The 7th annual SOMA Film Festival will once again be a spectacle of independent films, the people who make them, and a community who supports them.

We hold the majority of our screenings in the cozy, and community atmosphere of The Woodland, a beautiful century old theater hall situated steps from the mid-town direct train from NYC, and smack dab in the middle of picturesque Maplewood, NJ which is often referred to as "Brooklyn West."

We project your film on a 16 x 9 screen with a state of the art projector and sound system that rivals any festival or movie theater.

The festival will span 3 days from October 21-23.

Comparable to other festivals of our stature, SOMA FF has made entry fees low to give filmmakers an opportunity to submit and hopefully present their work regardless of their financial situation(s).

Filmmakers who submit and are accepted will receive 2 VIP Passes for all the film programs, the welcome party, and guest speakers. Those who submit and are not accepted will be provided 1 VIP Pass, a $100 value.

We have had 11 films gain distribution from our festival which we are supremely proud.

"Best Of" awards are given in the following categories -

Feature Length Documentary/Narrative
Short Length Documentary/Feature
Screenplay / Narrative Feature
Screenplay / Narrative Short

You must fully comply with these Entry Rules & Regulations, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.

Non-English language works must have English subtitles at the time submitted.

Do not submit your film until it is complete.

All films submitted may be used in promotion and marketing prior to and after the festival.

All filmmaker images may be used in promotion, publicity, and marketing prior to and after the film festival.

Once an entry payment has been processed we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Michael Abdul-Qawi

    The SOMA Film Festival made it through a pandemic to have its 7th year, providing excellent programming, in a beautiful historic building, for all ages and interests. Hats off to Matt, Linda, Thomas, and the team.

    South Orange and Maplewood NJ have residents of diverse backgrounds who love and support the arts, so it should be no surprise that its film festival is a melting pot of creativity that shines a light on the world of independent film.

    I’m so thankful to have my first film, Nice Towns, be a part of the SOMA Film Festival. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.

    October 2022
  • Matt, Thomas and Linda were awesome, and made a very nice welcome event for kids and family at the morning screenings. My kids loved the popcorn and cookies and I loved yummy Indian spices. Wish I couldn't met more filmmakers, but it's hard to organize events in a post-COVID world. Just thankful the event happened in person at all!!!

    October 2022
  • Matt, Tom, Linda and the rest of their team did an awesome job! Very friendly and laid back event. Saw some amazing films in a nice venue. The entire weekend was great. Our hosts were very gracious and accommodating. Did I mention the 'never ending' free popcorn? How do you beat that?

    October 2022
  • Paul Ashton

    Great Festival. I was unable to attend as I'm in the UK but some local friends went instead and had a great time. Very good communication from Matt and a great festival for both the local community and international filmmakers. Highly recommended.

    September 2021
  • Todd Densmore

    Even though I wasn't able to attend - we were so thankful to the SOMA family for their fantastic communication, support of our films that played, and offering a venue to screen. Hoping to attend at some point in the future!

    September 2021