Named one of Moviemaker Magazine’s 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee for 7 years in a row!!! The 13th Annual Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, October 13-17th, 2021 was dubbed “a young Sundance” by indieWire, and “an all-inclusive resort for cinephiles” by Filmmaker Magazine. The longest continually running film festival in New Mexico, SFiFF is now one of the top regional film festivals in the United States. The Fest is a creative center for film in Santa Fe, allowing filmmakers to connect with industry and distributors. SFiFF showcases emerging and established filmmakers by screening features and shorts in one of the greatest art cities in the world. SFiFF offers cash prizes in most categories, filmmaker travel, and all-access passes to the festival. Santa Fe is now one of the greatest theater cities on earth with the recently opened Violet Crown, George RR Martin’s Jean Cocteau, the historic Lensic theater, The Screen, and the Center for Contemporary Arts.
SFiFF Offers Cash Prizes in the Following Categories
$1,000 Prize for Best Narrative Feature
$1,000 Prize for Best Documentary Feature
$500 Prize for Best Narrative Short
$500 Prize for Best Documentary Short
$500 Prize for Best New Mexico Short
Submission Fees and Deadlines
Earlybird Deadline: March 5th
Feature length: $45
Short film: $40
Regular Deadline: May 5th
Feature length: $60
Short film: $50
New Mexico Filmmakers qualify for a 30% discount on submissions, and NM Students submit at no cost.
Email jena@santafeindependent.com for your discount or waiver code.
FilmFreeway Gold Members get a 10% discount.
SFiFF accepts entries for Narrative films, Documentaries, International films, Animated films, Indigenous films, Student films, and Virtual Reality. Filmmakers whose films are selected for the festival will have countless creative opportunities, including screenings in Santa Fe’s unique, arthouse theaters. Dependent on public health orders, travel and hotel rooms will be available to those films that get accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Safety of SFiFF audience members and guests is the festival’s first priority. As theaters reopen responsibly, and Santa Fe begins to enliven, we are optimistic that the 2021 festival will take place with few restrictions, but with the utmost consideration for safety. We will adhere to the recommendations from the State of New Mexico, and national guidelines as well. Visit santafeindependent.com for more information.
