The New Haven Underground Film Festival exists to help talented filmmakers by exposing new audiences to their visions of light and sound. To this end, NHUFF champions entertaining movies with a sense of style, a foundation in craft, a passion to communicate, and the power to ignite discussion.

History, Philosophy, and Overview

The New Haven Underground Film Festival was founded in 2004 by filmmakers who have been through the glorious highs and crushing lows of the international film festival circuit. From these shared experiences came the calling to create a real alternative to the political madness, market-driven pitfalls, and cultural elitism that defines many film festivals.

Our goal is to celebrate both entertainment value and artistic integrity, without commercial pressure or fear of censorship. By exposing the movie-going public to unique and entertaining work, created outside or despite the Hollywood system, we are working to foster an outlook that promotes devoted audience support for great filmmaking, regardless of its origin or its budget.

The festival continues to grow in attendance and each year we receive more and more submissions from filmmakers across the globe. Run and staffed by volunteers with a profound love for movies, the New Haven Underground Film Festival promises the entertaining, artistic, and fun side of cinema, be it true independent, “IndieWood,” foreign, or even mainstream movies.