Hosted by the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, the Triplex International Youth Film Festival (TRIFEST) showcases and celebrates films made by young filmmakers from around the world, aged 25 years and younger.

HOW IT STARTED

After running a local youth festival at the Triplex in 2024, we were overwhelmed by the talent displayed by our filmmakers and the enthusiastic support from our community. As we started making plans for the next year’s festival, we wanted to find ways to encourage more new voices and create a forum for them to gather, discuss, and celebrate their work.

So we decided to go global.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR 2025

TRIFEST will have its inaugural run from Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21, 2025. The weekend will include an opening night party, screenings of all selected films, conversations with the filmmakers, industry talks, an awards ceremony featuring cash prizes, and other special events.

We’ll screen films in all genres and categories, including narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation, both feature-length and short-form, with programs focusing on both the international and local perspective.

TRIFEST WEEKEND 2025

-Opening Night:
We’ll kick off the weekend with a special welcome from a prominent industry professional, followed by an opening night screening and filmmaker Q&A. The evening will end with a party at a nearby venue.

-Interaction with Other Filmmakers:
There will be ample opportunity throughout the weekend to meet and connect with other filmmakers in our Filmmakers Lounge and on our outdoor patio. There are also many cafés and coffee shops within walking distance of the theater.

-Film Screenings:
The films selected for TRIFEST 2025 will be screened throughout the weekend with a 15-minute moderated filmmaker Q&A after each screening.

-Film Industry Talks:
Successful film industry professionals will speak about various aspects of getting your movie made, including landing an agent, casting, hiring crew, putting together financing, and other related subjects.

-Happenings:
Great Barrington is in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains, and there will be time to explore the area, hike, eat out and bowl, plus free passes for ice cream, and passes for filmmakers who are 21 and over to a popular local bar.

-Closing Night:
There will be a closing night Awards Ceremony in which awards and cash prizes will be announced.

Awards & Prizes

If your film is selected for TRIFEST 2025, you will receive free entry to the festival and all its events, including all screenings, filmmaker conversations, industry talks, parties, hang-out spaces, and any other events programmed throughout the weekend.

Top award-winners, in categories including best narrative film, best documentary, and best local film, will receive cash prizes, with full details to be announced closer to the time of the festival.

Rules & Terms

OUR GUIDELINES

-At the time the work was completed, the filmmaker must have been 25 years of age or younger.
-Filmmakers must own or have cleared all rights to the submitted materials, including any music, story rights, or other copyrighted material.
-Films must be in English or include English subtitles, as needed.
-Film submissions must be made through FilmFreeway, and only digital submissions will be accepted.
-If your film is selected for the festival, you must be able to provide an exhibition copy as a full resolution QuickTime and a film still in .jpeg format that is a minimum of 300dpi.
-TRIFEST does not accept PSAs, commercials, trailers or teasers, and any project falling into one of these categories will be automatically disqualified.

OUR SUBMISSION AGREEMENT

I affirm that I am authorized to submit this film (the FILM) to The Triplex International Youth Film Festival (TRIFEST) and to grant permissions related to its use. Submitting the FILM to TRIFEST constitutes my agreement with Triplex Cinema, Inc. (TCI), the organizer of TRIFEST, that I accept all of the rules, terms and conditions set forth in this Submission Agreement and otherwise described on the TRIFEST and FilmFreeway websites.

If I am not yet 18 years old, then I affirm that I am submitting the FILM with the knowledge of my parent or legal guardian, and that my parent or legal guardian has agreed to accept the same rules, terms and conditions. I understand that if the FILM is accepted, my parent or legal guardian may be asked to confirm this agreement in writing.

I represent and warrant that the FILM is an original work. All of the people who participated in the creation of the FILM have agreed to the use of their work in the FILM. If the FILM contains any music, image, text or other intellectual property which was not created specifically for the FILM, all required licenses and permissions needed to use that music, image, text or other intellectual property have been obtained and can be provided to TCI on request.

If the FILM is accepted by TRIFEST, I grant TCI the non-exclusive right to show the FILM, or clips or stills from the film, as TCI sees fit in connection with TRIFEST, in any language or medium, including but not limited to packaging and inclusion in sponsorship deals and other business-related activities related to TRIFEST.

I grant TCI, and any third parties who may be working with TCI in connection with TRIFEST, the right to record, photograph, film or videotape my appearance and voice and to use any biographical information submitted by me (not including personal information) for marketing and promotion of TRIFEST and to publish, release, exhibit or reproduce my likeness, voice, name and statements for any purpose reasonably related to TRIFEST and its activities, such as (among other things) use on websites, in social media, news and advertising.

I acknowledge and agree that the short synopsis I have submitted when filling out the online application may be used in the festival guide, on the TRIFEST website, and for other promotional purposes. If needed, I agree that TRIFEST may edit the synopsis for length and grammar.

I understand and agree that the film is being submitted to TRIFEST voluntarily and that I will not receive any compensation for selection or exhibition of the film at TRIFEST or for any other use of the film in connection with TRIFEST. I acknowledge that no submission fee refunds are given once this application has been submitted. I also understand that the submission of the film does not impose nor create any obligation or responsibility on the part of TCI to accept the film for inclusion in TRIFEST, to exhibit the film in TRIFEST, or to return the materials of my submission to me.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to the FILM’s submission to TRIFEST will be resolved through arbitration in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.