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Made Here Film Festival – For Filmmakers

The April 2023 Made Here Film Festival opens for submissions January 1, 2023. Filmmakers residing in Northern New England and Québec are eligible to submit. Made Here Film Festival is New England’s only competitive festival for filmmakers from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Northern New York state and Québec. The Made Here Film Festival is a partnership with Vermont PBS and is a program of VTIFF.

All deadlines and regulations can be found on Film Freeway/VTIFF.

***Please note, if you or your film are not from any of the above regions, VTIFF does not accept any unsolicited submissions for any of its other festivals***

 

MHFF 2022 took place in person and virtually in April. Flip through the program

 

MadeHere-Brochure

 

 

 

The 2022 Made Here Award winners were:

 

GABOR - Co-Winner Best Documentary, sponsored by Vermont PBS

PASSION IN A PANDEMIC, CO-Winner Best Documentary, sponsored by Vermont PBS

THE NOISE OF ENGINES (LE BRUIT DES MOTEURS), Co-Winner, Best Fiction, sponsored by Penny Cluse Café


BABATOURA, Co-Winner, Best Fiction, sponsored by Penny Cluse Café

TYPECAST, Winner Best Cinematography, sponsored by Class Four

EXPIRATION, Special Jury Mention

THE PRICE OF SAFETY, Special Jury Mention

SCARS, Special Jury Mention


 

 

 

 

 

The 2019 Made Here Award winners were:

Hotel Vermont Award for a film with the Best Sense of Place – Birch

Urban Rhino Award for Best Cinematography – Little Beeri’s March

Hawk Award for Best Screenplay – Dolls Don’t Die (Les poupées ne meurent pas)

Media Factory Award for Audience Favorite by popular vote – Major Arcana


Zero Gravity Award for Most Innovative film – The Epitaph of Marwa Stein


Vermont PBS Award for Best Documentary – Brothers


Northfield Savings Bank James Goldstone Award for Most Promising Filmmaker – Peter Ackerman

 

 

 

 

All films in competition:

Birch

Brothers

 

The 2018 films in competition were:

THE BEST DAY EVER: FOREST DAYS IN VERMONT KINDERGARTENS
Directed by Chris Hardee
NH | Documentary | 16 min 

BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Directed by Aja Selbach-Broad & Kaelan Selbach-Broad
VT | Fiction | 9 min 

A CERTAIN KIND OF MAN
Directed by Mike Overton
VT | Fiction | 22 min
WINNER – URBAN RHINO AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

DAVID AND THE KINGDOM
Directed by Woodrow Travers & Brian Paccione
VT | Documentary | 23 min
WINNER – JAMES GOLDSTONE AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER

ESTRELLITA (LITTLE STAR)
Directed by Daniel Houghton
VT | Animation, Fiction | 8 min

HENRY DAVID THOREAU: SURVEYOR OF THE SOUL
Directed by Huey
ME | Documentary | 114 min

THE HIKE 
Directed by Ben Silberfarb
VT | Fiction | 25 min
WINNER – HAWK AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY

IT WILL BE THE PAST 
Directed by Ali Salem
VT | Fiction | 17 min
WINNER – ZERO GRAVITY AWARD FOR MOST INNOVATIVE FILM

KALI YUGA CHANTS
Directed by Nilima Abrams
VT | Documentary | 91 min 

LAKE EFFECT 
Directed by Jacqueline Heltz
VT | Documentary | 32 min
WINNER – VERMONT PBS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

LEMONADE
Directed by Ioana Uricaru
VT | Fiction | 88 min | Romanian/English w/English subtitles

LIFE AFTER LIFE
Directed by Tamara Perkins
VT | Documentary | 72 min | Sponsor: VT College of Fine Art 

LIL’ HYBRIDS
Directed by Mike Wirkkala 
NH | Animation, Fiction | 5 min

LILY
Directed by Danilo Herrera Fonesca
ME | Fiction | 10 min 

LOWELL THOMAS: VOICE OF AMERICA 
Directed by Rick Moulton
VT | Documentary | 85 min

MODIFIED
Directed by Aube Giroux
QC | Documentary | 87 min | French/English w/English subtitles
WINNER –  THE MEDIA FACTORY AUDIENCE FAVORITE AWARD

MOON DOG
Directed by Mathieu Guimond
QC | Animation, Fiction | 3 min 

RAGHEAD
Directed by Nora Jacobson
VT | Fiction | 14 min

RESPONSE: A PORTRAIT OF FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL ARTISTS IN VERMONT
Directed by Peter vanderWilden
VT | Documentary | 19 min

ROOTED: CULTIVATING COMMUNITY IN THE VERMONT GRANGE
Directed by Ned Castle & Charlotte Barrett
VT | Documentary | 57 min
WINNER – HOTEL VERMONT AWARD FOR A FILM WITH BEST SENSE OF PLACE

SMOKE GRENADE
Directed by Joe LaRocca
ME | Fiction | 10 min 

TOUCHED 
Directed by Karl Hearne 
QC | Fiction | 78 min 

 

 

 

 

The line up of VT films for 2017 and Award-winning films

Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? – Winner – VCAM Audience Favorite Award
Directed by Alan Dater & Lisa Merton
Burned tells the little know story of the accelerating destruction of our forests for fuel, and probes the policy loopholes, huge subsidies, and blatant greenwashing of the burgeoning biomass fuel industry.

The Crest – Winner – Hotel Vermont Award for Best Sense of Place and Urban Rhino Award for Best Cinematography
Directed by Mark Covino
Two cousins on opposite sides of America – both surfers and both unaware of the other’s existence – discover they are both descendants of An Ri, the last King of the Blasket Islands, a collection of rocky islands off the western-most point of Ireland.

It’s Criminal – Winner – VT PBS Made Here Award for Best Documentary
Directed by Signe Taylor
A potent critique of the economic and social inequities that divide the U.S. Shot in intimate verite style, the film shares the life-changing experiences of incarcerated women and Dartmouth College students working together to write and perform an original play about the lives of the imprisoned women.

Hidden Blueprints: The Story of Mikey – Winner – James Goldstone Award for Most Promising Newcomer
Directed by Jeremy Lee MacKenzie
A hybrid film that details the history and creation of a collection of wood-scrollwork that was designed and hidden in prison. It tells the story of a champion fighting mantis named Mikey, that won all of its fights only to become an enduring myth after being martyred in a prison riot.

Kairos Dirt and the Errant Vacuum – Winner – Zero Gravity Brewery Award for Most Innovative Film
Directed by Madsen Minax
The film follows  a middle school lunch lady and her multiple lovers, her religious co-worker, a genderqueer student, and a phone sex operator/psychic medium. Through collective dreams a trans-worldly ghost invades the characters’ sleep to reveal an alternate realm of wanton, subconscious desire.

Looking Back at Me
Directed by Alex Escaja
Sade Bolger is an 18-year-old musician who has recently come out as non-binary. A portrait of Sade in relation to their passion for music, their unapologetic authenticity, and their place in Vermont in a genuine endeavor to influence the future, both online and in person.

Waking the Sleeping Giant: the Making of a Political Revolution
Directed by Jon Erickson
From the presidential campaign trail with Senator Bernie Sanders to a local political race in the failing economy of rural West Virginia, from a mass sit-in on the U.S. Capitol steps to racially charged police commission hearings in Los Angeles, the film wrestles with the state of US politics, Donald Trump’s electoral victory, and challenges ahead for those hoping to build a re-energized progressive movement.

The Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase is underwritten by the Grace Jones Richardson Trust with additional funding from a grant from the Arts Council of Vermont and the Vermont Community Fund.

All Vermont films selected to the Showcase are eligible for these awards

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Filmmakers: If you’re not subscribed to our e-newsletter, do so now (form is at the bottom of our home page) and tick the filmmaker box, to receive notifications.

The 2016 Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase took place Oct 21-22 in the Black Box Theater at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center. 

The 2016 Award-Winners were:

The full 2016 Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase Lineup:

Awake
Directed, animated & written by Sofy Maia
Animation | 7 min 48 sec

Awake

Becoming a Woman
Written & produced by Marianne DiMascio & Angie Albeck
Fiction | 7 min

Becoming a Woman

Black Canaries
Directed & produced by Jesse Kreitzer
Fiction | 18 min 30 sec

Black Canaries

Dad’s 50th Surprise Party
Directed, written & edited by Matt Lennon
Fiction | 9 min 31 sec

Dad's 50th Surprise Party

Don’t Touch the Camera
Directed by Anna Cuevas & Serena Gauthier
Documentary | 17 min 37 sec

Dont Touch The Camera

High Water Mark: The Rise & Fall of The Pants
Directed, written, edited & co-produced by Bill Simmon
Documentary | 60 min

High Water Mark

In the Bight
Directed, written, edited & produced by Ben Finer
Fiction | 28 min

In the Bight

Joan in Owl Land
Directed, written, edited & produced by Martin Castaneda
Fiction | 8 min 51 sec

Joan In Owl Land

Last Night
Directed & written by Jon Andrews
Fiction | 17 min

Last Night

One Night
Directed, written & produced by Cal Hopwood
Fiction | 12 min 30 sec

One Night

Peace Has No Borders
Directed by Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller
Documentary | 70 min

Peace Has No Borders

Sunday 1287
Directed & written by Brandon del Pozo
Fiction | 11 min

Sunday 1287

The Collinwood Fire
Directed by Daniel Houghton
Animation | 6 min

The Collinwood Fire

The Sign
Directed, edited & produced by James Lantz
Documentary | 14 min

The Sign

The Tent Village
Co-Directed, produced, & edited by Nilima Abrams
Documentary | 27 min 34 sec

Tent Village

The 2016 Awards are:

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Vermont Filmmakers: We have created a VimeoPro channel just for you: send us your films and/or trailers to upload, or links to your Vimeo channel and extend your visibility!

LAST YEAR’S SHOWCASE WINNERS:

Congratulations to all of the Vermont Filmmakers Showcase Award winners at ‪#‎vtiff2015‬!

immortal dear screenshot copy Victor Jara copy Hurt copy Sabra poster copy

Fairies' Child copywww.heribertoibarra.com 915.252.7071
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The winners were:

Pillow Talk – Lincoln Hayes & Rachel Riendeau Hayes for Best Screenwriting & the James Goldstone Award
Headliner – Cal Hopwood & Michael Fisher for Best Cinematography
Sabra – Bill Phillips for Best Film About a Vermonter
She Sings to the Stars – Larry Cedar for Best Actor
Hurt – Ethan Murphy for the Hotel Vermont Award for Best Use of Place
The Resurrection of Victor Jara – John Summa for the Ben & Jerry’s Award
Nelson Algren: The End is Nothing, The Road is All – Dennis Mueller for the Footage Farm Award for Best Use of Archival Footage
She Sings To The Stars – VCAM Award for The Audience Favorite
Sabra & Fairies’ Child – won the most votes using the special Rating App developed by Champlain College, Emergent Media Center

VTIFF is proud to celebrate Vermont filmmaking with our annual Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase™, the oldest and largest juried presentation of Vermont films in the state. The showcase takes place annually during the Vermont International Film Festival.
* Please note: the Showcase is the only part of the festival that is a Call-for-Entry. The main festival is curated and by invitation only. We do not accept submissions.
The Selected films were screened at The Vermont International Film Festival 
Oct 23 – Nov 1, 2015

The 2015 Awards were:

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We accept all genres, styles and lengths. There is no fee for Vermont films or videos submitted. The selected films will be screened at the Vermont International Film Festival and will be eligible for a range of awards. Please note these awards are subject to change, and some may not be awarded if no film fits their criteria.

 

Rules

Preview Format

You may upload your screener online and send us a link but we strongly urge you to send a DVD as backup.
We cannot guarantee the film will be previewed if the link doesn’t work when the jury convenes and you may lose your eligibility. We only accept DVDs playable on DVD players – do not provide data files (.avi, .mov) on a DVD.

VTIFF gives preference to VT premieres. If VTIFF will be the first public screening of your film, please make sure you indicate that on your submission form. If selected, we may advertise your film as a “premiere” in our promotional materials.  Please note: by “public screening” we mean open-to-the-public, advertised screenings and or television broadcasts. If your film is available for viewing online, that does not count as a “public screening” and it can still be eligible as a Vermont premiere.

Festival Notification

On or before September 15th, you will be notified via email about the status of your entry. The Selection Committee decisions are final. This application must be printed and mailed or dropped off at the festival office with the DVD.  Submissions that are not complete will not be considered.

VERMONT PBS Screenings

Award winners will be eligible to be broadcast on VT PBS

Vermont Filmmakers are represented online, on the Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase Vimeo Pro channel. There you can find contact details for the filmmakers, trailers and more.

***Subscribe to our newsletter as a filmmaker to ensure you get all the latest news targeted specifically for you. – vtiff.org home page, bottom right – subscribe and tick the filmmaker box***