The NFF was founded in 1996 to spotlight screenwriters, screenwriting, and storytelling in today's cinema. The festival takes place over five days in June on the idyllic island of Nantucket, MA.
Now in its twelfth year, NFF has become a prestigious annual event within the international film industry. Screening over 50 feature-length and short films in all genres that highlight the art of storytelling, the NFF generates significant attraction and draws over 10,000 attendees, screenwriters, producers, agents, and development executives each year.
Screenwriting is further explored through panel discussions, a screenplay competition, an emerging screenwriter's mentorship with the Screenwriters Colony, an educational program for teens, and community beach screenings. The Festival also hosts the popular evening of Late Night Storytelling (hosted by Peter Farrelly and Anne Meara, with past stories told by such talents as Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Mos Def, and Paul Rudd), in addition to staged screenplay readings.
Past staged readings have included the hilarious Showstopper, by Anthony Barille & Geoffrey Nauffts, with Ben Stiller and Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei. Last year’s Spectacle, Part One Of The Mark Rosen Chronicles,by Stacy Weiss and Dan Chariton, was directed by Mr. Stiller, and the cast included Macaulay Culkin, Amy Sedaris, David Krumholtz, Lake Bell, Robert Sean Leonard, and Mr. Stiller. The coveted
A Confederacy Of Dunces, by Steven Soderbergh and Scott Kramer, was the centerpiece staged reading of NFF 2003; and featured Will Ferrell in the starring role, with Alan Cumming, Mos Def, and Rosie Perez.
The NFF has been a showcase for some of the top independent films of the past 12 years. The festival was one of the first to find and platform such films as The Full Monty, Next Stop Wonderland, Girlfight, and Half Nelson. NFF 2006 featured Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus’ documentary Al Franken: God Spoke.
Sponsors of this year’s festival include NBC Universal, Showtime, Grey Goose, Stella Artois, CN8, Hewlett-Packard, A&E Indie Films, American Airlines, Tradewind Aviation, The New Yorker, Jeep, Alta Cliff Films, Sundance Channel, San Pellegrino, Nantucket Island Resort, and Ralph Lauren.
