Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF) is a non-profit organization that celebrates the visual arts in Greenwich, CT, with an annual film festival in June and supporting events throughout the year. It was founded to bridge the worlds of film, finance and philanthropy. The Festival’s mission is to provide filmmakers with the opportunity to showcase their work, with the goal of finding financing and distribution. Additionally, GIFF harnesses the power of film to serve the greater good by supporting an important cause each year.
Greenwich, CT, is a picturesque, waterfront town just 45 minutes outside of New York City. Its robust financial community makes it an ideal location for a working film festival.
GIFF attracts an audience of approximately 10,000 celebrities, filmmakers, journalists, financial executives, movie lovers, and Fairfield & Westchester County residents.
The four-day festival features 60+ international film premieres and screenings, a star-studded opening night party, educational panels and workshops, a VIP lounge, and the Changemaker Honoree Gala that honors an actor and actress who’ve used film to impact positive change. Significant cash prizes including an award for the Best Social Impact Film are awarded to filmmakers each year.
GIFF garners great media attention. The 2015 festival generated 280 million media impressions in news outlets around the world, including: Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Reporter, Associated Press, Today Show, Access Hollywood, US Weekly, New York Post, Variety, Deadline, Billboard, Town&Country, Greenwich Magazine, Greenwich Time, and many others. GIFF has a strong social media following including 54,000 Twitter followers, 32,600 Instagram Followers, and 13,900 Facebook followers
Sponsors have included a mix of Fortune 500 companies and local businesses, such as: U.S. Trust, Bentley, Moët Hennessy, Stella Artois, Ralph Lauren, Jet Blue, Baccarat, Morgan Stanley, Houlihan Lawrence, ION Media Networks, PURE Insurance, NEBCO, Wheels Up and a number of other businesses.
GIFF has a supportive Board of experts in film, art and business. Richard Brener, Jenna Bush-Hager, Jim Cabrera, Kimberly Clarke, David Duchovny, Dennis Ever, Doug Ellin, Bobby Friedman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jared Ian Goldman, Colin Hanks, Don Ienner , Michael Imperioli, David Levien, Clea Newman, Chazz Palminteri, Daphne Richards, Deborah Royce, Tom Scott, Bill Shipsey, Adrienne Stern, Jeb Stuart, Emily Wachtel, Ali Wolfe, Carina Crain, Colleen deVeer, Susan Smith Ellis, Julie Fareri, Avram Ludwig, Jim Matthews, Gianna Palminteri, Clay Pecorin, Wendy Reyes, Christian Simonds, Ginger Stickel, Mark Teixeira, Carolyn Westerberg
