Rockland International Film Festival (RIFF) is an IMDb qualifying online film festival and screenwriting competition. Our goal is to showcase and highlight works by global creators who desire to entertain, influence, and inspire.

Previously based around an annual screening in Rockland, Maine the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed us to transition to an online streaming model that encourages applications from a wider base of established and emerging creatives.

Awards are provided to winners, finalists, nominees, and selections in each category.

Through our screening platform, we offer daily, hourly and weekly screenings of independent features and shorts throughout the whole season. We screened hundreds of independent shorts and features in the last year from all over the globe. Some of our films had thousands of views and were selected by other festivals and secured distribution deals. However, online screening is optional and has to be requested by the producer and is not mandatory for entering various sections of the competition due to the premiere status of projects.

RIFF also continues to select jury members who are assigned to various sections of the festival in each season. The festival invites filmmakers, critics, actors, writers, composers, cinematographers and many agents and distributors from all over the world. MIFF also provides the option for the winners of each season to vote for the new edition of the festival.

We are an organization committed to selecting, awarding, promoting, featuring and screening international and Canadian projects of all genres.

RIFF announces award winners on a bi-monthly basis.

Awards are given for the following categories:

Seasonal Categories:
Best Narrative Feature
Best Narrative short
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Horror
Best Comedy
Best Animation
Best Science Fiction
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Best Experimental
Best Human Rights
Best Environmental
Best Female Director
Best First Time Filmmaker
Best Independent Film
Best Student Film
Best LGBTQ
Best Music Video
Best Thriller
Best Trailer
Best Director
Best Script
Best Producer
Best Cinematographer
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Editor
Best Composer
Best Short Script
Best Feature Script

Films must have been completed in the past 5 years.

We consider films regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film has already premiered at another festival, whether it screened at a physical venue or online, it’s still eligible for consideration.

International and American productions are accepted.

The applicant holds the sole responsibility of copyright clearance of any copyrighted material in the film.

The festival has the right to use a trailer, stills, pics and posters for promotional purposes in various film magazines, social media, websites, etc.

Entry fees are non-refundable.

English or French subtitles are required for foreign language films. Films in English or French do not require subtitles.

Shorts must be less than 50 minutes. All projects over 50 minutes should submit to the feature category.

The festival will only communicate with the submitter of the film project.