Blog: Film festivals

Mystic Film Festival is an annual event that showcases independent feature-length and short-form narrative films and documentaries from around the world. The festival brings together a diverse group of filmmakers and audiences to explore ideas, discuss the filmmaking process, and celebrate creativity. Through engaging community events, industry panels, and film screenings by acclaimed and up-and-coming talent, we aim to make the festival a special experience for filmmakers and audiences alike.

Now in its fourth year, the festival will take place October 21-24, 2021 over four days and four nights at venues in Mystic, Connecticut and neighboring Connecticut Shoreline towns. Our cornerstone venue is Mystic Luxury Cinemas in Olde Mistick Village. We open with a local premiere and close the festival with an awards event where the best film in each category is recognized. Our first screenplay competition in 2020 was a great success, and we're excited to offer it again in 2021. The top winners of the screenplay competition will be announced at the festival in October. In addition to our in-person screenings, workshops, Q&As, and panels, part of our festival will be online. More details about our online platform will be shared on our website in the coming months.

Our festival was created by area filmmakers and artists to nurture local talent, to promote films made in Connecticut and other parts of the Northeast, and to bring unique films to our community.

At the halfway point between New York City and Boston lies the beautiful New England seaport of Mystic. Known for its rich seafaring past and maritime history, it is also a popular destination for food and locally produced craft beer and wine, art galleries and museums, and hiking along the pristine Connecticut shoreline and nature reserves.
Mystic is easily accessible by car and rail, and the Tweed New Haven Regional Airport in New Haven, Connecticut and T.F. Green International Airport in Providence, Rhode Island are both within an hour’s drive.