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. 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.
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 for 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.
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 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 winners are decided by a jury that includes about five cinema professionals. The Van McLeod honours an NH native who has contributed to the cinema industry.
