The University of Hartford Cinema Program is proud to announce the 4th Annual Hartford Film Festival, taking place Friday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wadsworth Museum's Avery Theatre. One of Hartford’s most iconic venues, the Wadsworth is the oldest continually operating public art museums in the United States.
The Hartford Film Festival (HFF) is a student-led festival based in Connecticut's Capital City. Much like the culturally rich city around it, this festival aims to support and uplift the diverse stories from emerging filmmakers, especially those who are based in New England. Our goal is to put the unseen creative works of the breakout film community into the spotlight, providing an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their work in a supportive and creative environment. We hope to harbor the new generation of films and filmmakers to the wide, enriched audience that deserves to experience them.
The festival is curated by a team of University of Hartford Cinema Program students in the Film Festival Curation class, who collectively shaped the program’s vision, goals, and priorities. (Add more about the class) HFF was founded in 2022 by University of Hartford Cinema Program Director, Lauren Cook, as a way to showcase student work on a bi-annual basis. This year marks a significant milestone: for the first time, submissions were opened to filmmakers worldwide, with an emphasis on emerging voices—students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals. The 2026 program features a selection of 16 shorts, spanning documentary, narrative, music video, and experimental forms.
Hartford Film Festival looks forward to sharing the work of this year’s filmmakers with the local community. Admission is free and open to the public. Reserve your tickets here.
The Hartford Film Festival is co-presented by the University of Hartford Cinema Program and the Wadsworth Museum.