The Hudson Valley Drive-INternational Film Festival is an event you don't want to miss - -not only because drive-ins are a great way to experience film, but also because...
EVERY FILM SUBMITTED WILL RECEIVE PROMOTION IN A DIGITAL FULL-COLOR NEWSPAPER showcasing independent filmmakers WHETHER IT IS ACCEPTED AS A HVDIFF OFFICIAL SELECTION OR NOT.

The HVDIFF, sponsored by The Tri-State Business Club, is a festival created to showcase the FILMMAKER and everyone involved in the production.
Submitting to this festival is a win-win! We believe EVERY production's voice should be heard. EVERY submission will be written about in the special edition newspaper(s), highlighting independent film. We can publish press releases, articles, production photos, facts, promoting future screenings your movie will be screened at...the possibilities are endless!
(printed version will be available to order)

The peak of drive-in movies in the 1950's boasted over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters --in 2017 there are only a little over 300 operational drive-ins left in the U.S.

The Fair Oaks Drive-In, located just 5 miles from Middletown NY, right off Rt 17 exit 118, (and only 1 hour away from The Tappan Zee Bridge) features two screens and a gorgeous property, fitting up to 800 cars.

Join us under the stars to celebrate your production and the beauty of the outdoor screening experience. The HVDIFF will feature movies under the stars, networking, vendors, and live music to make this event one you don't want to miss!

HVDIFF President, Melissa Cohen, was also one of the founding members of The Hudson Valley International Film Festival that ran in 2015 and 2016 and is excited to bring HVDIFF to life for filmmakers and audience members to enjoy during the peak of The Hudson Valley's signature time of year -- the beautiful Fall. According to Fodor's Travel, The Hudson Valley is listed on the 25 places around the world to visit in 2015.

HVDIFF will award the following categories
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Best Documentary
Best Animated Film
Best Actor ( Feature)
Best Actress ( Feature)
Best Actor (Short)
Best Actress (Short)
Best Comedy
Best Horror
Best Action
Best Romantic Film
Best Film Showcasing Diversity
Best Pilot
Best Ensemble Cast
Audience Choice
Best Hudson Valley Film
Best New York Film (A key production member such as writer,director, executive producer, dp, editor, lead talent must currently live in NY)
(Best Hudson Valley Film must feature a key production cast member from The Hudson Valley or have been filmed more than 50% in The Hudson Valley HVDIFF considers Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Ulster or Westchester County the Hudson Valley NY region)

HVDIFF reserves the right to eliminate any award category

**The event venue is not a way to contact festival director**
**No hard copy submissions. FilmFreeway or Vimeo link only, submitter is responsible for ensuring the Vimeo link has a valid password throughout the duration of the festival*

1) PAID ENTRIES submitted to the HVDIFF will receive placement in a digital newspaper, published by HVDIFF and Tri-State Business Club, highlighting your project.
Filmmaker will receive digital link (printed copies available upon request and a separate fee, limited number of free copies may be available at HVDIFF)
a) After submitting it is the FILMMAKER responsibility to make contact with HVDIFF via email first hvdiff@outlook.com stating the title of your project, contact information, and relevant production info (sell yourself here -- make your production sound like it belongs in the newspaper! ) Failure to submit requested documents or information for article will result in not being featured in the newspaper
b) HVDIFF reserves the right to determine how much space each production receives in the digital newspaper/newspaper. HVDIFF may interview key production member(s) to compile their own written article on your production OR HVDIFF may ask the individual production to submit their own article. This decision is solely made from HVDIFF
c) HVDIFF reserves the right to edit submitted press releases and content for the newspaper purposes
d) The submitter understands due to high volume submissions there may be several editions that are made before their work is highlighted due to room constraints. The submitter agrees to be patient in this event.
e) The submitter agrees HVDIFF will have many filmmakers to write about and promote in the online newspaper and the submitter will look online, on social media, to see if their film was written about by looking in the actual online newspaper.
f) The submitter agrees to contact HVDIFF with any questions regarding the online newspaper and understands submission fees will not be returned

2) A prize category(s) may be omitted without notice if HVDIFF determines there are not enough eligible selections for a fair competition in the particular category

3) Submission fees will not be refunded under any circumstance

4) ALL FILMS MUST BE SUBMITTED DIGITALLY ON FilmFreeway OR with a VIMEO link. HVDIFF may request the filmmaker to mail in up to 3 copies of their work if selected to screen. Any hard copy films mailed in will not be returned

4b) Any filmmaker who does not submit hard copy work (if requested) by the requested deadline will be omitted from the official selection schedule

5) All works must be in English - or subtitled in English

6) Filmmakers may submit multiple works, but each must be accompanied with a separate submission fee

7) Submitter may mail promotional materials to be displayed at HVDIFF but will not receive materials back. PLEASE NOTE DO NOT MAIL MATERIAL TO VENUE PHYSICAL ADDRESS. Your acceptance letter will include address to send promotional items if you are an official selection

7b) Once official selection emails go out we ask that you confirm receipt of being an official selection promptly so you do not lose your screening slot

8) Waivers will not be eligible for prize money or to be published in the online/printed newspaper

9) A student film must meet the requirement that the student is currently enrolled and holds a top production title such as: Director, writer, DP, lead actor. HVDIFF reserves the right to ask student submitted films to show proof of student enrollment.

9b) Any film submitted under the student category that has no current enrolled students in a top production title as stated above will not receive their submission fee back and will be disqualified from the competition and screening.

10) No sore losers! HVDIFF reserves the right to select official selections and winners without explanation

11) By submitting you claim you own the rights to the work

12) Completed work only

13) Special requests, although may not be able to be honored, must be submitted in written request email form to Melissa at hvdiff@outlook.com

The information contained in my online application is correct to the best of my knowledge. I give Hudson Valley Drive-INternational Film Festival the authority to screen the film, should it be accepted as an official selection. I understand I will not receive any financial gain from tickets sold to my screening or the festival in general. I understand that I am duly authorized to give permission to allow the screening of this film. I have read and accepted all of the above rules.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Tina Krüger

    I am a pretty disappointed about this festival. Their communication was not good at all. I have written them because on their website my film appeared without my name as director and neither did they change that, nor did they get back to me on the issue. Also the promised online newspaper: I sent all my information to them after submission, but I never received an answer and the newspaper is nowhere to be found online. There is no social media account for the festival and no account at all in pictures or anything that the event actually took place. It all feels kind of fishy and not worth the submission fee!

    October 2017
  • teddy schenck

    Kalen is absolutely right. Our film premiered here too and was cut short, after which the festival director informed our DP and Producer that the festival itself would be shutdown because they failed to make the quota for number of vehicles (?) at the drive in. She then rambled on about conducting video interviews that would be shared on social media as if this would compensate for not screening our film as well as for the buffering issues (entries were screened off Vimeo not downloaded) and general lack of organization that evening. She never followed up about any of this and before our DP and Producer could get a refund for the screening,since everyone had to cough up 5 bucks for this nonsense, the box office was closed. The next day the Facebook page was removed and I have yet to receive a satisfactory response about any of this, or if refunds will be issued, if there will be a rescheduled screening etc. My guess is "no" for both and everything about it has the faint whiff of a fradulent or else completely amateur festival. AVOID

    October 2017
  • Kalen Eriksson

    Showed up to the festival on Saturday to a cancelled event and an empty field. Luckily there were are least two other people there who hadn't left yet (who drove up from Brooklyn by the way), who could tell us what was going on otherwise I still wouldn't know. No word still from the festival on what happened.

    October 2017
  • Great communication and an interesting aspect for a festival. Happy to have participated. Best of luck with the next edition!

    October 2017
  • It was a unique and wonderful experience in having my film displayed on a drive-in movie screen. There's not many left unfortunately and the screen was bigger than those in commercial theater chains. Communication was quick and project files and materials were handled rapidly. I look forward to submitting new projects in the future.

    October 2017