The Great Lakes Independent Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing independent films in the digital medium and to presenting the works of independent filmmakers and outstanding achievements in cinema.

Founder’s Vision

It was not without reservation that we set out to make a reality of our dream. We set out to establish an independent film festival that would celebrate the characteristics that we held central to the ultimate truth of the cinematic arts.

We did not know who would attend, but we knew what type of people we wanted to attract. We wanted to share the cinematic marvel with people who loved films for the same reasons that we do. Films have the ability to tell a story that expresses the artist’s vision in a way that no other medium is able to offer.

Filmmaking shows the ultimate truth in a way that words could never achieve.

Film is the one medium that has the ability to move us to tears, laughter, fear, exaltation, and countless other emotions all within the span of a few moments.

We’re just glad to be apart of it

It is with all of these values in mind that the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival continues its mission and always striving to improve not only our festival, but also the cinematic arts.

About the Film Fest

Considered among the top 100 most popular film festivals in the world, The 2008 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival will take place September 25^th thru September 28^th  2008. More information on bookings, events, and activities will be available in the near future. Please check back often for updates or sign up for our Mailing List to get the latest news and information on upcoming GLFA shows and events.

From the feature narrative genre to documentary to animation; experimental; horror; Spiritual; “film", the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival celebrates the film arts in dynamic transition. As emerging technologies continue to redefine the form, filmmakers from the Great Lakes, across the country and around the world express the common and the diverse through the age-old tradition.
-- The art of the story.

Cutting- edge Technology

The Great Lakes Independent Film Festival is the first film festival, world wide, to be on the cutting edge of film presentation, completely utilizing the DLP™ technology by Texas Instruments. Our festival believes that in the near future filmmakers and movie-goers alike will not only want such technology, but will demand the DLP™ technology, and that is why we are bringing it to the filmmakers and the public now.

Our History

Awarding outstanding filmmakers and script writers for Best Script; Best of Genre; Best of the Fest; Best Cinematography; Best Director; Best Actor; Best Actress, and more, the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival is an excellent stop on the fest circuit for filmmakers interested in having their film presented to a very warm and welcoming audience, meeting celebrities, parties, and networking with phenomenal filmmakers from across the country and around the world to the award ceremonies, industry professionals, and much more.

For the filmmaker that is looking for a bit more, the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival is also a great place to get your film noticed. Our film festival has showcased over 400 films over the past 6 years including numerous films that have been aired on HBO, PBS, and the Sundance channel. In October of 2004 we were proud to present the North East United States Premiere of “SAW”, Lions Gate Films' gripping psychological thriller starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannel, and with "The Collector of Bedford Street" having been nominated for an Academy Award after being screened at our 2002 fest, we certainly bring the best and the brightest to the shores of Erie Pa.

Most recently "The Derby Stallion" was released with Echo Bridge Home Entertainment and Director Joel Miller's film "The Still Life" has received distribution through Warner Home Video. Both films were proudly screened at our 2006 film festival.

The association has also been host to such filmmakers and special guests as actor/director/producer Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica and A-Team); writer Erick Rodgers (Writer of NYPD Blue); director/producer Harri James (script supervisor "Alias", Tremors II: Aftershocks, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins); producer Otto Felix ("B.J. and the Bear" & Up in Smoke); award winning, best selling mystery author Jamian Snow (Shrouded Insanity); actor/writer/producer Bill Hinzman (Flesheater & Night of the Living Dead); director Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger films, Pot Zombies, & President of Troma Films); actor Gunnar Hansen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre); actor/ director Mark Borchardt (American Movie & Coven); director John Hancock ("Hill Street Blues", "The Twilight Zone", & California Dreaming); actress Debbie Rochon "Scream Queen" (Blood Relic, Vampyre Tales, & Lord of the Undead); producer/director Bobby Logan (Meatballs 4 & Repossessed); Joel Miller; WWE and ECW wrestling superstar The Blue Meanie, and in 2002 we had the unique opportunity to present Keith Carradine with a special award for artistic excellence, award winning director Joone, award winning actress Jesse Jane, and local actress Marie Madison.

The legendary Terry Moore who was our special guest of honor in 2006 was presented with a lifetime Achievement Award for her amazing accomplishments in film over the past 60 years.

In 2007, we had the pleasure to have Guns 'n Roses Super Star Dizzy Reed make a special appearance at the festival and perform with local icon band Hammerd.

Our Philosophy

Festivals are like a family. They allow those in the cinema world to meet in one place with the same experiences and similar goals, to mingle and interact with others, getting feedback on what they already accomplished and what is yet to come. Each year, filmmakers come together for five days, making friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime.

Film Festivals are not just for the wealthy, red carpet type of people but also for the guy that lives next door to you with a wife and 5 kids and wakes up every morning to head off to the steel mill, automotive plant, or the rubber plant. Film Festivals are here to open minds to what can be achieved in a short time period and with the smallest of budgets.

Films can range from 30secs to 8hrs and does not need the Hollywood seal of approval to be astonishing. All of us that are behind the Independent Film Festivals are here to bring people in to showcase their films but not to profit off another’s accomplishments. We are here to help others achieve their goals and to go beyond where they thought was possible doing it all on their own. We do not succeed if we have not helped filmmakers reach their goals partially or entirely.

Every year we get new filmmakers and each year those filmmakers come back with a new project and its unbelievable to how much they have learned and their work has advanced in a year’s time.

Our City

One of the unique things about the Great Lakes Independent Film Festival is its home, Erie, Pennsylvania. Our forty-mile slice of Lake Erie waterfront bears no resemblance to the major urban centers of Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, being entirely low-rise and extremely leafy; indeed you hardly realize you are downtown until you find yourself in the shady park-like town square, on 6th Street between the main thoroughfares of Peach and State streets. There are several places of cultural interest in the city, all within walking distance of our festival, several museums devoted to history, art and science; among these, the Erie Maritime Museum has a fascinating display on the geological and ecological development of the Great Lakes and also focuses on warships of different periods; the elegant US Brig Niagara is usually moored outside and is part of the museum.

Undoubtedly, Erie's main attraction is the elongated comma-shaped peninsula of Presque Isle State Park, which bends east from its narrow neck three miles west of downtown until it almost touches the city's northernmost tip. The park is maintained as a nature preserve and has wide sandy beaches good for swimming, backed by thick woods offering a series of trails.

Erie is perfect with all of it’s historic and picturesque locations, it is also ideal for filming, able to give the real look of any location around the world at a much lower budget cost for the struggling filmmaker.

The Great Lakes Independent Film Festival continues to seek out the best and brightest of independent film and filmmakers.