Held annually since 2001 in a week-long April event, Ivy Film Festival has grown to become the largest student-run film festival in the world. Festival week features advanced screenings of feature films, panels, keynotes, workshops, and masterclasses with some of the most highly regarded professionals in the industry, culminating with the Official Selection of short student films, screenplays, and virtual reality experiences. In 2016, Ivy Film Festival expanded its reach to partner with dozens of universities across the world through its Satellite Film Festival, bringing its world-renowned Official Selection to audiences throughout the globe.
Each year, thousands of filmmakers and enthusiasts flock to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island to attend Ivy Film Festival. Some of the festival’s most exciting guests to date include Jodie Foster, Wes Anderson, Robert De Niro, Laura Linney, M. Night Shyamalan, Park Chan-wook, Daveed Diggs, and Olivia Wilde, among many others.
The festival features three separate Official Selection categories for student-made work, each with its own individual competitions and awards: short films, screenplays, and new media (virtual or augmented reality films or experiences).
All finalists featured in IFF’s Official Selection are invited to attend the festival week in April on Brown University’s campus. Finalists are provided lodging and access to all festival events.
A Best in Category Award (to be determined by the festival’s Programming staff) is awarded to one film from each category (Undergrad Comedy, Undergrad Drama, Undergrad Experimental, Undergrad Documentary, Undergrad Animation, International, and Graduate).
A Grand Jury Prize (to be determined by the festival’s Grand Jury) is awarded to one film from the entire Official Selection. Ivy Film Festival’s Grand Jury is a panel comprised each year of esteemed industry professionals, including network and studio executives, directors, producers, and actors.
An Audience Choice Award (to be determined by the audience attending festival screenings) is awarded to the film from the Official Selection that receives the highest percentage of audience voters.
A screenplay prize (to be determined by the festival’s Screenplay staff) is awarded to the winner of each of the following categories: Undergraduate Short, Undergraduate Feature, Graduate Short, Graduate Feature, and TV Pilot. A second and third place submission will also be selected for each category.
A Best in Category Award (to be determined by the festival’s New Media staff) is awarded to one project from each category (360 Film, Augmented Reality Film, Roomscale VR Experience, Soundscape Installation, Interactive Display, Projection Mapping).