Online submissions preferred.
• DVD entries as data disc only, or USB Drive. Submit ONE (1) entry per disc, USB drive, or digital download.
• Mail via USPS (NOT FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.)

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

+ It is important that we see your best cut and quality from the beginning - it improves your chances to advance to final judging.
+ Please make your file downloadable to us so we can do our screening offline, and so we can check file size and video quality.
+ Please do not submit "screeners" of lower quality, rough cuts, or watermarked films. We want to start our judging process on the film as it is meant to be seen!
+ We promise to protect your film and any files we download.
+ Filmmakers selected to advance to final judging will receive instructions from our projectionist regarding the formatting requirements for your official festival screening copy, which MUST be received by the specified deadline. If the indicated format is not provided, your entry may not be shown--so follow all guidelines and contact us with any questions. If you have already provided the best copy possible, just tell us this when contacted.
+ Our shows are presented on the big screen at the Dryden Theatre - please make a high-quality file available to us early. Film files are typically H.264/MPEG-4 and can be variable bitrate. They need to be a high enough resolution to project on a theater screen.

HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED MORE INFO? CONTACT US!

president@RochesterFilmFest.org
film-critiques@RochesterFIlmFest.org
submissions@RochesterFilmFest.org

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Brian Carroll

An unforgettable festival that gives filmmakers the ultimate VIP treatment and knows how to engage a vibrant and passionate audience

June 2026

Helpful

Response from festival:

Hi Brian,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. It's filmmakers like you who come to the festival that make the hard work of the volunteers so worthwhile - and the audiences love the Q&A sessions with you filmmakers!
Thanks again,
Donna Hooker
Submissions Chairman, RIFF
Jack Auger

Easily the best festival I’ve ever been a part of. Wonderful community and communication. Super special events for the filmmakers to attend and network at. A tremendous time and they really take care of their filmmakers!

May 2026

Helpful

Response from festival:

Thank you so much Jack. This is why we volunteers work so hard each festival season. BUT - the biggest thanks is for you and other filmmakers who take the time to come to the festival in person, partake of the events, and participate in the Q&A's. Audiences love it and it is becoming one of the magnets for the festival. Thanks again.
Donna Hooker
Submissions Chairman, RIFF
Glória Halász

Both personally and professionally, this was one of the most wonderful film festivals I have ever attended, and it was a great honor for my short film Paravan to be selected as the festival’s closing film. The organizers care for the filmmakers with extraordinary attention and dedication. Beyond the outstanding film program, as well as the community-building events and receptions, we also had the chance to participate in professional programs, visit the Kodak factory, and discover the local studios and film infrastructure. I have rarely experienced such thoughtfulness at a film festival. The organizers truly put their heart and soul into the event, and thanks to them, we felt at home in Rochester throughout the festival, like part of a family.

May 2026

Helpful

Response from festival:

Thank you Glória,
For the volunteers, our biggest thank you is the growing number of filmmakers who chose to attend the festival. We love watching the filmmakers bond and make new friendships. The Q&A has become a very popular part of the screenings - each year a growing number of the audience remain in their seats to hear the filmmakers. Thank you for making the trip!
Donna Hooker
Submissions Chairman, RIFF
Mitchell Nielsen

It was an incredible experience for our team to screen 'Shadow of Hope' at the Rochester International Film Festival. The festival created a welcoming and thoughtfully curated space that truly celebrates documentary storytelling.

May 2026

Helpful

Response from festival:

Thank you so much Mitchell. It's the filmmakers that make the festival so special for the volunteers as well as the audience. Thank you for being a part of it!
Donna mHooker
RIFF Submissions Chairman
Park Hae-oh

Participating in the Rochester International Film Festival was an unforgettable and deeply meaningful experience for me. I was truly honored to present Broken Dawn at a festival with such a long history and genuine respect for filmmakers and cinema.
What impressed me most was the warmth and sincerity of the festival staff, volunteers, host families, and audiences. Every part of the festival felt thoughtfully organized, and I could genuinely feel the passion and love for independent film throughout the event.
I was especially grateful for the opportunity to meet filmmakers from different countries and share conversations beyond the screenings. Those exchanges made the experience even more valuable and inspiring.
The audience response to Broken Dawn was incredibly moving for our team, and I will always remember the atmosphere of the screenings in Rochester. Thank you again for your generous hospitality and for creating such a welcoming space for filmmakers.
I sincerely hope to return to Rochester International Film Festival again in the future.

May 2026

Helpful

Response from festival:

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this wonderful review. Our volunteers take pride in the work we do, and a successful festival is our reward. But it's you, the filmmakers who attend, that make our festival so successful and so popular with our audiences. Thank you so much for making the long trip to Rochester!

Donna Hooker
RIFF Submissions Chairman