The 15th annual Hamilton Film Festival is Hamilton's largest and longest running film festivals with roots that go back 20 years! We have reached over 50 countries and have made a large contribution to the growing film scene in Hamilton, making it known that this is a great city for filmmaking!
We are a film festival in the truest sense, screening undiscovered local and international works.
We have screened over 1000 films, 795 of them Canadian Films! Filmmakers, travel to our event, from all over the world. We have had 50 countries participating in our film market component.
We connect filmmakers and give them another voice.
We celebrate the art of movie making from concept to completion.
From the budding filmmaker to the pro,
we are always working to move the film industry in Hamilton a little further each year.
Festival Director/CEO - Nathan Fleet | Photo by Marta Hewson Photography
Internationally recognized and locally focused, the Hamilton Film Festival got it's start, and remains, in the historic Staircase Cafe Theatre. We have added the Westdale Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre to our list of historic venues!
The theme this year is VARIETY! We've screened so many film genres so for our 15th anniversary, we will celebrate them all! We've screened on film, VHS, DVD, Bluray, digital format and DCP. In addition to the movies we've had live music, theatre elements, monks blessing a theatre, a martial arts display, a fashion show, stand-up comedy, a special FX training day and loads of special guests. We want this year to be packed with variety!
Our programming is diverse and on par with some of the world's best film festivals. Many filmmakers have cited the Hamilton Film Festival as part of their festival strategy in the Toronto area, Canada and North America and have since been the home to hundreds of premieres. Every year we hear "this program is on par with..."insert Top Tier festival name", and we agree!
Our alumni films have no shelf life as we often help promote them through social media and always keep an eye out for encore screening opportunities and distribution inquiries. With the addition of the Canadian Film Market, our filmmakers will have even more great reasons to submit, and attend, the festival/market.
When the festival began 20 years ago (even before it was renamed Hamilton Film Festival) , there were few annual film screenings in Hamilton that offered the independent filmmaker access to screens and audiences. Today, there are several festivals and opportunities in Hamilton and surrounding areas. Many of those event organizers have acknowledged the Hamilton Film Festival as part of their inspiration and we have always wiling to participate and promote them.
With all the film production activity coming into the city of Hamilton and the new Film District, the festival is contacted throughout the year as a resource for finding cast, crew and locations for independent productions. To better accommodate this we started the Lights Camera Hamilton group page on facebook where people can post and respond to job opportunities, cast calls and resources. Lights Camera Hamilton started as a segment on Cable 14's Hamilton Life with festival director Nathan Fleet bringing filmmakers on the air and updating the city on what was happening that week in the local film world.
Once again, the Hamilton Film Festival will start on the first Saturday in November and run for 9 days. Nov 7th - 15th, 2020.
We are very honoured to be a small part of the large arts community in Hamilton Ontario.
The theme this year is VARIETY! We've screened so many film genres so for our 15th anniversary, we will celebrate them all! We've screened on film, VHS, DVD, Bluray, digital format and DCP. In addition to the movies we've had live music, theatre elements, monks blessing a theatre, a martial arts display, a fashion show, stand-up comedy, a special FX training day and loads of special guests. We want this year to be packed with variety!
Our programming is diverse and on par with some of the world's best film festivals. Many filmmakers have cited the Hamilton Film Festival as part of their festival strategy in the Toronto area, Canada and North America and have since been the home to hundreds of premieres. Every year we hear "this program is on par with..."insert Top Tier festival name", and we agree!
Our alumni films have no shelf life as we often help promote them through social media and always keep an eye out for encore screening opportunities and distribution inquiries. With the addition of the Canadian Film Market, our filmmakers will have even more great reasons to submit, and attend, the festival/market.
When the festival began 20 years ago (even before it was renamed Hamilton Film Festival) , there were few annual film screenings in Hamilton that offered the independent filmmaker access to screens and audiences. Today, there are several festivals and opportunities in Hamilton and surrounding areas. Many of those event organizers have acknowledged the Hamilton Film Festival as part of their inspiration and we have always wiling to participate and promote them.
With all the film production activity coming into the city of Hamilton and the new Film District, the festival is contacted throughout the year as a resource for finding cast, crew and locations for independent productions. To better accommodate this we started the Lights Camera Hamilton group page on facebook where people can post and respond to job opportunities, cast calls and resources. Lights Camera Hamilton started as a segment on Cable 14's Hamilton Life with festival director Nathan Fleet bringing filmmakers on the air and updating the city on what was happening that week in the local film world.
Once again, the Hamilton Film Festival will start on the first Saturday in November and run for 9 days. Nov 7th - 15th, 2020.
We are very honoured to be a small part of the large arts community in Hamilton Ontario.
Mandate
We aim to earn the "Hamilton" in our title. Not just support for local filmmakers, but to expose the filmmaking world to our city, which is becoming a major location destination. The Umbrella Academy, The Handmaid's Tale, The Shape of Water, The Hulk, Spotlight are just a small handful of films that have filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
We are 100% independent in spirit, programming and operation, thriving on dedicated personnel, sponsors and ticket sales. We do not receive any government grants. We are close to Toronto and when films can't seem to get into the major events there, we are a great alternative just 50 minutes away.
Locally focused, we always make sure our Hamilton-based filmmakers have a place to screen, network and learn.
Internationally recognized, we make sure our visitors walk away with the experience of meeting new and active filmmakers and producers, as well as experiencing the charm of HFF, and hopefully walking away with a nomination or win!
We are 100% independent in spirit, programming and operation, thriving on dedicated personnel, sponsors and ticket sales. We do not receive any government grants. We are close to Toronto and when films can't seem to get into the major events there, we are a great alternative just 50 minutes away.
Locally focused, we always make sure our Hamilton-based filmmakers have a place to screen, network and learn.
Internationally recognized, we make sure our visitors walk away with the experience of meeting new and active filmmakers and producers, as well as experiencing the charm of HFF, and hopefully walking away with a nomination or win!
Policy
We watch everything that comes in. There isn't a move that doesn't get looked at, reviewed and rated. This year we have 6 members on the programming team. 3 Female / 3 Male. You are spending your hard earned money and made a decision to submit to us so we will commit the time needed to watch your works, which is why we have such a long submission period (Jan - Aug)
Diversity
Our festival is as diverse as our submissions and we welcome everyone to our theatres. Bringing in films from over 50 countries, we select great movies regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, gender or geographic location. We are wide open and would love to see any work you feel is meant for film festivals. As you will see in our Community section, we work with a wide range of groups year round, and that list grows annually.