The Stony Brook Film Festival is a very competitive ten-day festival that features every feature and short on our 40-foot screen in the Staller Center for the Arts Main Stage which seats over 1000. Located halfway between NYC and the Hamptons, we attract a clientele that enjoys our screenings, casual atmosphere, and parties at sponsoring restaurants and clubs. Selected filmmakers are offered travel assistance, excellent lodging, and passes for all screenings, events and parties. And with over 14,000 annual attendees, filmmakers enjoy a packed house at their screening on the largest screen they have ever had.
Every year we turn thousands of entries into approximately 40 screenings, with a great slot for every feature and short. Because of our large venue, discerning patrons, and limited slots, we do not have room for “pretty good” — our programmers preview every film and short with an eye for excellence. With many of our selected features and shorts films winning major awards or being picked up by distributors, we have become a tremendous springboard for new films and budding filmmakers.
We know just how much hard work, blood, sweat and money has gone into your work and how hard the journey is to get your work seen, so we keep your cost low: the fees for our three deadlines are February 1 ($10), April 1 ($20) and May 1 ($30). Being selected to play at the Stony Brook Film Festival guarantees you will have a special and full screening without having to market the screening, because that’s our job. So if you have a really great film and want to screen at a festival where the organizers and staff are as passionate about film as you are, then check us out at:filmfreeway.com/stonybrookfilmfestival.
Praise from some of last year’s filmmakers:
Writer/Director Nate Duncan (The Interview) writes:
This was my first time going through the festival circuit and before I started submitting I asked a couple of filmmaker friends, who had gone to over 100 festivals, which festivals were their favorites. Out of that conversation, I was told that Stony Brook was within the top 3 for each of them. I was fortunate enough to get in and I can now tell you after going that this is by far one of the best festivals I have ever been too. The entire staff is extremely easy to communicate with and they really take care of you. They have a beautiful facility where they screen the films and they do a great job of packing out the screenings. They offer a wonderful Q&A following the screenings and treat you like royalty. I would highly recommend submitting to this festival.
Writer/Director Maja Zdanowski (In God I Trust) writes:
Wow! What can I say about the Stony Brook Film Festival? My main piece of advice is: if your film gets selected you MUST attend! It?s an Indie filmmaker?s dream festival. The programmers are extremely gracious, helpful, fun, and hospitable. Your film will be seen by a large audience in a 1000 seat capacity theatre and you won?t have to worry about handing out promo material for people to come watch your film. They have done a fantastic job at building a solid audience attendance. Thank you to the Stony Brook Film Festival for an amazing film festival experience!