Hobnobben. It's more than a film festival. It's a celebration of the human experience through cinematic storytelling. Approaching its ninth year, the Hobnobben Film Festival supports Fort Wayne Cinema Center, a not-for-profit arts organization in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Each year, we invite filmmakers, film lovers, and the film-curious to experience heart-changing cinema over four glorious days in October.
At Hobnobben, we encourage people to "see and be seen." By showcasing diverse stories and voices that have been typically excluded, and curating films by themes, we're able to provide a one-of-a-kind festival that invites participants to see themselves represented on screen — and be seen by others. We shine a light on historically marginalized stories and creators in film: LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, international voices, seniors, non-White/Western, body positive stories, and the quirky/campy.
We aim to push boundaries and intellectualize through our programming. We are co-educators who want to make the art of film accessible to everyone. We believe in providing a safe-space for diverse storytelling, audience engagement with important issues, and meaningful conversations. We believe this is best accomplished by meeting people where they’re at and hearing their stories. This isn’t a film fest for film snobs. This is a film festival intended to bring Hoosiers and the global community together.
Hobnobben Film Festival filmmakers can expect networking opportunities to build relationships with other Hoosier filmmakers as well as out-of-state and international filmmakers. A celebration of your work through thoughtfully-curated film blocks by an audience that includes the general public, artists, commercial videographers, and event sponsors. We also strive to bring a unique view of the Midwest and the filmmaker-friendly community of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Finally, our festival organizers are here to answer any questions you may have.
Our 9th annual festival will be held October 3 - 6, 2024 , at Fort Wayne Cinema Center.
Proceeds from the festival go toward supporting, maintaining and programming Fort Wayne’s nonprofit arthouse movie theater, Cinema Center.
Please note that Hobnobben operates with high standards relating to the content that we showcase to the community. There are some lines we will not cross, including:
- Misogyny
- Certain sexual violence
- Incest
- Transphobic content and/or jokes
- Use of the R-word
- Fridging of female/femme characters
- Othering and/or villainizing neurodivergent characters
- And anything else that is harmful and without a potentially meaningful payoff*
*This is not intended to be a complete list, but rather a few examples to help illustrate how we approach making selections for Hobnobben Film Festival.
We also do not screen films out of competition.

AWARDS AND PRIZES
Awards & Prizes
Best of Awards will be given in each of the following categories:
Narrative Feature
Feature-Length Unscripted
Animated Shorts
Unscripted Short
Fiction Short
Student Work: High School and Undergraduate
First-Time Filmmaker and Advanced Student
Indiana Reels- Films with an Indiana connection, both short and feature length.
WTFw: What the Fort Wayne?- Hobnobben’s experimental category.
AND:
All films submitted will also be eligible for Jen Lynn Award. This film honors films with lgbtqia+ representation and storytelling.
Jennifer Fray and Lynn Serstad have supported the festival since day one. Without the support of people such as these wonderful women, Hobnobben would not be what it is today. We are thrilled to be able to honor two great women and two valuable members of our Fort Wayne and Hobnobben Communities with this award.

Entrants must fully comply with these Entry Rules & Regulations in order to be considered eligible for the 2024 Hobnobben Film Festival.
- Only films completed after April 1, 2023 will be accepted. If you have a compelling reason to submit a film outside this date please contact us at submisisons@hobnobben.org before submitting to ensure eligibility (honestly, we’re usually pretty lenient on completion dates).
- Non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
- English Films are also highly encouraged to include subtitles or captions. Accessibility is important to our festival.
SUBMISSION POLICIES AND PROCESSES
All films must be submitted via Hobnobben Film Festival's FilmFreeway Account and be viewable through FilmFreeway submission platform to be considered for festival screening.
POLICIES UPON ACCEPTANCE
Accepted films will be notified via email at the address included in the FilmFreeway submission form. The notification will include information regarding the required formats and medium for the exhibition copy of the film and delivery deadlines.
Please add the @Hobnobben.org domain to an accepted senders list to ensure receipt of festival emails, our primary mode of communication.
By submitting, you confirm that such exhibition of submitted work will not violate or infringe upon any rights whatsoever (including copyright, trademark, musical or contract right) of any person or entity. Submitters further confirm that they are authorized to submit film.
By submitting, you agree to have your film, if selected, be shown 1 to 3 times during the festival.
Additionally, submitters indemnify the Hobnobben Film Festival and Fort Wayne Cinema Center, Inc. from any and all claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, and attorney's fee arising out of or in connection with third parties in regards to the screening of submitted film.
Any awards will be distributed to the production company of the winning film or to the person identified as a representative of the winning film’s production company in the credits thereof. All decisions of the Festival regarding the distribution of awards will be final and binding on all participants. If a representative from an award-winning film is not available to be present during the Awards Ceremony, it is the responsibility of the film's production company to provide Hobnobben with a shipping address and correct postage to mail the award. The Festival will not be liable for the distribution of any award to any party.
By submitting, you are stating you understand and hereby agree to the terms written in the General Festival Rules submissions to Hobnobben Film Festival 2024.
Thank you for your interest in submitting your film to the Hobnobben Film Festival. Should you have any questions regarding this process or your film’s eligibility, please email submissions@hobnobben.org.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • LOVED IT!!! Can't wait to submit again soon! Everyone was so welcoming and supporting!

    February 2024
  • Thank you very much dear festival for choosing my drama film 'Let's Talk', and for the invitation to register another film for the next festival free of charge. Your generosity and support are dear to my heart

    November 2023
  • Zachary Vessels

    Had a great time at Hobobben this year! Lots of great workshops with a great community!

    October 2023
  • We had a great experience at Hobnobben, one of the many excellent film festivals in Indiana!

    October 2023
  • Wonderful festival staffed by extremely passionate film fans. Hobnobben punches well above its weight in terms of filmmaker hospitality, curation, and value for a festival of its size. Thanks for selecting "Mylar Balloon" and for welcoming me and my team to Fort Wayne.

    October 2023