Salem Film Fest

Salem Film Fest

Also known as: SFF
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Salem Film Fest is a documentary festival in Salem, Massachusetts, founded in 2007 by filmmakers and film enthusiasts under the motto “Come to Salem, see the world”. It brings independent documentaries from many countries, and their makers, to Boston's North Shore, with screenings at venues such as Cinema Salem and the Peabody Essex Museum. Volunteers run most of the festival through the non-profit Salem Community Arts Center, Inc.; it shares revenue with selected feature filmmakers and offers some travel support and accommodation.

For most of its history the programme was built by invitation; since 2025 it also takes open-call submissions of documentary features and shorts. The student showcases Mass Reality Check and Keeping It Reel present short documentaries by Massachusetts college and high school students. Winners receive handmade trophies by Salem artists. The 2027 edition, the festival's 20th anniversary, takes place on 18–21 March 2027.

Country

United States (USA)

Focus

Documentary

Categories

Documentary, Feature, Short, Student

Dates

18 March 2027 — 21 March 2027

Awards and prizes

Special Jury Award ($1,000 prize) Award for Journalism ($500 prize) American Cinematographer Magazine Award for Cinematography Cultrera Cuts Editing Award Best Short Award Audience Award Mass Reality Check student award (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) Winners receive original handmade trophies created by Salem-based artists.

Festival rules

The programme combines open-call submissions and invited films, selected by a screening committee and the programming team. Open-call categories: documentary features and documentary shorts. Films with at least a Massachusetts premiere are prioritised. Films must not be broadcast until at least two months after the festival and must not be available for streaming, online purchase or VOD before the festival. Student work is not accepted in the main call. Massachusetts students can enter Mass Reality Check (college students and recent graduates, films up to 20 minutes) and Keeping It Reel (high school students, films up to 10 minutes). Films submitted in earlier years are not considered. Use of AI in a film must be disclosed to the programming team. Submissions are accepted through FilmFreeway.

Contacts

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