Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF)

Overview

The Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) is a competitive festival in Richmond, Virginia, screening 190+ films from 35 countries across 6 days. The 15th annual edition runs September 22 to 27, 2026. RIFF awards over $20,000 in cash and prizes, including $500 for the Grand Jury Best Feature Film and $250 for the Grand Jury Best Short Film. The festival accepts features, shorts, screenplays, teleplays, music videos, and episodic series through FilmFreeway. RIFF also runs a concurrent music festival and the FLOW Creative and Pitch Conference, making it one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest international competitive festivals.

RIFF does not require a world or US premiere, but films must not have been screened within 100 miles of Richmond, VA, prior to the festival screening date. The festival does not require distribution exclusivity. All Access Badges are provided for Official Selection filmmakers.

The 2026 Official Selection comprised 190 films from 35 countries. The festival screens at the Bowtie Criterion/Movieland and the historic Byrd Theatre, a 1,300-seat venue that USA Today named "one of the top 10 places to still see a movie in splendor in the United States" in 2011.

Submission Details

Submissions are accepted exclusively through FilmFreeway for films and screenplays. Screenplays are also accepted through Coverfly. All other submission sites are ineligible.

Categories:

• Feature films and scripts (over 40 minutes/pages)
• Short films and scripts (under 40 minutes/pages)
• Original teleplays (75 minutes/pages or less)
• Music videos
• Episodic series (television or web)

Eligibility:

• Films must be completed on or after September 1, 2024, for the 2026 festival. Earlier projects may still be submitted but receive lower priority
• Short and feature films must not have been shown within 100 miles of Richmond, VA, prior to the festival screening date
• No world or US premiere required, but premiere status may receive priority consideration
• Films must not have received distribution or a Richmond premiere prior to RIFF
• Works in progress are accepted at entry, but a final cut must be uploaded to FilmFreeway by the final deadline
• If submitting to multiple categories, a separate entry form and fee are required for each

Deadlines (2026 festival):

• Early, Regular, Late, Final, and Extended deadlines are tiered via FilmFreeway
• Final deadline: March 10, 2026
• Notification date: June 15, 2026
• Entry fees are payable through FilmFreeway and vary by deadline tier and category

Key Sections

• Feature Film Competition - narrative and documentary features competing for Grand Jury awards
• Short Film Competition - Academy Award-qualifying programs for short films
• Screenplay Competition - feature and short screenplays, plus teleplays, competing for Grand Jury screenplay awards
• Virginia Film Competition - films by Virginia-based filmmakers
• Music Video Competition - music videos of all genres
• Episodic Series Competition - television and web series
• FLOW Creative and Pitch Conference - industry panels, pitch sessions, and workshops
• Special Screenings - events, Q&As, and red carpet premieres

What Filmmakers Should Know

RIFF is one of the most accessible competitive festivals in the Mid-Atlantic for independent filmmakers. The festival does not require a premiere, making it a viable option for films that have already screened at other regional festivals (provided they have not screened within 100 miles of Richmond). The submission categories are broad, accepting not only features and shorts but also screenplays, teleplays, music videos, and web series, which makes RIFF one of the few mid-tier festivals with a genuinely inclusive approach to format.

The Grand Jury Best Feature Film receives $500 cash and a special recognition trophy at the annual red carpet awards. The Grand Jury Best Short Film receives $250 cash. For screenplays, the Grand Jury Best Feature Screenplay receives $500 cash and the Grand Jury Best Short Screenplay receives $250 cash. Additional awards include Outstanding Merit Awards, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Music/Score. The total cash and prize pool exceeds $20,000.

All Access Badges are provided for Official Selection filmmakers, granting access to all film screenings, music performances, mixers, VIP parties, the FLOW conference, the Global Visionary Summit, and the red carpet awards. This makes RIFF one of the more generous festivals in terms of filmmaker benefits at its budget tier.

The festival's concurrent music program is a differentiator. RIFF overlaps a full music festival with the film program, creating opportunities for filmmakers to connect with musicians for scoring, licensing, or collaborative projects. The FLOW Creative and Pitch Conference runs during festival week and includes pitch sessions, industry panels, and networking events.

RIFF has a no-refund policy on all submissions and ticketing purchases. The festival reserves the right to alter dates due to unforeseen circumstances and may shift to a hybrid model in cases of inclement weather or emergencies.

Major Awards

Film awards:

• Grand Jury Best Feature Film - $500 cash + special recognition trophy
• Grand Jury Best Short Film - $250 cash + special recognition trophy
• Outstanding Merit Awards - across multiple categories
• Individual Merit Awards - Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music/Score
• Audience Award
• Best Virginia Film

Screenplay awards:

• Grand Jury Best Feature Screenplay - $500 cash + special recognition trophy
• Grand Jury Best Short Screenplay - $250 cash + special recognition trophy
• Genre awards - certificates in each main screenplay category

Other awards:

• Best Web Series
• Best Music Video
• Outstanding Merit Awards for social change films - for select films that highlight social change and create awareness through the use of film

Festival History

RIFF was founded in 2007 and has grown into one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest international competitive festivals. The 2026 edition is the 15th annual festival. The festival expanded in 2017 to add a full-scale music festival that overlaps with the film portion, creating a hybrid film and music event.

The festival is held at the Bowtie Criterion/Movieland and the historic Byrd Theatre in Richmond. The Byrd Theatre, built in 1928, is a 1,300-seat single-screen cinema noted for its French Renaissance interior design. USA Today recognized it as one of the top 10 places to still see a movie in splendor in the United States.

RIFF has built its reputation on accessibility for independent filmmakers and writers. The screenplay competition, which runs alongside the film competition, is one of the few festival-embedded screenplay competitions that awards cash prizes and provides festival-week exposure for writers. The FLOW Creative and Pitch Conference has grown into a regional industry event, attracting producers, directors, and distribution professionals from the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. For independent filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For distribution deals, see Distribution Deals Explained.