Hamptons International Film Festival facts for kids
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| Location | The Hamptons, New York, United States |
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| Founded | 1992 |
| Awards | Golden Starfish Award Audience Award Zelda Penzel "Giving Voice to the Voiceless" Award Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award Views From Long Island Award Brizzolara Family Foundation Award Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Award |
| Festival date | October |
The Hamptons International Film Festival (often called HIFF) is a cool event for movies. It was started in 1992 by Joyce Robinson. This festival happens every year in East Hampton, New York. It's usually a five-day event in the middle of October. You can find it in movie theaters around the Long Island area of New York.
About 18,000 people visit the festival each year. They show nearly 100 films from at least 20 different countries. The festival also gives out awards worth over $200,000! HIFF was created to celebrate independent films. It gives new filmmakers a chance to share their movies and ideas with the world.
The festival especially focuses on new filmmakers. It wants to show many different ideas and inspire audiences. Many films shown at HIFF have become very successful. For example, movies from the 2008 festival later won "Best Picture" at the Oscars, Golden Globe Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards. In 2011, films from HIFF received 24 Oscar nominations!
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What Kind of Films Does HIFF Show?
HIFF mainly shows short films, documentaries, and story films. It's also a special festival because films shown here can qualify for the Academy Awards.
The festival has cool special events, like:
- Breakthrough Performers: This shows off new and exciting acting talent.
- A Conversation With: You can listen to and ask questions of a famous movie person.
- Conflict & Resolution: This part uses movies to help people understand the real-life effects of war and conflict.
HIFF gives out awards worth $165,000 to talented filmmakers.
The festival also does other things throughout the year. This includes showing films in other parts of New York State. They also have an annual Screenwriters Lab.
Screenwriters Lab
The Hamptons Screenwriters’ Lab is a special meeting that happens every spring in East Hampton. It helps new writers develop their skills. The Lab connects experienced writers with new screenwriters. These new writers are chosen by the festival organizers and other important people in the film world.
How the Lab Works
The experienced writers act as mentors. They give advice in a "one-on-one" setting. There are also daily events where writers can meet board members, sponsors, and other festival supporters. The Lab helps participating screenwriters make their work better. They get to talk with film industry experts and learn how the movie business works.
Focus on Diverse Stories
The Lab looks for many different kinds of screenplays. They want stories that cover a wide range of topics. They also encourage new and innovative screenplays. These might explore science, technology, mathematics, invention, and engineering. This is part of their partnership with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This group helps people understand science better through movies.
