I am so happy to say we’ve hit two more festivals — the Seattle True Independent Film Festival and the River Bend International Film Festival.

Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) was started in 2005 by a group of filmmakers whose feature film Swamper was rejected by the Seattle International Film Festival. STIFF was modeled after the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City UT as a way to champion local and true independent films that they felt were being left out of the local film program. The Stranger film critic, Andrew Wright described it as “like a belch in church (in the best possible way)” All films that screen at STIFF receive a one-of a kind award called a “STIFFY”. Past STIFFIES run the gamut from “Best Buddy Movie”, to “Hottest Zombie”. On average, STIFF receives close to 500 submissions per year and screens over 125 films as part of the ten day event.

Founded in 2002 , the River Bend International Film Festival was originally called The I.U. South Bend Independent Video & Filmmakers Festival and ran for seven years on the college campus, showing hundreds of films during those years.

2009 was the start of our new look and venue as The River Bend Film Festival in the heart of downtown South Bend in the Century Center. The only independent film festival of its kind in Northern Indiana, this  festival is open to anyone who makes shorts or features, on video or film, including high school and college students.