The annual New Hampshire Film Festival presents over 100 films for four days in October at over a dozen venues of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The festival showcases independent cinema from the New England region, the American nation, and the world. Every year, it receives about 700 film submissions.
Festival Events
The festival features many special events, discussions, workshops and industry parties visited by leading directors, celebrity guests, and movie critics. And there are at least eight after-parties where participants of the festival can mingle.
Awards Ceremony
The culmination of the festival is an awards ceremony. The 10-lb granite “Grannys” is given to NH Filmmaker of the Year, Performance of the Year, Documentary of the Year, and Film of the Year. The festival also features awards for Best Feature Narrative, Best Documentary, Audience Choice Award, Best Short Comedy, Best Short Drama, and Best Screenplay, among others.
Location
NHFF takes place at iconic state-of-the-art 65 to 900-seat theatres like The Music Hall and The Moffatt Ladd House. The festival attracts about 10,000 attendees, offering quality entertainment, education, and socializing. Thanks to the festival, Portsmouth has acquired a reputation as the film capital of New England. The beautiful coastal town with a charming downtown dates back to the early 1600s and is especially scenic in October when adorned with fall foliage.
New Hampshire Film Festival History
The New Hampshire Film Festival was held for the first time in Derry, New Hampshire, in 2001. In four years, it moved to its current location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The winners are decided by a jury that includes about five cinema professionals. The Van McLeod honors an NH native who has contributed to the cinema industry.
Еhe participants of the past festivals were films A Little Prayer, Axel, Bay Creek Tennis Camp, Black Barbie: A Documentary, Bury a Dream, Booger, Children of Light, Confessions of a Good Samaritan, Didn’t Think I’d See You Here, The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, and many more.
