The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a tot ...

. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October and is held in theatre venues located in the Long Island area of New York, United States. Approximately 18,000 visitors attend each festival and close to a hundred films are featured each year, including an annual representation of at least twenty countries and an awards package worth over $200,000. HIFF was founded as a celebration of independent film in a variety of forms, and to provide a forum for independent filmmakers with differing global perspectives. The festival places a particular emphasis upon new filmmakers with a diversity of ideas, as a means to not only provide public exposure for festival content and its creators, but to also

inspire The following is a thematic list of European Union directives: For a date based list, see the :European Union directives by number Numbering From 1 January 1992 to 31 December 2014, numbers assigned by the General Secretariat of the Council ...

and enlighten audiences. The festival has presented films that have subsequently been considered highly successful productions; the 2008 event featured eventual winners of the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, Golden Globe Award, and

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

"Best Picture" accolades, and the 2011 season consisted of 24 Academy Award

nomination Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In the ...

s. HIFF primarily showcases

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

and narrative films and is a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards. The festival offers special presentations, including: "Breakthrough Performers" showcasing new emerging acting talent; "A Conversation With", a Q&A session with a film luminary; and "Conflict & Resolution" which "utilizes the power of cinema to increase understanding of the human realities of war and conflict". HIFF offers an awards package worth $165,000. The festival is also involved with other events during the remainder of the year, including screenings in other parts of

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

and an annual Screenwriters Lab.

Screenwriters Lab

The Hamptons Screenwriters’ Lab is an intimate gathering that takes place each Spring in East Hampton. The Lab seeks to develop new screenwriting talent by introducing established writers to emerging screenwriters, the latter having been chosen by the organizers of the film festival and key industry contacts. The

mentor Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

s advise in a "one-on-one" laboratory setting, whilst scheduled daily events allow participants to engage with board members, sponsors, the local creative community and other festival supporters. The Lab facilitates the improvement of participating screenwriters' work, as the selected writers consult with industry professionals to attain

insight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intui ...

into the mechanisms of the film industry. The Lab actively seeks a broad selection of screenplays that cumulatively address a

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

of subject matter. The Lab also encourages the submission of fresh,

innovative Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entit ...

screenplays that explore science,

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...

, mathematics, invention and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

as part of its

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments ...

with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s initiative to further the public understanding of

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

References

External links

* {{Film festivals Film festivals in New York (state) East Hampton (village), New York Tourist attractions in Suffolk County, New York Film festivals established in 1992