Hoboken International Film Festival (“HIFF”) is dedicated to showcasing and promoting fine non-studio films, TV pilots, and screenplays from filmmakers throughout the United States and internationally. The best submissions will be rewarded with cash prizes in nearly ten categories. As will be discussed in the next section, HIFF has quickly become one of the top ten best film festivals in the world.

Now in its 14th year, Hoboken International Film Festival (“HIFF”) – called by FOX, Time Warner and other major media “One of the 10 Biggest Film Festivals in the World – is being held May 17 – 23, 2019 at the breathtaking lakeside beach at Thomas P. Morahan Waterfront Park and other locations in Greenwood Lake, New York. With the Gala Awards Ceremony hosted by Gilbert Gottfried, HIFF will showcase numerous film and TV stars, and the world’s most cutting edge films. HIFF continues to grow – in 2018 HIFF had over 1,500 film submissions from all over the world, and only approximately 10% were accepted (the competition is fierce). Festival attendance has eclipsed 15,000 people in each of the past several years. A star-filled event, HIFF has had several Academy Award and Emmy winners and nominees, and numerous other fan-favorite celebrities at screenings, award ceremonies and special events.

With a celebrity jury comprised of several elite actors, filmmakers and industry leaders, and powerhouse partners that include WCBS FM, ShopRite, Anheuser-Busch, News 12, WRWD FM, Orange County BMW, The Galleria Mall, The Comfort Inn, Mid-Hudson News, Orange County, WTBQ FM, O’Connor Davies, Ferreira-Carpenter Wine Club, Beattie & Krahulik, Prestige Graphics, and many more, HIFF, hosted by Greenwood Lake, NY, is a worldwide renowned film festival.

HIFF will select films, and award cash prizes, in numerous categories. Cash prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Feature Film-$1000.00
Best Director (Feature Film)-$500.00
Best Screenplay (Feature Film)-$500.00
Best Actor (Feature Film)-$500.00
Best Actress (Feature Film)-$500.00
Best Short Film-$500.00
Best Documentary-$500.00
Best TV Pilot-$250.00
Best Unproduced Screenplay-$500.00

HIFF competition categories are open to United States and international entries. Feature films, short films, documentaries and TV pilots must be submitted on DVD or Blu-Ray for preview–NTSC only. Foreign language entries must have English language subtitles. Screenplays in the “Unproduced Screenplay” category must be submitted in English. Entries (excluding screenplays submitted in the “Unproduced Screenplay” category) must have been completed after January 1, 2018. Applicants may submit multiple entries.
Include contact information, with both an email address and phone number if possible, on all DVD, Blu-Ray and screenplay submissions. For DVD and Blu-Ray submissions, please submit in sturdy containers and/or bubble wrap to avoid damage. DVD, Blu-Ray and screenplay submissions will not be returned to the submitters.
Payments can be made through FilmFreeway by credit card, or by check or money order. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Hoboken International Film Festival” or “HIFF”. Checks and money orders should be sent to: Hoboken International Film Festival, 886 Belmont Avenue, Suite C, North Haledon, NJ 07508. Submission fees are non-refundable.
Notification of Official Selections will be made by April 20, 2019. All responses will be made by email
HIFF has the absolute, unconditioned right to screen any film or project submitted to HIFF.
Cash prizes are conditioned upon winners’ personal presence and acceptance at the festival’s Gala Awards Ceremony. The winner of the jury awards for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature, Best Short Film, Best TV Pilot and the Audience Award Best of the Festival, must be personally accepted by the projects’ producer, director or executive producer in order to be eligible for the cash prizes. In order to receive any cash prize, the winner’s film must have been submitted with the appropriate submission fee; films submitted without their respective submission fees are not eligible for cash prizes, though they may win HIFF award(s) and are entitled to the trophies if they do win any HIFF award(s).
In the event that HIFF pays for airfare, hotel accommodations and/or ground transportation for any filmmakers and/or any individuals whatsoever and/or provides any free hiff tickets(beyond the two complementary passes given to filmmakers) for any filmmakers and/or any individuals whatsoever, those said filmmakers/individuals shall forfeit the right to receive any cash prize(s) in a monetary value up to an amount equal to HIFF’s payment of his/her airfare ,hotel accommodations and/or ground transportation and/or hiff tickets(beyond the two complementary passes given to filmmakers).
Officially selected films will not have their screening format (eg – DVD, Blu-Ray) returned unless the filmmaker pays for the shipping. In that event, the filmmaker must supply HIFF with pre-paid self-addressed packaging, or another form of payment agreed upon by HIFF.
Please see specific categories for more information. All filmmakers submitting projects must agree to HIFF’s – which are found on the Submit Films pages of this website (in each submission category) and are also found on FilmFreeway – and by submitting to HIFF, every filmmaker submitting automatically are bound by said HIFF Terms and Conditions.

Overall Rating
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  • Looking back, I had an amazing time and I met so many great people who all support independent filmmaking. I could go on with this review but ya'll should should just checkout the festival in person. Thank you to Ken Del Vecchio and Greenwood Lake for hosting a beautiful event!

    September 2019
  • karen Iacobbo

    Top Notch!
    Well run, great screening venues...everything you would expect from one of the world's largest film festivals.

    https://filmfreeway.com/HobokenInternationalFilmFestival

    August 2019
  • Renji Philip

    Thank you for including our feature film, THE WAKE OF LIGHT to this year's festival. Communication was excellent and we had a fantastic time. Kenneth Del Vecchio has a true passion for independent film and it shows!

    June 2019
  • Fantastic festival. Thanks a lot for selecting our works

    June 2019
  • Awesome film festival for up-and-coming filmmakers looking to experience the glitz and glamour of the major festivals! Definitely will be entering future projects to Hoboken for another experience!

    June 2019