Our Mission

Salem Film Fest was founded in 2007 by filmmakers and film enthusiasts united by a passion for storytelling and community-building. Guided by our motto, 'Come to Salem, see the world,' the festival brings timely and thought-provoking documentaries and their creators from across the globe to Boston’s North Shore. Our carefully curated programming, paired with the festival’s intimate local atmosphere, sparks conversations that inspire, educate, and entertain, fostering a deeper understanding of how nonfiction films can shift perspectives and catalyze change.

Our Programming Philosophy

Salem Film Fest is a filmmaker-friendly documentary film festival, and its programming philosophy is derived from a unique curated submissions process. By inviting filmmakers directly, we’ve been able to craft a program consisting of films that interest our audience most, while benefiting filmmakers as well. SFF has never charged submission fees and we operate under a ticketing revenue share model with filmmakers directly. With the support of our generous sponsors, we are also able to provide some hotel and travel accommodations to visiting filmmakers. We view our filmmakers as partners, integral to our festival's mission of bringing films and their makers to share their stories with our festival audience.

The screening committees play a crucial role in the fest's programming process. The committees are composed of members that embody a diversity of identities and lived experiences. Each submission is reviewed by at least two screeners, and often by the majority, if selected for programming. Each screening committee meets monthly with the programmers leading up to the festival to discuss submissions. 

More information about our programming rules & eligibility can be found on FilmFreeway. Please note, we do not accept entries via an open call. Unsolicited submission inquiries may not be responded to.

Our Team

FEST CO-FOUNDER

Joe Cultrera