Indy Film Fest

Indy Film Fest was founded in 2004 to celebrate the art of cinema and to create a shared experience around film in Indianapolis. We are a non-profit, international, independent film festival programming both features and shorts. Our all-volunteer staff strives to bring the best films the industry has to offer to our community from home and abroad. Our programmers aim to foster new talent and help filmmakers connect with the global industry. We are also dedicated to educating and developing audiences for international and independent cinema in Indy, screening the kind of innovative, visionary work that may not normally achieve distribution in this area. Indy Film Fest is looking for the best independent features and shorts no matter the category or genre including: live action, animated, drama, comedy, narrative, documentary, horror, sci-fi, and experimental. Our 10-day annual festival typically programs around 30 features and 110 short films, with over 90% from submissions. COVID-19: For 17 years our festival presented only in-person screenings of our selections. Due to the pandemic our 2020 and 2021 festivals were held mostly online with several safe in-person events at a permanent drive-in theater venue. We are planning and working towards a primarily in-person festival for 2022, probably supplemented with optional online availability. Before selection decisions are made we will update filmmakers who have submitted with any significant anticipated changes to venue, dates, and format. We will consider refund requests at that time only if any of those changes are unsatisfactory. Always growing and adapting, the Indy Film Fest began as the three-day Indianapolis International Film Festival in 2004. We quickly expanded to our current 10-day format in 2006, moved our festivities to the summer in 2009, changed our name to the Indy Film Fest in 2014, and since 2018 have been back home to our original spring timeframe. Alumni of the Indy Film Fest (and Indianapolis International Film Festival) are eligible for a reasonable number of free submissions. Films with significant ties to Indiana are eligible for drastically reduced submission fees. Examples of eligibility include the director or writer being a current Indiana resident or native, or the film being primarily shot within Indiana. Please contact submissions@indyfilmfest.org to see if you are eligible for either of these opportunities.