Green Bay Film Festival

Overview

The Green Bay Film Festival (GBFF) is in its 16th season and operates as a year-round festival with two distinct curated events at the historic Tarlton Theatre, 405-409 W. Walnut Street in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 2026 spring session takes place March 14, 2026, with the fall session scheduled for October 17, 2026. Submissions for the spring session run June through August, and fall submissions open March 14, 2026.

GBFF programs four categories: Made in Wisconsin, Documentary, Shorts, and Features. The festival creates themes based on the submissions received, curating each event around the specific films selected rather than programming to a predetermined theme. The festival does not pay screening fees and requires attending filmmakers to provide an exhibition copy for one screening without additional compensation.

The festival is not Academy Award-qualifying and is not FIAPF-accredited. Its value proposition is community engagement, filmmaker hospitality, and the historic Tarlton Theatre venue, which provides a restored Art Deco cinema experience with bars and a restaurant. Tickets are $15 for general admission and include access to all main activities for the event.

Submission Details

GBFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. The festival operates on a split-season model:

Submission categories:

• Made in Wisconsin - films by filmmakers currently living in Wisconsin and/or celebrating the stories and triumphs of people who live, work, and play in Wisconsin
• Documentary - original documentary films, any theme or topic, maximum runtime 90 minutes
• Shorts - short films of any genre or subject (narrative, experimental, animated, or other styles)
• Features - feature films of any genre or subject matter

Key rules:

• All films submitted compete in their noted categories.
• If GBFF determines a film fits a different category, the filmmaker may be notified with an option to change.
• Any film that receives a fee waiver or is invited by the festival will not be considered in competition.
• The festival does not pay screening fees. If selected, the filmmaker provides an exhibition copy for one screening.
• If selected, a trailer (maximum one minute, mp4 format) is requested for promotional purposes.
• The festival may extract clips or use submitted images for promotional purposes during the sales and promotional period.
• Filmmakers must notify GBFF of all screenings and distribution taking place prior to the festival. If the festival determines prior screenings or distribution interfere with its ability to draw an audience, it may request the film be withdrawn.
• Physical trophies are awarded to in-person participants only. Winners not in attendance receive laurels.
• Attending the festival event is required to receive any award (physical award and cash award).

Submission fees: Check the FilmFreeway listing for current fee amounts and deadline tiers.

Awards and Prizes

GBFF presents juried awards determined in advance of the festival event. The 2026 juried award structure:

• Best of the Fest - $200 cash award. Based on the theme determined for each event. Attending the festival is required to receive the cash award and physical trophy. Winners not in attendance receive laurels only.

The award is category-agnostic: "Best of the Fest" can come from any of the four submission categories (Made in Wisconsin, Documentary, Shorts, Features). The festival determines the theme for each event based on the submissions received.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Split-season format: GBFF is unusual in operating as a year-round festival with two separate events. Each event is curated independently with its own theme and submissions. If your film is not selected for the spring session, you can resubmit for the fall session. The fall 2026 event is scheduled for October 17, 2026, with submissions opening March 14, 2026.

Attendance requirement for awards: You must attend the festival event to receive any award, including the $200 cash prize and physical trophy. If you win but do not attend, you receive laurels only. This is a firm rule, not a preference. Factor travel costs to Green Bay into your festival ROI calculation before submitting.

No screening fees: GBFF does not pay screening fees. If your film is selected, you provide an exhibition copy for one screening without additional compensation. This is standard for small regional festivals but differs from festivals like Middlebury New Filmmakers, which pays screening fees for its Vermont Tour.

Prior distribution disclosure: If your film has prior screenings or distribution, you must disclose this to GBFF. The festival reserves the right to request withdrawal if prior distribution interferes with its ability to draw an audience. This is not a hard premiere requirement, but it functions as a soft one. If your film is already widely available, GBFF is less likely to program it.

Made in Wisconsin category: The Made in Wisconsin category is non-negotiable and always programmed. It is reserved for filmmakers currently living in Wisconsin and/or films celebrating Wisconsin stories. If you qualify, this category has less competition than the open categories. The festival also programs Indigenous Stories as a recurring thematic category.

Tarlton Theatre venue: The Tarlton Theatre is a historic Art Deco cinema originally constructed circa 1924 to 1925 as an automobile dealership and converted to a cinema in 1941 by architect Perry Crosier. The building reopened as The Tarlton Theatre on December 15, 2018, after over a decade of dormancy. The venue includes bars and a restaurant, and the festival incorporates food and beverage opportunities into its events. The theatre offers complimentary parking at the paved lot immediately west of the venue at 100 South Chestnut Avenue.

Community focus and Midwest hospitality: GBFF emphasizes filmmaker hospitality and community connection. The festival describes its approach as giving filmmakers "an extraordinary welcome in traditional Midwest fashion." The atmosphere is informal and community-oriented. There are no market events, no industry accreditations, and no distribution deal-making.

No fee waiver competition eligibility: If your film receives a fee waiver or is invited by the festival, it will not be considered in competition. This means waived-fee submissions can screen but cannot win the Best of the Fest award. If you are offered a waiver and want to compete, pay the entry fee instead.

Festival History

GBFF was founded in 2010 and has grown over 16 seasons into a fixture of Green Bay's cultural scene. The festival found its permanent home at the Tarlton Theatre in 2018, when the historic building reopened as an Art Deco cinema and performing arts venue. The theatre was restored by owner Tarlton Knight and former owner Mark Mariucci.

The Tarlton Theatre has a layered history. Originally constructed circa 1924 to 1925 as an automobile dealership, it was converted to a Streamline Moderne-style single-screen cinema in 1941 by Standard Theatres Management Corporation, with design by architect Perry Crosier, known for Art Deco and Art Moderne theatres throughout the American Midwest. The building operated as the West Theater until it closed. It reopened on December 15, 2018 as The Tarlton Theatre. In 2022, The Tarlton Theatre became the home of The Weidner Downtown At The Tarlton, a fine arts partnership with The Weidner and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In 2024, the theatre celebrated 100 years since the original construction.

The festival's shift to a year-round, two-event format reflects an adaptation to the realities of regional festival programming. Rather than concentrating all programming into a single multi-day weekend, GBFF spreads its events across the year, allowing for more focused curation per event and sustained community engagement.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For independent filmmaking approaches, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. Submit through the GBFF FilmFreeway page or the GBFF website.