Salem Film Fest To Return For 18th Year In 2025

SALEM, MA — The largest documentary film festival in Massachusetts is returning to Salem for the 18th year in 2025.

Salem Film Fest will return to the Witch City on March 27 through March 30 with a series of feature-length films, filmmaker Q&A sessions, musical performances and live events.

Salem Film Fest also features free community events and workshops for college and high school students, as well as networking social events.

The 18th annual festival will take place at Peabody Essex Museum, Cinema Salem and the National Park Service Visitor Center at Salem Armory.

"We're excited to kick off another great year bringing an amazing slate of documentaries and their makers to Salem while enriching the community conversation about the issues presented in our films," said SFF Fest Director Joe Ferrari.

Advanced sales of ticket packages will be available here beginning on Nov. 29 and will extend through the end of 2024. The full schedule will be unveiled at a special event at Cinema Salem on March 2, 2025.

Eight awards will be presented to filmmakers at SFF 2025, including the Special Jury Award and The Michael Sullivan Award for Documentary Journalism, each including a $1,000 cash prize.

The American Cinematographer Magazine Award, awarded by Editor-in-Chief Stephen Pizzello; the Audience Award, determined by ballots cast by festival attendees; the Cultrera Cuts Edit Award, determined by a jury of professional film editors; and the Best Short Award, in addition to awards for our student documentary competitions.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)