The 2023 Syracuse International Film Festival will take place online and in-person this September and October of 2023 over the course of two weeks. Now in its 20th year, SIFF seeks to bring the film industry to Syracuse, NY and mentor local youth about the value of cinema's enduring interdisciplinary and international appeal.

SIFF presents films from around the world curated from an invitational main program. Juried competitions are held for the New Filmmakers Showcase and High School Competition legs of the Festival. We are excited to return this year to once again present some of the greatest content from around the world, the country, and in NEW YORK STATE!

Eligible films can be on any subject, any genre, and include PSA's, Short Films and Music Videos. Music Videos will be judged based on the creative quality and concept of the visual aesthetic.

For more information contact Festival President Michelle DiBernardo at Michelle@SyrFilm.com or visit www.SyracuseFilmFestival.com.

~~~~~~HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION~~~~~~

SIFF 20th Anniversary High School Film Competition featuring our Youth throughout Onondaga and surrounding counties.

Submissions are FREE with Code for our High School Segment for select Counties at our 20th Anniversary Celebration being held on the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October. Our High School Competition will be October 7, 2023 at Sharkey's Event Center from 11 am to 7 pm. Winners will be announced at the Syracuse International Film Festival main program. Prizes will be given to the Award Winners of the High School Competition. (Prizes TBD)

SIFF is excited to bring this competition to the youth as our youth is the FUTURE!
https://syracusefilmfest.com/hs-comp

Requirements: (please see rules and terms for additional policies)

- Films may only be submitted through FilmFreeway.

- Submissions are open to currently enrolled High School students in Onondaga and surrounding counties in central New York with a FREE waiver. Small fee for High School students around the world.

- Films must include end credits of anyone who participated in the project.

- Paperwork will be distributed at the High Schools. All paperwork must be signed and submitted by July 15th to info@syrfilm.com or michelle@syrfilm.com

Awards & Prizes

Official selections will be provided with SIFF laurels. Monetary prizes and non-monetary citations will be given for the top films selected by the jury, depending on the availability of funds. Prize categories will be announced at a forthcoming date after submissions close.

Rules & Terms

Please read carefully. Failure to result in the following rules and terms will result in automatic disqualification.

- Films may only be submitted through FilmFreeway.
- Submissions are open to currently enrolled High School students in Onondaga and surrounding counties in central New York.
- Submissions must include the three required elements. 1) A line of dialogue "SIFF 20th Anniversary" 2) Any prop which features the Syracuse University logo, and 3) Location of Destiny USA, or a shop/restaurant/landmark in Downtown Syracuse.
- Teams may consist of a minimum of 1 person to a maximum of 5 people. All teams must have a team name.
- Films must include end credits of anyone who participated in the project.
- Paperwork will be distributed at the High Schools. All paperwork must be signed and submitted by June 15th to info@syrfilm.com or michelle@syrfilm.com
- All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted.
- Submission fees will increase incrementally as we near the final deadline for the New Filmmakers International category.
- We must have a link to your film in order to review it. Hard copies and/or files requiring download will not be considered. However, if your film is selected for screening, we will contact you for a high-quality, downloadable copy.
- Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. SIFF expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.
- Films must be the original work of the applicants. If a film is based upon another person’s life or upon a book or other underlying work, applicant(s) must secure any necessary rights to make such adaptations. However, it is not necessary to submit the adaptation rights agreements to the Festival. Neither the Festival nor its jurists investigates or attests to the authenticity of an applicant’s statement of authorship or rights secured. By entering the competition, you represent that you have secured all necessary rights.
- Students must send verification of their student status with a picture of your valid university identification. Please send an email to trent@syrfilm.com with this information to supplement your submission.
- We reserve the right to use stills, posters, and descriptions for promotional purposes.
- Unless the submitter objects at the time of submission, officially selected films will be shown online for a limited term of two weeks through our website, SyrFilm.com in September / October 2023, so that the area community and the worldwide public have an opportunity to view them. In addition, SIFF may contact filmmakers to offer additional screening opportunities on our website and/or other venues.
- SIFF does not pay additional charges for originals, masters, or special prints.
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  • David Miller

    We were honored to be a part of the CNY film festival, and had the opportunity to attend. Everyone had a lovely and welcoming spirit and it was a pleasure to screen there.

    Fingers crossed to be accepted in the future.

    D

    April 2018
    Helpful
  • Arturo M. Merelo

    We were really proud of being part of the exclusive selection of films of this festival. We really regret not being able to attend personally this time due to other projects. We hope we can be next year!
    Thanks again for having 'Quarume' selected!

    March 2018
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