The Venice Independent Film Festival is a vibrant, European destination for celebrating immersive cinema and the cutting-edge directors of tomorrow. In 2023, audiences at VIFF will be among the first to experience an extraordinary selection of films from across genres by international creators - pioneering new trends in world filmmaking with every screening.

Grounded in creativity, Italy has been revolutionizing cinematic artistry since its emergence into worldwide recognition over 100 years ago. And year after year it remains one of global film's top destinations; attracting filmmakers who bring their own unique cultural perspectives together to create unforgettable stories on screen. At this beloved Italian festival we look forward to connecting artists around the globe while promoting remarkable contemporary independent cinema culture!

VIFF is dedicated to bringing the best of tomorrow's filmmakers into today's spotlight. We strive to create a platform for both emerging and established talent from around the world, nurturing their creative growth as we honor independent film culture globally. With our mission at heart, VIFF works towards empowering future generations of storytellers and artists in cinema.

Awards & Prizes

Jury Award Prizes along the following categories:

-Best Narrative Short Film
-Best Narrative Feature
-Best Documentary Short Film
-Best Documentary Feature Film
-Best Experimental Film
-Best New Media
-Best Ultra Short
-Best Screenplay
-Best Short Screenplay

~And more, to be announced at the festival!

Rules & Terms

All entries should be sent via FilmFreeway with a secure online screener.

-Submission fees are non-refundable

-Each accepted film must be submitted in the .mp4 or .mov format, preferably.

-By submitting to the festival you confirm that you own the rights of the film, including the rights to the music in the film.

-There is no minimum running time.

-Films must have been completed on or after Jan 1, 2019.

-All genres are welcome (narrative, animated, experimental, documentary or music video).

-Filmmakers may submit multiple entries as long as each film is submitted with its own Entry Form, online screener and paid Entry Fee.
8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Joseph J Parisi

    Thank you for selecting our film!

    September 2024
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  • Roger Paradiso

    A rave for a great indie festival in the city of Venice. Cheers!

    August 2024
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  • Luke Rex

    Something feels off and extremely unsettling and inconsistent with these filmnet.io festivals. You wrote us a great review- awesome. Thanks.

    But regarding the actual festival, you say you promote official selections on social media yet your Insta page most recent post for LAIFF was September 2020.

    You notified us as an award winner. Great! For what? Still waiting on a response to this email from July 1. Btw, our films are still streaming on your platform with password protect. The event is over. Remove our content.

    We received a congrats email regarding official selection and how you would promote our films - never happened. The catalogue on LAIFF website is for last year (2023). The next email we received was for the event being up online, then an email saying the event is over- no communication in between. Very poor compared to other world-class festivals - and we entered 700 so we have a lot to compare to. Fancy website but deliver on your word. Sorry for the poor review.

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Rosie Malek-Yonan

    I do not recommend or endorse the Venice Independent Film Festival. I’m very disappointed that they can’t be bothered to update the results on FilmFreeway even after being asked to do so on several occasions. Yet, they send emails to sell awards. This festival won’t last.

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Kit Wilson

    Outstanding festival event. Thank you to all the behind the scenes people who made it work

    July 2024
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