Join us March 27 – 30, 2025 for the 23rd Annual Garden State Film Festival!
The Garden State Film Festival [GSFF] has been showcased in major international media outlets such as Variety, Vogue Global Network/Condé Nast, People Magazine, Deadline, IndieWire, MovieMaker, ET Canada, News Entertainment and others.
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YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@GardenStateFilmFest
The (GSFF) is New Jersey's Premier Independent Film Festival®, serving as a global destination festival that enriches the quality of life in New Jersey. By stimulating economic growth through the arts, investing in student creativity, providing access to the arts for under served communities, and preserving heritage arts. We have a loyal and vibrant audience eager to experience the joy of great independent films.
We showcase premier films, renowned and emerging artists, empowering global connectivity between creators, innovators and audiences.
Founded to promote film-making on all levels, GSFF showcases a diverse range of film, video, and animated works while offering educational programs in the creative arts led by industry experts. As a not-for-profit organization, the GSFF celebrates independent filmmakers and introduces New Jersey audiences to new cultural experiences through film.
Founded to celebrate the independent film genre, The Garden State Film Festival offers independent filmmakers the chance to exhibit their work and gives New Jersey audiences a chance to experience new, cultural, and artistic endeavors through the medium of film.
The GSFF professional jury selects winning films across various categories, including special awards for student films and "Home Grown Awards" for films with a 75% of principal photography produced in New Jersey.
The festival also hosts the innovative MOVIE MUSIC TRACK COMPETITION and a SCREENPLAY competition for feature, short and teleplay scripts.
The event, held in Asbury Park and Cranford, New Jersey, includes a gala ceremony, reception, and a black-tie preferred Awards Banquet honoring the best in various film categories and celebrity honorees. Additionally, Professional Panel Discussions featuring industry experts will provide opportunities for collaboration and learning.
GSFF emphasizes the importance of accurate and complete contact information during submissions and does not pay screening fees. All films must be a New Jersey Premiere, except for student films or by special arrangement.
"For over 22 years, the Garden State Film Festival has been showcasing New Jersey talent and bringing outstanding talent to New Jersey from around the world." - Executive Director Lauren Concar.
We have YEAR-ROUND events and screenings. Sign up for our emails:
https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1938116/1911508/
-----> Help us reach our goal of being accessible to everyone.
NOTE TO FILMMAKERS-
The Garden State Film Festival seeks to make the arts is accessible to everyone. GSFF encourages all filmmakers to include the option of Subtitles or Closed Captioning even if your film is in English to accommodate our hearing-impaired audience members. And to provide Audio Description audio tracks for viewers with vision loss, sensory processing disabilities, and neurodivergent disabilities.
In addition to the screenings, Professional Panel Discussions will be headed by industry professionals at posted times. The festival will hold these discussions to unite celebrity filmmakers with aspiring screenwriters, directors, and actors. Representatives from respected film distribution companies attend, as the festival will provide access to new talent and product available for worldwide distribution.
Youth workshops for hands on sessions with industry professionals will take place throughout the festival at pre-scheduled times.
-- Please note that GSFF does NOT pay a screening fee.
-- All feature length films MUST be a New Jersey Premiere, and for all other films a premiere in the GSFF Region (Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean and Middlesex Counties), unless it is a Music Video or student film, which may have been shown at school/on campus, or special arrangements have been made with the Festival.
www.gsff.org for more information about our events.
--https://try.seedandspark.com/film-festival-pledge/
Media Interested media who wish to request Garden State Film Festival coverage, or interview the executives, and filmmakers, contact Workhouse, CEO, Adam Nelson via nelson@workhousepr.com
***If you are in need of DCP creation for other festivals email our Sr. Cinema Technician
Stephen Frazza <sfrazza@gmail.com>
Awards are given in various categories and are presented at the Black Tie Awards Banquet on Sunday night of the festival. All juried awards are at the discretion of the judges. Winners need not be present to receive an award.
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FILMS- Winners certificate
The Garden State Film Festival is excited to announce the following GSFF student categories are sponsored by UARTS [University of the Arts]:
High School Animation
High School and Younger
If there are winning student films selected, the winners will receive a $250.00 prize.
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New Jersey Hometown Documentary Short (must be 5 minutes or under in length)
This Category receives a winning certificate and a $500 cash prize to the winning school from the NJSBA (New Jersey School Boards Association).
The Garden State Film Festival, Artists Alike Studios, the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission and The New Jersey School Boards Association created the Hometown Documentary Series and is looking for New Jersey School
Documentary Films that are works written, directed, and
shot by students.
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SCREENPLAY COMPETITION: Winners will receive a 4-month InkTip Pro Membership. As an InkTip Pro Member, thousands of filmmakers can find and read your scripts, and you'll be able to pitch directly to production companies every week. With over 3,000 options and 400 movies made, InkTip is the place for independent film.
1st Place- Feature Winner receives:
Winners certificate, an abridged reading of the winning script by professional actors. (*“abridged” version means “the entire screenplay” as written will NOT be read.)
If there are 1st Place winning Short & TV Pilot Screenplay selected, the winners will receive a Winners certificate.
InkTip Script Listings provide writers with the opportunity to get their scripts read by InkTip’s extensive network of producers, reps, manager, agents, and other qualified industry professionals.
Over 400 movies have been made from scripts and writers found on InkTip. Register for your free account and find the script you’re looking for on our site. Also, receive pitches custom-made to your needs from our network of writers.
Honorable Mention- (1) InkTip Script Listing for finalists 2-5 to assist in providing them exposure for their scripts. InkTip Script Listings provide writers with the opportunity to get their scripts read by InkTip’s extensive network of producers, reps, manager, agents, and other qualified industry professionals.
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MOVIE MUSIC COMPETITION:
Winners certificate. Winning music of the Movie Music Competition is played before and after all film screenings during the festival.
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Please note that selection of any and all published winners is at the sole discretion of the Garden State Film Festival ("GSFF") judging panel.
The GSFF reserves the right to not select a "winner" or award for a particular category in any given year. The GSFF is under no obligation to award a category. By participating in the GSFF, the participant acknowledges this disclaimer and waives his/her/their right to contest any decision by the judging panel to award or not award in a category