The New Hampshire Film Festival recognizes the best artists and works across several categories by presenting our infamous granite awards, affectionately known as the Grannys. The Granny is a celebration of NHFF’s award-winning films, filmmakers, screenplays and screenwriters, while also paying homage to our beloved Granite State. Weighing in at 20 pounds, the Granny is surely the most physically significant award in the film industry.
The New Hampshire Film Festival was named an Academy Award® qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences beginning with its 20th annual edition. Short films that receive the festival’s Live Action Shorts Jury Award and Animation Shorts Jury Award may now qualify to enter the Short Films competition for the concurrent Oscar® season. Recipients of these qualifying festival awards will be eligible for consideration in the Live Action Short Film and Animation Short Film categories of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the films otherwise comply with the Academy rules.
The Grand Jury Awards are NHFF’s most prestigious feature-length film awards, with a prize package that includes an industry meeting with a distributor and a new cash prize of $2,500. The top undistributed films in each category are selected by NHFF executive staff and programming team as nominees for the Documentary Grand Jury and Narrative Grand Jury, respectively.
All feature-length narrative films are nominated for Best Feature. Feature-length narrative films must be 60 minutes or longer. Selected by the programming team and executive staff, this award recognizes the Best Feature film in NHFF.
All feature-length documentary films are nominated for Best Documentary. Feature-length documentary films must be 60 minutes or longer. Selected by the programming team and executive staff, this award recognizes the Best Documentary film in NHFF.
A sure measure of success for filmmakers is winning the Audience Choice Award. Crowds, social media attention, app votes, and audience buzz will determine the Audience Choice Award winners in both the feature narrative and feature documentary categories.
Highlighting NHFF’s love of the short subject medium since its inception are three juried short film awards, each with a new cash prize of $1,000. Decided upon by two separate juries (one for narrative material and the other for documentary), the top films in each category are nominated by NHFF executive staff and programming team. The animation and live-action short winners become qualified to submit for Oscar® consideration if all other rules are met.
All short comedic films less than 40 minutes in length are nominated for Best Short Comedy. Winner is selected by the NHFF programming team and executive staff.
All short dramatic films less than 40 minutes in length are nominated for Best Short Drama. Winner is selected by the NHFF programming team and executive staff.
Student films of all genres and lengths compete for this award. Winner is selected by the NHFF programming team and executive staff.
Since 2002, the festival’s second edition, the NHFF Screenplay Competition has awarded each year’s best screenplay submitted for consideration. Nominees are selected by members of the screenplay committee, and a special guest judge decides the winner. The prize package is a one-week residency at the Star Island Family Retreat & Conference Center, located on the Isles of Shoals, including room, board and more for two guests.
NEW HAMPSHIRE DAY & NIGHTThe NH Day & Night Program at the New Hampshire Film Festival is dedicated to promoting films, filmmakers, producers and actors who hail from the state. NH Day & Night takes place the first day of NHFF and concludes with its own award ceremony that same evening. This is a unique and very important day to spotlight the creative film talent alive and well in the Granite State. NH is known for its independent spirit, so it’s not surprising to see this reflected in the independent film community.
Named for Van McLeod, the former Commissioner of the NH Department of Cultural Resources, this award honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to the film industry, and hails from the state of New Hampshire. An icon in the state’s cultural community, Van’s work has had an enormous impact on NH’s film industry.
The New Hampshire Jury makes the final selection from the best short films nominated by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated directors are eligible for this award, voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated feature length narrative films are nominated for Best NH Feature Narrative. This award is voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated feature length documentary films are nominated for Best NH Feature Documentary. This award is voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated short narrative films are nominated for Best NH Short Narrative. This award is voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated short documentary films are nominated for Best NH Short Documentary. This award is voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
All NH-affiliated actors are eligible for NH Performance of the Year. This award is voted on by the NHFF executive staff and programming team.
