Filmmakers and movie buffs from all over the world have traveled to the Mohawk Valley this week for the 18th Annual Hamilton International Film Festival (HIFF), which opened on July 20 and runs through July 26.
Headquartered at the historic Hamilton Theater on Lebanon Street, with events hosted by Colgate University and throughout the village, the festival is recognized as a “Top 100 Festival” by FilmFreeway, the world’s largest film submission platform.
The quintessential college town has transformed into a destination for almost two decades when for one week every summer, the rural Madison County refuge welcomes the artists, craftsmen and fans who love film to the now renowned festival, produced by Slater Brothers Entertainment, a global company based in Marina del Rey, CA, founded by Hamilton, NY natives, brothers Wade, Grant, and Todd Slater.
The event features screenings, Q&A events, filmmaker panels and more. The event has won a reputation in the film industry for delivering top quality programs and events, while curating an intimate atmosphere rich with small-town hospitality.
“The Hamilton International Film Festival is exactly the kind of event that makes Madison County such a special place to visit in the summer — world-class experiences in a setting that feels genuinely off the beaten path,” said Kaytlynn Lynch, Visit Madison County Executive Director, in a statement. “Eighteen years of filmmakers and film fans returning to our backyard says everything about how special this region is.”
2026 Hamilton International Film Festival schedule highlights
The festival opened July 20, with a free screening of Her Dream is Hardball, a sports documentary feature produced in the United States.
Here is what is planned for the coming week:
July 21 features the screenings of five short films across horror, drama, thriller genres produced in Canada, Mexico, and one student horror short, Killing Time, produced in New Zealand. The evening’s slate begins at 7 p.m. Free tickets are available for this event.
July 22 offers a double-feature film event beginning at 7 p.m. with Best Friends Forever, a short film out of Spain, followed by a feature film produced in Sweden titled, Cat Kingdom.
July 23 filmmakers, fans, and Mohawk Valley families, friends and neighbors are invited to gather for Hamilton’s summer soiree, “Thursdays on the Village Green.” The event, produced by Arts at the Palace and its sponsors, is a free-of-charge fete of live music and kid/family-friendly activities on the Hamilton Village Green beginning at 7 p.m. The local band, Driftwood, will be performing.
July 24 offers a full slate of short film screenings beginning at 8 p.m., including two student shorts, across genres including documentary, drama, thriller, horror, and comedy, all produced in the U.S.
July 25 a summer Saturday all-day line-up begins at 12 noon with a free “Filmmakers Panel Discussion.”
The panel event will be followed at 1:15 p.m. by a matinee screening of the U.S. produced, feature-length drama, Stop Time.
Saturday evening features the screenings of eight short films, the first seven all in the dramatic/thriller genre and produced in Ireland, Portugal, the U.K., and the U.S., concluding with a comedy short, Last Minute, produced in the United States.
July 26
The HIFF finale features a Sunday matinee slate of nine documentary short films, including three shorts produced by Hamilton Central School students: New Spring, Black Rook in Rainy Weather, and Putting the Good Things Away. Another local entry is the short documentary film, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, produced in Syracuse. The balance of films were produced in Ireland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Venues across Hamilton hosting HIFF events further the Hamilton Theater include Little Hall – Golden Theater at Colgate University, The Colgate Inn, and Arts at the Palace, all orbiting the Hamilton Village Green and walking distance from each other.
Find the full event schedule on the HIFF website or this THIS IS HAMILTON, NY Facebook page post.
Festial reveals Mohawk Valley college town to filmmakers as ‘hidden gem’
“Hamilton is a hidden gem for film — an intimate college town with a stunning historic theater and an audience that’s genuinely engaged with the work,” said Grant Slater of Slater Brothers Entertainment in a statement. “We’ve built something here that keeps filmmakers coming back, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of.”
Added Lynch, “and the economic ripple effect on local tourism is real and meaningful.”
HIFF Tickets, more information
The primary location of the Hamilton International Film Festival is the Hamilton Theater, 7 Lebanon Street, Village of Hamilton. The week-long event runs through July 26.
Tickets to screenings and other events are available at the Hamilton Theater box office or www.hamiltontheater.net.
Purchase a Festival Pass for $40 or tickets to individual events for $10. The HIFF also hosts several free screenings and events.
For more information, visit the Hamilton International Film Festival website or the FilmFreeway website.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Filmmakers worldwide convene for annual Hamilton film festival
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
