Passes are now on sale for the October 17–20, 2024 event in Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth, New Hampshire – The 22nd Annual New Hampshire Film Festival (NHFF) lineup includes over 100 independent films that will be screened at the four-day event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on October 17–20, 2024. Says NHFF Founding Director Nicole Gregg, “We are incredibly proud of the lineup of films selected this year. Among the many highlights, we are thrilled to be screening Academy Award-winning director Andrea Arnold’s latest feature Bird, a British drama bridging social realism and surrealism starring the brilliant Barry Keoghan, as well as Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, featuring a fearless Amy Adams. These join a lineup of films that have premiered at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Sundance, Cannes, and Venice. It’s pretty remarkable, and it’s right here in Portsmouth.”

The entire slate of films selected for the festival can be found at NHFilmFestival.com.

NHFF lead programmer Ian McCarthy says, “From the electrifying La Cocina, a black-and-white tragicomedy set in a Times Square restaurant featuring an unexpected turn from Rooney Mara, to Mistress Dispeller, a Chinese documentary following a woman hired to break up extramarital affairs, our 2024 lineup is more vibrant and audacious than ever.” McCarthy adds, “Eephus, a baseball drama directed by critic-turned-filmmaker and Nashua native Carson Lund premiered at Cannes, won raves, and we’re lucky to be hosting its home-state premiere at NHFF. Tracie Laymon’s SXSW winner Bob Trevino Likes It, starring Barbie Ferreira as a young woman who develops an unlikely bond with a man she meets on Facebook who shares her father’s name—played by the great John Leguizamo—had our programmers fighting back tears. There are so many other films we’re excited to share. It’s an embarrassment of riches.”

This year, the nonprofit Music Hall has taken over the reins of the festival. Says Music Hall Executive Director Tina Sawtelle, “We are carrying forward the tradition that has made this event such an important and beloved part of Portsmouth’s cultural identity. Since its founding in 2001, the NHFF has grown into one of New England’s most highly-anticipated events. This festival is a true celebration of cinema, drawing thousands of attendees to Portsmouth each year, with carefully curated films, dynamic panel discussions, and vibrant events that both entertain and inspire.”

Sawtelle says the NHFF will also feature a special evening with veteran actor Alan Ruck, whose storied career in television includes the widely popular Succession, and countless films, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Speed. Ruck’s October 18 appearance will include a Q&A and is expected to provide invaluable insights picked up from a decades-long career. Says Sawtelle, “The caliber of our special guests and the levels of creativity and diversity in our film program astound me. More than half of this year’s feature films are directed by women. We have Pierce, a Taiwanese fencing thriller. Rent Free, an Austin-set queer buddy comedy. It Was All a Dream, a documentary with never-before-seen footage of the golden era of hip-hop. And closer to home, 39 films with New Hampshire connections, a testament to the thriving creative community right here in our state.” 

Tickets and passes are on sale now at https://nhfilmfestival.com/festival-passes-page/ or at the Music Hall’s downtown Ticketing Hub (located on 134 Congress Street Portsmouth, NH) sponsored by McKeon Charitable. The public can purchase passes for the entire festival or buy a day pass.

This year, The Gallery at Jimmy’s will serve as NHFF’s official headquarters in downtown Portsmouth. The festival dedicates the entire day on Thursday, October 17, to filmmaking that has a New Hampshire connection. The other days are focused on narratives, documentaries, short films, and more. Screening venues include The Music Hall Historic Theater, The Music Hall Lounge, 3S Artspace, Moffatt-Ladd House, and St John’s Episcopal Church. 

In addition to film screenings and social gatherings, there’s a roster of lively conversations featuring industry professionals who provide unique insights into the world of film. Among the highlights is a new session led by professional stunt coordinator and performer Amy Greene, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the stunt industry through demonstration, discussion, and Q&A.

This year’s comedy panel, always a high-spirited event where comedians share hilarious stories and banter, is hosted by popular actress-comedian Eliza Coupe and presented by The Morning Buzz radio show. Other panel topics include working in New England’s production field, producing content for public television, strategies for getting films to different audiences, and an intimate chat with some of this year’s filmmakers. Says NHFF Co-Founder & Industry Curator Dan Hannon, “Part of our mission is to provide a platform for filmmakers to advance their craft, promote to industry leaders and engage with festival attendees. This year’s roster of discussions, guest panelists and jury members is one of our most exciting, including distinguished NHFF alumni such as Michael Almereyda, Alex Ross Perry and Alicia Witt.”

The New Hampshire Film Festival is the longest-running and most successful film festival in the Granite State. More than a hundred staff and volunteers help stage the event each year. And for the third year, recipients of the NHFF’s qualifying awards will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short and Live Action Short Film categories of the Academy Awards®.

This year’s festival is underwritten by our Premier Sponsor, Key Auto Group; our Presenting Sponsor, BankProv; and our Marquee Sponsors: Aland Realty Group, and the Headlands Foundation. The Gallery at Jimmy’s and InHouse have provided additional support, along with Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics; BANKW Staffing; Malloy Events; MacEdge; Northwestern Mutual; Avery Insurance; Coastal Artists & Entertainment; Construction Services of NH; Green & Co. Real Estate; Natural Rocks Ice; Northwoods Brewing Company; and Stella Artois.

About The Music Hall

The Music Hall is a nonprofit performing arts organization featuring curated entertainment from around the world in two theaters in its downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire campus: The Historic Theater, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater, designated an American Treasure for the Arts by the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures Program; and the intimate Music Hall Lounge around the corner. In January 2024, The Music Hall, a long-time collaborator and festival screening venue of New Hampshire Film Festival, took over the management of the festival with a goal to maintain and grow its status as a cultural asset, point of New Hampshire pride, and tool for building community and careers in the film industry and on the Seacoast.

For information on the Music Hall, visit  www.TheMusicHall.org