2025 GUIDELINES + APPLICATION

Festival Dates: Dec 4 - Dec 10, 2025

SUBMISSIONS OPEN

via https://filmfreeway.com/Hamptonsdocfest

If you’re a documentary filmmaker with a story that deserves to be seen, submit your film to our 18th annual festival in December. We celebrate all docs, all year. This is your opportunity to be part of Long Island’s only documentary-only festival that honors the art of non-fiction storytelling.

Hamptons Doc Fest screens approximately 30 films, including features and shorts. The festival runs for seven days in early December. For 2025, the festival dates are December 4 to December 10. HDF is vibrant with the latest in documentary filmmaking and is positioned to be a must-stop at the end of the festival circuit.

Why submit to Hamptons Doc Fest?
Exposure. Community. Recognition. Your film can be seen by a discerning audience of documentary enthusiasts, fellow filmmakers, and industry professionals.

Don’t miss this chance! Submit your film by July 1, 2025 and join us in celebrating the art of the documentary.

 
 
 

Submission Deadlines & Fees

  • Early: May 1, 2025 Fee: $40 per feature/$30 per short

  • Regular: June 10, 2025 Fee: $55 per feature/$40 per short

  • Late: July 1, 2025 Fee: $65 per feature/$50 per short

  • All submissions accepted via FILMFREEWAY

 

Submit Via

 

Submission Guidelines

Lengths: Features (over 40 minutes) and Shorts (1-40 minutes) 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • HDF does not accept works-in-progress.

  • Only work completed after January 2024 will be considered.

  • HDF does not have a formal premiere requirement but when making final decisions, programmers take a film’s exposure into consideration and will give preference to a New York or East Coast premiere.

  • HDF is not a themed competition. Programmers will consider quality, creativity, and professionalism.

Submission Procedure

Submission Format:

  • ENTRY FORMAT: Hamptons Doc Fest receives all films via www.FilmFreeway.com/HamptonsDocFest

  • SUBMISSION FORMAT: Hamptons Doc Fest accepts secure, password protected links via FilmFreeway (Vimeo, private YouTube, etc) as long as the link is not public.

  • EXHIBITION FORMAT: The required exhibition formats and delivery date deadlines will be confirmed by the Festival after invitations have been extended and confirmed. Please check in with the Festival staff before creating your Festival exhibition copy or copies to ensure the format and technical specifications are correct

  • FESTIVAL NOTIFICATION & EXHIBITION: Notification will be sent via FilmFreeway to the listed submitter by email to the Primary Contact listed on the entry form by October 1, 2025.

  • RIGHTS & CLEARANCES: HDF expects all filmmakers to secure music and talent rights to their films for festival exhibition. It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the projects to secure permission from the copyright holder of the material in question. HDF will not be held responsible for any inclusion of uncleared copyrighted materials.

Awards

Award Categories:

  • Audience Award to the feature receiving the highest votes from audience ballots

  • Human Rights Award to a film that celebrates courage in the face of social injustice

  • Art & Inspiration Award to a film that embraces the vibrancy and experimentation of an artist

  • Environmental Award to a film recognizing an important environmental concern

  • Breakthrough Director Award to a first-time filmmaker

  • Impact Award to a film or film organization highlighting a critical issue