SpIFF is pleased to launch the 27th Edition of the Spokane International Film Festival, to run in March 2025! Since 1999, SpIFF has showcased work from around the globe and the Pacific Northwest, especially from up-and-coming filmmakers!

The Spokane International Film Festival is an intimate festival where filmmakers and audiences engage the art and entertainment of cinema. We offer a small, selective offering of world-class films. These are the very best features, documentaries and shorts that have been made around the world during the past year still yearning to be shown to a Spokane audience.

SpIFFy Juried Awards:
Best Animated Short
Best Northwest Short
Best Northwest Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Narrative Feature
Best Short
Most Promising Filmmaker

Audience Awards:
Best Animated Short
Best Northwest Short
Best Northwest Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Narrative Feature
Best Short

SpIFF reserves the right to modify awards or to add awards that recognize significant achievement in filmmaking.

SpIFF accepts features, documentaries, animations, and shorts from around the world. Genre is open.

SpIFF will be in-person for the 2026 edition!

Required Notifications: When submitting on FilmFreeway, you must notify us if you plan to require a screening fee. Knowing these conditions will enable us to best plan our program with a minimum of disruption.

SpIFF loves Pacific Northwest filmmakers! We especially love Pacific Northwest filmmakers who have their Spokane premiere at SpIFF! But we are sad to say that, except in very unusual circumstances, SpIFF is not able to screen open submissions that receive significant exhibition in Spokane prior to SpIFF, either via theatrical, non-theatrical, broadcast, or streaming venues. Such submissions may be declined at the discretion of the programmers. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us at submissions@spokanefilmfestival.org before screening in Spokane and before submitting your work to SpIFF.

SpIFF will NOT consider open submissions that were publicly screened before the submission deadline of our most recently completed festival (i.e. 15 October 2023 for SpIFF 2025). Nor do we screen works that are readily available on the internet (i.e. without password protection), except in extraordinary circumstances, such as retrospective screenings or films of regional significance. In addition, SpIFF will NOT consider open submissions that are readily available on the internet (i.e. without password protection or on a streaming service), except in extraordinary circumstances. Please contact submissions@spokanefilmfestival.org before submitting your work or before screening it in Spokane if you have any questions regarding this policy.

Please contact us at submissions@spokanefilmfestival.org if you are unable to submit through FilmFreeway.

Submission Format: Submit preview copies as a secure online screener, via FilmFreeway.

Presentation Format: We will exhibit accepted works from DCP.

Notification: The Festival will notify, by email via FilmFreeway, all open submissions on or before February 9, 2025 whether or not their work has been selected by SpIFF.

Loss and Damage: Every precaution will be taken to safeguard all materials submitted to the festival. However, we cannot accept or assume responsibility in the event of loss or damage.

Please note: If your work is accepted for SpIFF, we greatly appreciate a variety of high-resolution images files, such as stills from the work and a poster, being available on FilmFreeway.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Lauren Norby

    A wonderful festival with good support for regional filmmakers! I was able to attend with my short film, which got a great reception followed by a fun Q&A! Looking forward to attending again!

    April 2025
  • Carmela Marie Murphy

    We are so thankful to Spokane International Film Festival for programing our film, "A Bird Hit My Window and Now I'm a Lesbian." We were honored to be a part of the Queer Shorts category. Pete and the team were super communicative and kind.
    xoxo,
    Carmela and AJ

    April 2025
  • Graham Holt

    I was not able to attend this year but the communication and everything was top notch! Thank you for selecting our short "The Creative Spirit" into your festival! See you next year!

    March 2025
  • Caden Butera

    We had our world premiere of our sci-fi thriller Recollection at SpIFF 2025. The programmers and directors made us feel exceptionally valued. Their logistical accommodations and the love/support they showered us with will never be forgotten.

    March 2025
  • Tori Ichikowitz

    Though we were unable to attend in person, every aspect of the experience of screening at SpiFF- from their dedicated and lovely team to the incredibly passionate festival goers who generously interacted with us and the film from afar- was amazing! We are so honored to be part of the SpIFF family for years to come!
    With love and gratitude,
    Team Dandelion

    March 2025