Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival to honor Oscar-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda

“Jane Fonda has shown extraordinary compassion and taken uncommon risks to show that an artist’s influence need not end when the credits roll.” — Jay Craven

The 12th Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival features 120 films and some exciting names.

Created by New Haven, Vt., native and Middlebury College graduate Anaïs Mitchell, “Hadestown” won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical.

The Emmy-award-winning moviemaker and local resident steps ups as Managing Producer of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, which will host its 12th season this August.

Learn more about the Academy Award winning Deaf actor Marlee Matlin from Jay Craven’s review — then go see the film on April 15 at the Middlebury Marquis.

Jay Craven gives a review of “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” that will screen on March 11 in Middlebury as part of the MNFF Selects series.

MNFF Selects brings “Ask E. Jean” to the Marquis Theater in Middlebury on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Don’t miss a talk-back with the film’s editor Ferne Pearlstein after the screening.

Frozen in the New Year? Heat things up with the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival Selects monthly screening series that starts Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival is looking for a new executive director.

MNFF officials say film festival attendance was up 10% from 2024.

Drumroll please – here are the 2025 Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival award winners.

On Monday night, 86 community-members-turned-movie-extras filmed a standing ovation scene for “Down Below.”

The Middlebury community is invited to dress up and head to Town Hall Theater on Monday Aug. 25 to film a standing ovation scene for a feature film.

In mysterious ways, each year’s MNFF selections tend to fall into clusters, thematically. Artistic Director Jay Craven says this year’s crop of films includes characters acting on deeply principled stands — win or lose.

Documentaries, short films, student work, movies made in Vermont – there’s a lot to discover at this year’s Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival.