MISSION & OBJECTIVE:

Beyond the red carpets, Oscar-nominated films, and world-class independent filmmakers, the Washington West Film Festival is a movement of hope for under-resourced communities. Our audiences themselves become story-creators as we give 100% of all box office net proceeds to projects which solve problems of childhood hunger, illness, and poor education around the world. Join us in creating stories of hope October 25-29, 2018 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Please refer to our Vimeo page, which provides select videos of our annual charity projects and provides insight into the work we are passionate about and committed to! https://vimeo.com/user9701277

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:

Anchored in the beautiful and diverse Washington, DC metropolitan area, the Washington West Film Festival invites filmmakers, film lovers, industry professionals, and the media alike to experience a breathtaking autumn in and around one of the most influential places on earth. From historic Pennsylvania Avenue to the idyllic vineyards of Northern Virginia, we are set to screen some of the best films 2018 has to offer.

In our first seven years, upon helping introduce the world to some of its favorite new films and earning attention from some of Hollywood’s biggest names, Washington West has emerged as a major up-and-coming festival. Washington West has screened films produced by Ava DuVernay, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, HBO, Universal Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios. The festival has hosted Q&A sessions with the legendary Academy Award-winning Robert Duvall, Pulitzer Prize-winning Ron Suskind (Life, Animated), 9-time Emmy Award-winning Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep, Seinfeld), Hollywood producer Bruce Cohen (Silver Linings Playbook, American Beauty), Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young (Arrival, Selma, Solo: A Star Wars Story), Academy Award-winning actor and musician Common, multi Grammy Award-winning record producer Clive Davis, Back To The Future star Christopher Lloyd and co-creator Bob Gale, Emmy Award-winning Modern Family actor Ty Burrell, director/writer Tom Shadyac (Patch Adams, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty), Bleed For This director Ben Younger, actor/director Frank Whaley, Sound of Music stars Heather Menzies Urich and Nicholas Hammond, and 7-time Emmy winning actor Ed Asner.

Some highlight moments from previous years include: In Conversation with Robert Duvall; In Conversation with Bradford Young & Common about race in America, a 40th anniversary screening of All The President’s Men with special guest Pulitzer Prize-winning Bob Woodward; an advanced screening of a never-before-seen Modern Family episode with Ty Burrell, DC premiere screening of Bleed For This (Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart); 30th anniversary screening of Back to the Future with special guests Christopher Lloyd and Bob Gale; a kid-focused voice acting workshop with Roger Bumpass (Squidward in Spongebob Squarepants) and Ed Asner (Mr. Frederickson in Up); a live, interactive scoring workshop with Golden Globe-winning composer W.G. Snuffy Walden (Nashville, Friday Night Lights, The West Wing); and a screening event at the National Press Club with NPC President and the Ambassador of Afghanistan.

In addition to catching the eye of those in the film industry, Washington West has also inspired sponsors like Cadillac, Audi, and Hyatt Regency to join in our endeavor.

Awards & Prizes

Best Short Film, Best Short Film Director, Audience Award Best Short Film, Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Documentary, Directorial Debut - Best Film, Sun City Storyteller of Hope, the Laura Hillenbrand Outstanding Literary Award. Winners will be announced and presented at Awards Night Gala with a Washington West crystal award.

Rules & Terms

GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1. We accept nearly all genres of film and video. Please do not submit any pornographic or teenage exploitation films.

2. Washington West Film Festival (“WWFF” or the “Festival”) is hereby granted the right to utilize excerpts from any film submitted to and accepted for exhibition by the Festival for promotional purposes, including to promote the Festival in future years. The Festival hereby receives an irrevocable, non-transferable, royalty-free license to use portions of such submissions for the aforementioned promotional purposes.

3. All screening tapes, press kits, publicity info, photos, etc. will be retained by WWFF as part of the Festival's library, unless a specific written request is made for the return of such materials and the cost of return shipping is provided to WWFF. These materials will be returned no later than 14 days after the last screening of the 2018 festival.

4. The individual or entity submitting the film hereby warrants that it possesses the legal right and authority to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts the terms contained herein.

5. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold WWFF harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and court costs) which may be incurred by the Festival arising out of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

EXPRESS CONDITIONS REGARDING FILM SUBMISSION:

1. By submitting a film to WWFF, you represent and warrant that you possess the legal right and authority to do so, and that you accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property contained therein.

2. Washington West Film Festival (“WWFF” or the “Festival”) is hereby granted the right to utilize excerpts from any film submitted to and accepted for exhibition by the Festival for promotional purposes, including to promote the Festival in future years. The Festival hereby receives an irrevocable, non-transferable, royalty-free license to use portions of such submissions for the aforementioned promotional purposes.

3. Submitting your film grants WWFF an irrevocable, non-transferable, royalty-free license to exhibit your work at the 2018 Festival. By submitting your film, you agree to use your best efforts to to have the Director and other key contributors to your project (actors, screenwriters, producers, etc.) attend the Festival in the event your film is selected for screening.

4. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold WWFF harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and court costs) which may be incurred by the Festival arising out of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered. We look forward to receiving your film submission.
7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Stephen Tringali

    We premiered our feature documentary Corridor Four at Washington West, and we couldn't have been happier with the experience. Brad, Ariel, and the rest of the team were incredibly friendly and responsive to all of our needs leading up to our screenings. We met a lot of great people and hope to return in the future.

    May 2018
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  • Muhammad Bayazid

    Awesome festival! Participated last year and I was amazed by literally everything.
    The best shorts program was rich, diverse and inspiring. I enjoyed my time and learned a lot.

    March 2018
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  • Brian Pennington

    Such a terrific festival. Fantastic venues in real theaters, and some of the best shorts programming I've ever seen. On top of that, care and attention to filmmakers able to attend, with all our needs met and questions answered. Look forward to creating and submitting again!

    March 2018
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  • Josh Hansbrough

    What a great experience!! The communication of the festival's staff was fantastic, the parties were fun, and the quality of films was impressive. I met a film legend, Ed Asner, and we heard very stimulating QnA's from fellow filmmakers and artists like Bradford Young and Common. The festival has a clear mission, "Story Can Change the World," and I think that helped everyone who attended our screenings feel happy to be there and discuss solutions.

    March 2018
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  • David Maddox

    We screened our short film "Alternative Math" at Washington West. It was a great experience. The theater and attendance were fantastic; the quality of the shorts in our block was amazing (one of them went on to an Oscar Nomination); and it was one of the best Q&A's we've had after a film, with great questions and lots of stimulating discussion. Highly recommended.

    March 2018
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