Hamptons International Film Festival
An intimate East Coast festival that serves as a key awards-season stop
Overview
The Hamptons International Film Festival takes place each October in the scenic resort towns of eastern Long Island, New York. Its timing and location make it a favorite weekend destination for New York-based industry professionals during the fall awards season.
The festival programs a curated selection of narrative features, documentaries, and shorts alongside conversations with filmmakers and actors. The intimate scale means filmmakers often interact directly with engaged audiences and industry attendees.
How It Works
HIFF's location attracts a sophisticated audience that includes entertainment industry figures, media professionals, and cultural philanthropists. The relaxed setting facilitates meaningful connections that are harder to make at larger, more hectic festivals.
Submission fees range from approximately $40 to $65 depending on category and deadline. The Hamptons location means premium accommodation costs during the festival, though the festival period falls outside peak summer pricing.
Who Uses It
An excellent festival for filmmakers seeking a refined, industry-connected audience on the East Coast. The intimate atmosphere and New York proximity create strong networking opportunities with decision-makers.
Pricing & Plans
Hamptons International Film Festival submission fees range from approximately $40-65 depending on category and deadline tier. Individual screening tickets are available for public audiences at approximately $20-30 per screening, with premium gala events priced higher. Festival passes providing access to multiple screenings and events are available at various tiers. The Hamptons location means accommodation during the October festival is expensive by regional standards, with hotel rates typically ranging from $200-500+ per night, though the fall timing is less expensive than the peak summer season when Hamptons rates can be astronomical. The festival's proximity to New York City (approximately 2-3 hours by car or train from Manhattan) means some attendees commute from the city, though staying in the Hamptons provides the full festival experience and maximizes networking opportunities. The intimate scale of the event means total attendance costs can be managed more effectively than at larger festivals, as the concentrated programming requires fewer days and the compact geography eliminates transportation expenses between venues.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
HIFF's Hamptons location attracts an unusually influential audience that includes entertainment industry executives, media moguls, cultural philanthropists, and New York-based agents and managers who weekend in the Hamptons and attend the festival as part of their social calendar, creating organic networking opportunities with high-level decision-makers in an informal setting. The intimate scale means filmmakers interact directly with audiences and industry professionals in a way that is impossible at larger festivals, and the relaxed, social atmosphere of the Hamptons encourages the kind of genuine personal connections that lead to meaningful professional relationships. The October timing positions HIFF as a strategic awards-season stop, and films that screen at HIFF benefit from additional visibility and critical attention during the compressed fall festival-to-awards pipeline. The festival's programming, while smaller than major events, is carefully curated and benefits from the sophisticated tastes of its East Coast audience, meaning selection signals quality to an audience that is well-versed in independent and international cinema. HIFF's conversations with filmmakers and Q&A sessions are among the most substantive in the festival world, as the educated, engaged audience asks thoughtful questions that provide genuine intellectual engagement with your work. The festival's charitable mission and community engagement create goodwill that enhances the experience for filmmakers and attendees alike.
What Could Be Better
The Hamptons location, while prestigious, creates logistical challenges — reaching the festival from New York City can take 2-3 hours depending on traffic, and the limited public transportation options mean a car is virtually essential for comfortable festival navigation. Accommodation costs in the Hamptons, even in the off-peak October period, are significantly higher than in most festival locations, and the resort-town pricing for restaurants and services adds to the overall expense. The festival's intimate scale means very few films are programmed, and the limited number of screening slots makes acceptance competitive despite the event's regional positioning. Industry attendance at HIFF, while influential, is concentrated among East Coast professionals, and the festival attracts fewer West Coast studio executives, producers, and distribution companies than events in Los Angeles or even Sundance. Distribution deals at HIFF are rare, and the festival functions primarily as a showcase and networking event rather than a commercial marketplace. The social dynamics of the Hamptons can feel exclusive and intimidating to filmmakers from outside the East Coast cultural establishment, and navigating the informal networking environment requires social confidence.
Our Recommendation
HIFF is recommended for filmmakers with awards-contender projects who want intimate exposure to influential East Coast industry professionals and culturally engaged audiences in a relaxed, social setting. The festival is particularly valuable for filmmakers who already have New York-based representation or industry relationships and want to deepen those connections through the intimate festival environment. If your film has already premiered at a major festival and you want to extend its visibility with an East Coast audience during awards season, HIFF provides an ideal complementary platform. For first-time filmmakers without existing industry connections, HIFF's intimate and somewhat exclusive social environment may be less accessible than more open and democratic festivals like Sundance, SXSW, or Tribeca. The festival works best as part of a broader festival strategy rather than as a standalone submission target, complementing major festival premieres with targeted East Coast industry exposure.
Pro Tips
If attending HIFF, plan to stay in the Hamptons for the duration of the festival rather than commuting from New York City, as the overnight social events and informal networking opportunities in the evenings are as valuable as the daytime screenings and provide the greatest access to the influential attendees who make HIFF uniquely valuable. Attend the festival's social events, dinners, and parties, as these informal gatherings are where the most meaningful connections with industry decision-makers occur in the relaxed Hamptons atmosphere. Prepare conversational talking points about your film that work in social settings rather than formal pitch environments, as HIFF networking happens organically over drinks and meals rather than in scheduled meetings. Research which industry professionals typically attend HIFF and plan your social strategy to maximize opportunities to connect with specific people who can advance your project or career. Follow up with HIFF contacts promptly after the festival, referencing specific conversations to maintain the personal connection established in the intimate festival environment.