Boulder International Film Festival ()

Festival start: 05 March 2020      Festival end: 08 March 2020

The critically-acclaimed Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) has gained a reputation as one of the most influential and innovative film festivals in the U.S., with a large number of new-but-unknown feature films, documentaries, and shorts that have gone from early screenings at BIFF to significant box-office success and multiple Oscar nominations. With over 25,000 attendees, A-list filmmaker and celebrity guests, countless opportunities for widespread exposure, and some of the best films and filmmakers working today, it's clear why BIFF was named one of MovieMaker Magazine's "25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" and "25 Coolest Film Festivals."

The BIFF public relations and marketing teams shine the spotlight on the festival's attending filmmakers; garnering millions of media impressions throughout the festival and providing filmmakers with excellent exposure opportunities and huge, enthusiast audiences. Major industry who attend the Festival include big-leaguers like The Hollywood Reporter, MovieMaker Magazine, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox, A & E IndieFilms, IFC, The Orchard, and worldwide film sales company Submarine Entertainment. The light continues to shine during the awards competition including the prestigious Best of the Festival awards.

For four jam-packed days, visiting filmmakers at BIFF enjoy complimentary luxurious accommodations and an exclusive Red-Carpet VIP pass to legendary late-night galas and unforgettable parties, where plenty of interaction with award-winning filmmakers and celebrities is the norm. Of course, most people go to Colorado in February to ski! Filmmakers can head up to the slopes for some of the best skiing of the year, compliments of BIFF. World-class food and drink and fantastic parties every night all add up to one of the most welcoming, filmmaker-friendly festivals on the circuit.

We have been proud to honor some of the world’s most admired talents including Emilio Estevez, James Franco, Shirley MacLaine, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, William H. Macy, Alan Arkin, Bruce Dern, Maria Bello, and director Oliver Stone, along with many independent filmmakers, stars and special guests including legendary musician David Crosby, Grammy Award-winning musician Jakob Dylan, Elliott Gould, Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Congressman John Lewis, directors Lawrence Kasdan (“The Big Chill”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Anthony Bregman (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Michael and Mark Polish (“Northfork”), legendary comedian Chevy Chase, and writer John August (“Big Fish”), among many others.

Cash Prizes: 13,000$

Feature length films compete for the prestigious Grand Prize of $10,000 cash for Best Feature Length Film (narrative or documentary). ​Short films (documentary, narrative, or animated short) compete for the Best Short Film prize of $3,000 cash. All films are eligible for the prestigious Audience Choice award.

1. Only one title per entry.

2. Films must have been completed after January 1, 2018.

3. Feature length films should not be commercially available on DVD, Blu-Ray, on-demand service or other format intended for private viewing and will not air on television, via internet streaming service or other public broadcast in the United States prior to February 28, 2019. Short films are exempted from this rule.

4. All films must be submitted online through FilmFreeway or on DVD (Region 0 or 1) NTSC for consideration. Please ensure that your disc plays in a standard DVD player before you mail it to us.

5. DCP is the exhibition format in 2 of our venues. DCP must be DCI compliant, keys must be open for window as specified by Festival. If we schedule your film in our non-DCP venue, we will require a Digital File Format (Quicktime) or professionally made Blu-ray for screening. Blu-rays or Quicktime files must be provided as a backup for ALL exhibition copies including DCP.