The 16th annual Hamilton Film Festival is Hamilton's largest and longest running film festivals with roots that go back 20 years! HFF is a Top 100 reviewed festival, out of 10,000 worldwide film festivals! 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, and connecting the talent, tech, and producers! We operate at the ground level and have been recognized as a catalyst for the growing film scene.
We are a film festival in the truest sense, screening undiscovered local and international works.
We have screened over 1000 films, 863 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 visual storytelling from concept to completion.
From the budding filmmaker to the pro, we are always working to move the industry in Hamilton a little further each year.
Festival Director/CEO - Nathan Fleet at age 16 | Photo by his Mom
16 years young!
Internationally recognized and locally focused, the Hamilton Film Festival got it's start, in the historic Staircase Cafe Theatre. We have added the Westdale Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre to our list of historic venues, and have added The Starlite Drive-In, broadcasts on Cable 14, and moved a portion of the festival online in 2020. The Hamilton Film Festival has been recognized as being a catalyst for the growing film scene in Hamilton, and we're happy to be a small part of that!
The theme this year is COMING OF AGE! We thought this would be the best theme for our 16th anniversary as we're now old enough to drive! 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.
Some of the new initiatives this year include working with The Hamilton Ladies of Film and Television, to reach our goal of gender parity with the female-driven movies we program. We have also eliminated late fees this year so it is a single, regular submission period from Feb 16th - Aug 16th. Our goal to make this festival more accessible continues as we are offering discounts to films that will include descriptive captioning.
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 formed 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 6th - 14th, 2021.
We are very honoured to be a small part of the large arts community in Hamilton Ontario.
Internationally recognized and locally focused, the Hamilton Film Festival got it's start, in the historic Staircase Cafe Theatre. We have added the Westdale Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre to our list of historic venues, and have added The Starlite Drive-In, broadcasts on Cable 14, and moved a portion of the festival online in 2020. The Hamilton Film Festival has been recognized as being a catalyst for the growing film scene in Hamilton, and we're happy to be a small part of that!
The theme this year is COMING OF AGE! We thought this would be the best theme for our 16th anniversary as we're now old enough to drive! 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.
Some of the new initiatives this year include working with The Hamilton Ladies of Film and Television, to reach our goal of gender parity with the female-driven movies we program. We have also eliminated late fees this year so it is a single, regular submission period from Feb 16th - Aug 16th. Our goal to make this festival more accessible continues as we are offering discounts to films that will include descriptive captioning.
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 formed 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 6th - 14th, 2021.
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. 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 (Feb - Aug)
Diversity
Our festival is as diverse as our submissions and we welcome everyone to our screens and 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. Since our first festival, we have always included films from the LGBTQ community. As we grow, we are aiming for gender parity through female-driven films, and have recognized that the films we select need to include films from BIPOC filmmakers. In 2020, through a grant from the Hamilton Arts Council, we had a dedicated screening for Indigenous films, curated by Cher Obediah, something we plan to continue going forward.
NOW WE CAN DRIVE!
16 years at the Hamilton Film Festival, and never a dull one. We managed to pull off a wonderful, hybrid, festival in 2020 that included limited-seating theatrical, the Drive-In, broadcast, and online screening and panel discussions. We know we are able to successfully pivot if needed, and can’t wait to see what YOU bring to our Sweet 16 party this November!
COMING OF AGE: Sweet 16
The theme of the festival this year is COMING OF AGE, with the tagline “Now We Can Drive.” This will be a strong theme throughout the festival, from our Sweet 16 kick off, to our closing films. We'll even be asking the selected filmmakers to dig up a photo of themselves at age 16 for a fun photo montage! Let have some fun this year. You deserve it!
You are welcome to submit movies and scripts that are outside of this theme as we always host programs of comedy, drama, genre, and documentaries. We accept short, mid-length, feature, episodic / series, and screenplays.
NO MORE LATE FEES!
ONE TIER, ALL YEAR, is GOLD!
We know that 2020 was a tough one. This year, we are eliminating ALL deadline price levels and are going with a single, regular deadline, all year.
GOLD members on FilmFreeway will be able to take advantage of our additional Gold Member discounts. Following us on social media is beneficial as throughout the year we post limited time / quantity discount codes that will offer a 16% discount off submission fees.
The 16th Annual Hamilton Film Festival continues to be one of Canada’s most important film festivals for Canadian and International films. Hosted in a city with a booming art scene, it has become a go-to destination to live and work for several people in the film and television industry with year-round opportunities to network, engage, pitch and participate. Distributors, festivals and industry professionals actively look to the Hamilton Film Festival for content, connections and top-notch engagement.
HFF Guests have included Academy Award® winner Colin Chilvers, Daniel Baldwin, DB Sweeney (Fire In The Sky) Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), Tony Rosato (SCTV), Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Catherine Dyer (Stranger Things) Robert Miano (Donny Brasco), Alex Elena (Drummer for Bruce Dickinson) Jason MacDonald (Vampire Diaries) Frank D’Angelo (Red Maple Leaf), Fred Fuchs (Godfather III Executive Producer, Milton's Secret) Art Hindle (Black Christmas), Doug McGrath (Goin’ Down the Road), Lynne Griffin (Curtains), Julian Richings (Superman: Man of Steel), TJ McGibbon (The Umbrella Academy), Craig Davidson (Author / Rust and Bone) Kirsten Bodenstedt (COO and Co-Owner of Peregrine Labs) Academy Award® winner Colin Doncaster, Bob Munro (The Expanse), Sean Sullivan (Wayne’s World, Back to the Future III) Lisa Langlois (Class of 1984), Matthew Willson (Exec. Producer) and many, many more! Filmmakers and producers have attended from England, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Cyprus, Australia, the USA, and all across Canada.
We have 15 prize categories, including Jury, Feature, Short, Doc, Actor, Actress, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Screenplay (x2), Music, Student, Truly Independent local award, and the legendary Sparquie the Squirrel award!
INCLUSION
The festival is as diverse as our alumni, who come from over 50 countries around the world. Filmmakers globally are looking to the Hamilton Film Festival as an accessible event with multiple chances to screen, network, win awards and gain post-festival promotion as our Alumni is our family and your movie never has a shelf life with us! You’d be surprised how much we remember about you and your film even from our earliest screenings!
We have, and will continue to, screen many films from BIPOC and LGBTQ filmmakers, with spotlights on films from these filmmakers, as well as integrating them into our themed programming.
-------
HAMILTON LADIES OF FILM & TELEVISION (L.O.F.T.)
The Hamilton Ladies of Film & Television (L.O.F.T.) is excited to partner with the Hamilton Film Festival for their 2021 season as they support our mandate to achieve gender parity within our city and the Canadian film industry.
The Hamilton Ladies of Film & Television (L.O.F.T) is a Hamilton based collective founded and co-created by local artists Laura Ellis, Alysha Main, and Cher Obediah. The Hamilton L.O.F.T seeks to bring together womxn* working in all disciplines of filmmaking.
To create/support content that is predominantly female-driven with a focus on overcoming issues/barriers within the film industry affecting womxn and underrepresented minorities
Assist in building the skills and confidence of womxn by working in cross-disciplinary and supportive teams while providing affordable training opportunities with mentors in the film community
Demonstrate that a local all-female identified production team is achievable
Showcase the achievements of womxn in Hamilton’s film industry
Partner with local organizations to provide mutual support and opportunities for womxn by sharing knowledge, tools, and holding networking events
*The Hamilton L.O.F.T. uses an all-emcompassing definition of “womxn/woman/female/lady” which includes but is not limited to cis, trans-identifying, non-binary, and other.
We are excited to officially launch in spring of 2021 and look forward to working with many of the talented womxn in Hamilton that we know, that we love, and those we have yet to meet.
-------
CLOSED CAPTIONING DISCOUNT
We want you to think about disability and film. Specifically we want you to consider people who are hard of hearing or deaf.
The Hamilton Film Festival is again offering a submission discount to films that have Descriptive Subtitles. These are captions that include dialog, sound fx and music, in the descriptions.
Please reach out to us prior to submitting and we will offer you a discount code which will apply to both the Hamilton Film Festival screenings and the Canadian Film Market. Contact us directly for the code with SUBTITLE DISCOUNT in the title.
YOUR CHANCES
We receive between 400 - 700 films, typically screening around 100-150 of them, so if your film is good…so are the odds.
We aim to earn the "Hamilton" in our title so we do our best to make sure there is dedicated screen-time for locally made films! For this reason, films MUST be Hamilton premieres as they will also benefit from free-passes to the entire festival so they can take advantage of all the films, networking and industry development we bring in each year. To date we have screened 863 Canadian Films!
Included in your submission fee is the option to become a delegate at our networking and meet-up events, at no extra charge. So even if you film is not accepted, you can still participate and take advantage of the networking and industry development that HFF has to offer!
THE MARKET
We are proud to offer, for the sixth year, the Canadian Film Market which runs during the festival, and includes Industry Development events, quality networking, pitches and more! 50 countries have participated.
OUR CITY
Guillermo Del Toro love’s our city and say’s he’s been watching it since the 90’s and would like to set up his own studio here. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is a major destination for film and television productions. Shows like The Queen’s Gambit, The Umbrella Academy, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Shape of Water, Spotlight, Crimson Peak, Suicide Squad, The Hulk, and Robocop, are just a few films that have taken advantage of Hamilton’s many incredible locations. Producers love the additional tax credits, Directors love the “anywhere is here” look of the city, and people love seeing it on screen! You will also have the opportunity to meet with the people who run the film office, should you wish to film in our great city!.
Filmmakers around the world are choosing the Hamilton Film Festival as a required stop, and we want YOU to be a part of this growing scene that is expanding into a not-so-hidden gem! See you, and your film, in Hamilton this November!
16 years at the Hamilton Film Festival, and never a dull one. We managed to pull off a wonderful, hybrid, festival in 2020 that included limited-seating theatrical, the Drive-In, broadcast, and online screening and panel discussions. We know we are able to successfully pivot if needed, and can’t wait to see what YOU bring to our Sweet 16 party this November!
COMING OF AGE: Sweet 16
The theme of the festival this year is COMING OF AGE, with the tagline “Now We Can Drive.” This will be a strong theme throughout the festival, from our Sweet 16 kick off, to our closing films. We'll even be asking the selected filmmakers to dig up a photo of themselves at age 16 for a fun photo montage! Let have some fun this year. You deserve it!
You are welcome to submit movies and scripts that are outside of this theme as we always host programs of comedy, drama, genre, and documentaries. We accept short, mid-length, feature, episodic / series, and screenplays.
NO MORE LATE FEES!
ONE TIER, ALL YEAR, is GOLD!
We know that 2020 was a tough one. This year, we are eliminating ALL deadline price levels and are going with a single, regular deadline, all year.
GOLD members on FilmFreeway will be able to take advantage of our additional Gold Member discounts. Following us on social media is beneficial as throughout the year we post limited time / quantity discount codes that will offer a 16% discount off submission fees.
The 16th Annual Hamilton Film Festival continues to be one of Canada’s most important film festivals for Canadian and International films. Hosted in a city with a booming art scene, it has become a go-to destination to live and work for several people in the film and television industry with year-round opportunities to network, engage, pitch and participate. Distributors, festivals and industry professionals actively look to the Hamilton Film Festival for content, connections and top-notch engagement.
HFF Guests have included Academy Award® winner Colin Chilvers, Daniel Baldwin, DB Sweeney (Fire In The Sky) Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers), Tony Rosato (SCTV), Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Catherine Dyer (Stranger Things) Robert Miano (Donny Brasco), Alex Elena (Drummer for Bruce Dickinson) Jason MacDonald (Vampire Diaries) Frank D’Angelo (Red Maple Leaf), Fred Fuchs (Godfather III Executive Producer, Milton's Secret) Art Hindle (Black Christmas), Doug McGrath (Goin’ Down the Road), Lynne Griffin (Curtains), Julian Richings (Superman: Man of Steel), TJ McGibbon (The Umbrella Academy), Craig Davidson (Author / Rust and Bone) Kirsten Bodenstedt (COO and Co-Owner of Peregrine Labs) Academy Award® winner Colin Doncaster, Bob Munro (The Expanse), Sean Sullivan (Wayne’s World, Back to the Future III) Lisa Langlois (Class of 1984), Matthew Willson (Exec. Producer) and many, many more! Filmmakers and producers have attended from England, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Cyprus, Australia, the USA, and all across Canada.
We have 15 prize categories, including Jury, Feature, Short, Doc, Actor, Actress, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Screenplay (x2), Music, Student, Truly Independent local award, and the legendary Sparquie the Squirrel award!
INCLUSION
The festival is as diverse as our alumni, who come from over 50 countries around the world. Filmmakers globally are looking to the Hamilton Film Festival as an accessible event with multiple chances to screen, network, win awards and gain post-festival promotion as our Alumni is our family and your movie never has a shelf life with us! You’d be surprised how much we remember about you and your film even from our earliest screenings!
We have, and will continue to, screen many films from BIPOC and LGBTQ filmmakers, with spotlights on films from these filmmakers, as well as integrating them into our themed programming.
-------
HAMILTON LADIES OF FILM & TELEVISION (L.O.F.T.)
The Hamilton Ladies of Film & Television (L.O.F.T.) is excited to partner with the Hamilton Film Festival for their 2021 season as they support our mandate to achieve gender parity within our city and the Canadian film industry.
The Hamilton Ladies of Film & Television (L.O.F.T) is a Hamilton based collective founded and co-created by local artists Laura Ellis, Alysha Main, and Cher Obediah. The Hamilton L.O.F.T seeks to bring together womxn* working in all disciplines of filmmaking.
To create/support content that is predominantly female-driven with a focus on overcoming issues/barriers within the film industry affecting womxn and underrepresented minorities
Assist in building the skills and confidence of womxn by working in cross-disciplinary and supportive teams while providing affordable training opportunities with mentors in the film community
Demonstrate that a local all-female identified production team is achievable
Showcase the achievements of womxn in Hamilton’s film industry
Partner with local organizations to provide mutual support and opportunities for womxn by sharing knowledge, tools, and holding networking events
*The Hamilton L.O.F.T. uses an all-emcompassing definition of “womxn/woman/female/lady” which includes but is not limited to cis, trans-identifying, non-binary, and other.
We are excited to officially launch in spring of 2021 and look forward to working with many of the talented womxn in Hamilton that we know, that we love, and those we have yet to meet.
-------
CLOSED CAPTIONING DISCOUNT
We want you to think about disability and film. Specifically we want you to consider people who are hard of hearing or deaf.
The Hamilton Film Festival is again offering a submission discount to films that have Descriptive Subtitles. These are captions that include dialog, sound fx and music, in the descriptions.
Please reach out to us prior to submitting and we will offer you a discount code which will apply to both the Hamilton Film Festival screenings and the Canadian Film Market. Contact us directly for the code with SUBTITLE DISCOUNT in the title.
YOUR CHANCES
We receive between 400 - 700 films, typically screening around 100-150 of them, so if your film is good…so are the odds.
We aim to earn the "Hamilton" in our title so we do our best to make sure there is dedicated screen-time for locally made films! For this reason, films MUST be Hamilton premieres as they will also benefit from free-passes to the entire festival so they can take advantage of all the films, networking and industry development we bring in each year. To date we have screened 863 Canadian Films!
Included in your submission fee is the option to become a delegate at our networking and meet-up events, at no extra charge. So even if you film is not accepted, you can still participate and take advantage of the networking and industry development that HFF has to offer!
THE MARKET
We are proud to offer, for the sixth year, the Canadian Film Market which runs during the festival, and includes Industry Development events, quality networking, pitches and more! 50 countries have participated.
OUR CITY
Guillermo Del Toro love’s our city and say’s he’s been watching it since the 90’s and would like to set up his own studio here. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is a major destination for film and television productions. Shows like The Queen’s Gambit, The Umbrella Academy, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Shape of Water, Spotlight, Crimson Peak, Suicide Squad, The Hulk, and Robocop, are just a few films that have taken advantage of Hamilton’s many incredible locations. Producers love the additional tax credits, Directors love the “anywhere is here” look of the city, and people love seeing it on screen! You will also have the opportunity to meet with the people who run the film office, should you wish to film in our great city!.
Filmmakers around the world are choosing the Hamilton Film Festival as a required stop, and we want YOU to be a part of this growing scene that is expanding into a not-so-hidden gem! See you, and your film, in Hamilton this November!