Compelling. Provocative. Thrilling. Empowering.

These are the adjectives that describe the films that play in the minds of tomorrow’s great filmmakers. Greenwich International Film Festival aims to celebrate these gifted artists annually and to promote Greenwich, Connecticut, as a film and visual arts epicenter.

Set in Greenwich, an affluent community of art enthusiasts located 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, this carefully curated Festival will connect an audience of prospective financiers, distributors and film lovers with rising stars in the film industry- virtually.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE

The mission of the Greenwich International Film Festival is to provide filmmakers with an effective platform to showcase their work with the goal of finding financing opportunities for future projects. Additionally, GIFF harnesses the power of film to serve the greater good by highlighting and supporting issues related to basic human rights, education, the environment, and health care.

In 2015, GIFF supported OneMinutesJr, a UNICEF initiative, which provides underprivileged children around the world with the tools to make short films in order to have their voices heard. In our second year, GIFF supported The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Abigail Breslin, Rising Changemaker Honoree), The Rainforest Fund (Trudie Styler, Changemaker Honoree), Girl Rising (Freida Pinto, Changemaker Honoree), Kristin Davis Foundation (Kristin Davis, Head of GIFF Social Impact Film Jury), and Community Access (John Turturro, Spotlight On... Guest). In 2017, GIFF supported ALS Finding A Cure, ALSA, and the SIMS foundation (Renee Zellweger, Changemaker Honoree), Every Mother Counts (Christy Turlington Burns, Changemaker Honoree), and Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (Matthew Heineman, Social Impact Award Winner). In 2018, GIFF's esteemed Changemaker Honoree was Actress and Activist, Ashley Judd. 2018 charitable partners and recipients of GIFF charitable contributions were The Waterside School, Americares (Spotlight On: Tony Goldwyn), UNFPA, The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, The Breast Cancer Alliance, and The MLH Foundation (Ms. Lauryn Hill- performer). Our 2019 season celebrated Eva Longoria Bastón as our esteemed Changemaker for her philanthropic work founding the EVA LONGORIA Foundation. Actress and Activist, Connie Nielsen was our Social Impact Jury Head and was celebrated for her work with The Human Needs Project. In 2020, we celebrated journalist and activist, Will Reeve (Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and American broadcast journalist, author, female empowerment advocate, and activist, Gretchen Carlson (Lift our Voice). To date, GIFF has awarded over $150,000 in cash prizes to our filmmakers and raised over $600,000 in charitable support to various non-profit organizations.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Festival will showcase domestic and international film premieres and screenings, panels and workshops, and Interactive virtual Q & A’s. An award for the Best Social Impact Film will be presented to a narrative or documentary feature filmmaker this year with a cash prize of $10,000. The Festival, supporting workshops, events, seminars, and screenings throughout the year will continue to cultivate a burgeoning visual arts community in Greenwich and beyond.

GIFF generates great media attention. The Festival has garnered tremendous coverage resulting in over 28 billion media impressions in news outlets around the world since inception. These include coverage from: The Hollywood Reporter, ABC's Good Morning America, People, Associated Press, Indiewire, Today Show, Access Hollywood, Forbes, Crains New York Business, US Weekly, New York Post, Variety, Deadline, Billboard, The Huffington Post, Town&Country, Greenwich Magazine, Greenwich Time, and many others.

GIFF has a strong social media following including 9,149 Twitter followers, 4,305 Instagram Followers, and 13,353 Facebook followers. The GIFF team is dedicated to promoting its selected films leading up to and following the Festival weekend in order to maximize the exposure of its filmmakers.

For more information about our Festival Sponsors, our esteemed Board Members, Jurors, and our past program highlights, please visit www.greenwichfilm.org

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

We will be accepting submissions in the following categories this year:

Narrative Feature
A fictional motion picture that tells a story. *Duration is over 40 minutes in length. Narrative Feature films may be considered for The Social Impact Award - a $10,000 USD cash prize.

Documentary Feature
A non-fiction motion picture that documents reality. Animated documentary shorts may be submitted. *Duration is over 40 minutes in length. Documentary Feature Films may be considered for The Social Impact Award - a $10,000 USD cash prize.

AWARDS

*The Social Impact Award:
This prize will be awarded to one feature film across both Documentary and Narrative categories that promotes social change and awareness. The films in competition for The Social Impact Award will be determined by the GIFF team, awarded by the the GIFF jury, and will have a cash value of $10,000 USD

The Award recipient will receive a check within 10 weeks from the end date of the 2021 Festival.

Total 2021 Prize Value: $12,000 USD

*2020 Award-Winning Films:
Best Social Impact Film, MUSIC GOT ME HERE
Best Connecticut Short Film, THE OTHER SIDE
Audience Award: A PELOTON OF ONE

*2019 Award-Winning Films:
Best Social Impact Film, AFTERWARD
Best Narrative Feature, SISTER AIMEE
Best Documentary Feature, COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD
Best Narrative Short, THE ANIMAL
Best Documentary Short, MACK WRESTLES
Connecticut Best Short Film, 120 YEARS

*2018 Award-Winning Films:
Best Social Impact Film, CRIME + PUNISHMENT
Best Narrative Feature, FIND THIS DUMB LITTLE BITCH AND THROW HER INTO A RIVER
Best Documentary Feature, THE DAWN WALL
Best Narrative Short, THE PECULIAR ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER
Best Documentary Short, KAYAYO
Connecticut Best Short Film, THE HAMMAMIS

*2017 Award-Winning Films:
Best Narrative Feature, THE STRANGE ONES
Best Documentary Feature, BENDING THE ARC
Best Narrative Short, UNDER PRESSURE
Best Documentary Short, THE RABBIT HUNT
Connecticut Best Short Film, BLIND SUSHI

2021 Greenwich International Film Festival
Entry Rules and Regulations:

General:
The Mission of The Greenwich International Film Festival is two-fold: to provide filmmakers with a platform to showcase their work with the goal of finding financing for future projects as well as for providing exhibition opportunities, and to harness the power of film to serve the greater good.

When you submit your film to GIFF, you agree to all screen Entry Rules and Regulations below.

Entry Fees Features:
Deadline: $30 USD

Eligibility:
-Entrants accept all rules and regulations of GIFF and must be 18+ yrs old or have written adult consent by a parent or guardian
-Films that are not in the English language must be subtitled or dubbed in English
-Feature films submitted to The Greenwich International Film Festival in 2020 and 2021 must never have been broadcasted publicly (on television- or internet outside of the film festival circuit) or been commercially exhibited in the United States prior to the opening night of the 2021 Greenwich International Film Festival
-The filmmaker represents and warrants that the submitted material is an original work and that there are no disputes regarding ownership of the submission. The filmmaker represents and warrants that the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead and he/she fully indemnifies the Festival against any claim made for such violations of the law. The filmmaker understands that failure to adhere to the Festival rules and regulations will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee. The filmmaker agrees to hold Greenwich International Film Festival harmless from and defends them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not they are groundless, based on any film submitted to the Festival.

Entry Protocol:
Entrants must complete the online submission completely through FilmFreeway.

Questions?
Please contact us at submissions@greenwichfilm.org

*Films submitted for selection will be considered as final and no changes will be accepted after submission.
*For multiple entries, please note that each film entered must must be submitted separately on FilmFreeway. Additionally, each film must be submitted separately on FilmFreeway. Fees for multiple entries may be combined either through the FilmFreeway system or through mailed payment.

Re-entry:
Films may be re-entered in subsequent years provided that significant changes have been made to them and that they still meet all rules, regulations, and eligibility requirements.

Invited Works:
All filmmaker participants accepted into the Festival will be notified by the programming team one month prior to the Festival. If a film is directly submitted to the festival then GIFF reserves the right to play it in our program.

*Please note that a valid and current physical address and email address must be provided with the film. Please update that information with The Director of Programming if anything should change from the date of entry. The Director of Programming reserves the right to inquire about other invitations to Festivals prior to acceptance into GIFF.

If your work is accepted into GIFF:
-A full resolution digital file must be provided and sent to The Print Traffic Coordinator upon acceptance. The Print Traffic Coordinator will reach out to the filmmaker upon acceptance.
-A Film Information Form that will be emailed to you must be completed, signed and sent in to the Programming Team upon acceptance
-The Filmmaker must provide The Director of Programming with a trailer or clip of the film under 2 minutes in length as a digital file or online link that can be embedded or downloaded for promotional purposes and for inclusion in the Festival Trailer.
-One comprehensive digital press kit must be provided to The Director of Programming which includes film stills, photo and bio of director, synopsis of film for marketing material, and full cast and crew credits. The Director of Programming reserves the right to secure alternative materials from other sources.

Exhibition Guidelines:
*GIFF will be allowed to use all photographs and publicity materials received along with the entry and with all accepted films for marketing material. These photographs and publicity material will not be returned to the filmmaker
*For promotional and publicity purposes, trailers or brief clips of any film entered into the Festival may be shown on any television network, the internet, or related media throughout the duration of the Festival
*Films selected into the program, once the offer is accepted by the filmmaker, will not be allowed to be withdrawn from the Festival under any circumstance
*GIFF does not pay screening fees under any circumstance. By submitting your film, you are agreeing to screen your film without a screening fee or any other compensation if it is selected
*Decisions of the Festival Authorities regarding all matters not expressly provided for in these regulations or which require interpretation of the clauses mentioned above shall be binding on all parties
*Submission in the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations

Competition Categories:
We will be accepting submissions in the following categories this year:

Narrative Feature
A fictional motion picture that tells a story. *Duration is over 40 minutes in length.
Narrative Feature films may be considered for The Social Impact Award - a $10,000 USD cash prize.

Documentary Feature
A non-fiction motion picture that documents reality. Animated documentary shorts may be submitted. *Duration is over 40 minutes in length. Documentary Feature Films may be considered for The Social Impact Award- a $10,000 USD cash prize.

Awards:
*The Social Impact Award:
This prize will be awarded to one film across both Documentary and Narrative categories that promotes social change and awareness. The films in competition for The Social Impact Prize will be determined by the GIFF team, awarded by the the GIFF jury and will have a cash value of $10,000 USD

The Award will be presented virtually to the winning director in an awards ceremony during the Festival weekend. A press release announcing the winning filmmaker will be sent out by XXXXXth. The director will receive a check for his/her prize money within 10 weeks from the end date of the Festival.

Accepted Filmmaker Package Checklist:
-Synopsis of the film (approximately 150 words)
-Director biography
-Photograph of director
-Still photographs of film (minimum 2)
-Production still (minimum 2)
-Poster (if any)
-Press Kit

MEET THE PROGRAMMING TEAM:
*Colleen deVeer
Founder/Principal
Director of Programming
Greenwich International Film Festival
Colleen deVeer came from a very artistic family that instilled in her a love for visual and performing arts at a very young age. Ms. deVeer is a graduate of Boston College, where she was a Director of The Boston College Dance Ensemble and received her B.A. in Theatre Arts. Following her undergraduate studies, Colleen moved on to the Actor’s Studio in New York City where she received a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting, training with renowned acting masters, David Gideon, Barbara Poitier, Elizabeth Kemp, and Doug Moston. After fifteen years of working as an actress and dancer in theater, film, commercials, and television, Colleen met two playwrights whose work she found so exceptional that she tried her hand at producing, launching two successful plays in repertory with critically acclaimed NYC stage runs. Colleen moved out to Greenwich in 2012 with her husband and two children where she Co-Founded The Greenwich International Film Festival. A long time cinephile, Colleen has traveled to dozens of film festivals across the country and abroad, has served as the Festival’s Director of Programming since GIFF's inception, and is a proud member of the Advisory Board of the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT.

For further clarification of any details given here or for any further information, please contact: submissions@greenwichfilm.org

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • The Greenwich IFF was very well organized with great communication throughout. I certainly hope I get a chance to attend next year.

    May 2020
  • Lynn Cunningham

    Our first virtual film festival- due to Covid. Shari and team were very good at communication. They organised the transition to virtual in record time and it went off smoothly. We were impressed by their professionalism.

    May 2020
  • John Bernardo

    We commend the Greenwich International Film Festival for their creative bravery. Their decision to move forward with a virtual film festival amidst the chaos of the COVID crisis’s early weeks could not have been an easy one, nor could the construction of a worthy online festival experience in the short number of weeks avail to them.
    Their seamless execution will be modeled by festivals to come and case studied in the years ahead by event organizers and creative strategists in general who want to know how best to be right now.

    John Bernardo, Co-Director / Co-Producer, A Peloton of One,
    a documentary film on surviving childhood sexual abuse
    GIFF 2020 winner of the inaugural JP Morgan Chase Audience Award for Best Overall Film

    May 2020
  • Jason Adler

    What an amazing honor it was to be included in this festival! While we were disappointed to not be able to attend in person, as I'm sure everyone was, the virtual festival was run seamlessly.

    The entire GIFF staff deserves a ton of credit - they were excellent with communication throughout, and in making us feel secure with the virtual screenings. I look forward to maintaining a relationship with the staff, and hopefully building new ones with other filmmakers!

    Thanks again,

    Jason Adler - The Bellmen

    May 2020
  • Ben Hackworth

    A lovely festival that's clearly on the rise. And a few world premieres too.

    The people running the festival are very warm and the Q & A sessions are run by intelligent and sophisticated moderators.

    Will definitely submit with my next film.

    June 2019