The Columbus, Indiana YES Film Festival celebrates the creativity and diversity of independent film, bringing to the screen the best documentaries, narrative features and short films, with competitions in all three categories.

Cinema truly is the universal language and our mission at YESfest is to promote a lively and passionate dialogue between filmmakers and film lovers.

Columbus, Indiana, is an internationally famous small town nestled among the cornfields in the heart of the heartland. Ranked 6th in the nation for architecture, Columbus was once coined as “Athens of the Prairie” and featured on “CBS News Sunday Morning.” Columbus is known for scores of buildings by world-famous architects including I.M. Pei, Eero Saarinen, Eliel Saarinen, Harry Weese, and art and sculpture by artists such as Henry Moore. This unique town is a perfect location for bringing great stories to life on the screen.

YESfest films will screen at the YES Cinema in downtown Columbus, an elegant and welcoming independent theater that shows blockbuster, classic, foreign and independent films, and hosts live events such as the Cinema’s hugely popular YES Comedy Showcase.

YES Cinema, host of the Columbus Indiana YES Film Festival, is a Cinema with a Cause. It is owned and operated by Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center (LCNFC), a United Way-affiliated non-profit that works with Columbus residents to improve their lives through advocacy, human services, people empowerment and collaboration. All proceeds from YESFest and YES Cinema go to support LCNFC in its mission and programming.

Awards & Prizes

Juried prize for Best Feature Narrative, $1000
Juried prize for Best Feature Documentary, $1000
Juried prize for Best Short Film, $500

Audience Award for Best Film, $500

Rules & Terms

We screen DCP, BluRay, DVD. For feature-length films, we prefer DCP submissions on a thumb drive or external hard drive (which we will return to you promptly after the festival). For short films, we prefer DCP submissions on a thumb drive or external hard drive (which we will return to you promptly after the festival). Short films: if you need to send to us digitally, please contact us. For short films sent to us digitally, we require a high quality h264 or ProRes digital file.

If you are screening BluRay, please send a DVD backup to your BluRay.

Deadline for sending us the exhibition print: Oct. 1, 2020.

Filmmaker gives YES Film Festival permission to screen the film at its discretion at the festival, including encore screenings during the festival, and gives permission for excerpts of the film to be used for promotional purposes, for example, in a PSA.

Filmmaker must have permission to use music and and other copyrighted materials used in the film.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Yes Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Yes Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

5 Reviews
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Quality
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Communication
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Networking
  • Katie McEntire Wiatt

    The YES Film Festival is a wonderful festival! Their communication is excellent from start to finish. We are truly appreciative of the time they took and the attention paid to each film/filmmaker. We would love to be part of the festival in the future!

    November 2019
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  • Stephen Pruitt

    We loved the YES! Film Festival. The people in charge simply could not be nicer, the theater was truly lovely, and the audience was extremely appreciative of our efforts and totally engaged. Throw in the fact that it's in the beautiful "metropolis" of Columbus, Indiana, and you've got all the makings of a wonderful festival experience!

    January 2019
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  • Erin Gibson

    I was completely charmed by the festival, the theatre, and the city. The festival organizers are genuinely warm and welcoming. I felt appreciated all weekend. Thank you, YES Fest!

    November 2018
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  • Harish Gokul

    One of the best film festivals. Thank you team

    November 2018
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  • Stephen Newton

    Although I wasn't able to attend the 2017 YES Film Festival, it was an honor to have my film, "A Free Man," selected. Diane Doup and Diane Mason always make every filmmaker feel special. Everyone at YES! works very hard and it pays off. YES is the BEST.

    November 2017
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