Coastal Setting

Experience cinema in the charming beach towns of Rehoboth and Lewes

International Focus

Showcasing diverse voices and stories from filmmakers around the world

Award Winning

Featuring Oscar contenders, festival winners, and critically acclaimed films

Each year, more than five thousand attendees gather over seven days for a curated, immersive experience of premieres, filmmaker Q&As, red carpet evenings, and thoughtful industry conversations. Every element is designed to honor the work on screen while elevating the voices behind it creating a space where films are not only viewed, but truly engaged with.

RBIFF is defined as much by its atmosphere as its programming. All screenings take place in person, fostering direct, meaningful exchange between filmmakers and audiences. Conversations extend beyond the theater, sparking creative partnerships, professional opportunities, and enduring collaborations. This is a festival where artists are not only recognized, but genuinely valued where your work is given the attention, context, and respect it deserves.

Beyond the screen, the festival offers a refined yet welcoming social experience shaped by its coastal setting. Filmmakers and guests gather at curated receptions featuring regional cuisine, crafted cocktails, and an unmistakable sense of seaside hospitality. From intimate meetups to guided experiences like the Lewes Historic Walk, these moments invite connection, reflection, and the kind of creative dialogue that continues long after the festival concludes.

The festival has welcomed an impressive roster of acclaimed guests and industry voices including Pat Capone, Anthony Jannelli, Ray Fearon, Perry Lang, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, Sana Soni, Jen Liang, Renee Wexler-Pappas, Guy Nardulli, Rena Sofer, and Jay Huguley offering filmmakers rare access to perspectives shaped by deep experience across the global film landscape both in front and behind the camera.

Presented by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to championing diverse and vital cinematic voices, RBIFF has become a cornerstone of the Mid-Atlantic cultural scene and an increasingly influential platform for films on the path to wider recognition. Its program reflects a dynamic spectrum of storytelling from award-winning international features and Oscar submissions to bold, emerging independent work across narrative and documentary forms.

Selections are made by a distinguished jury of industry professionals, ensuring a lineup defined by rigor, depth, and artistic excellence. Among the festival’s highest honors are fourteen “Best Of” Blue Wave Art Glass Awards striking symbols of achievement that recognize outstanding filmmaking across categories.

With close proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York, RBIFF attracts a sophisticated, engaged audience alongside a vibrant network of creators and industry leaders. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Longwood Gardens Foundation, Panavision, VARIETY, and other esteemed partners, the festival offers both meaningful visibility and enduring credibility to the films it presents.

We invite filmmakers to submit work that reflects a singular vision and a commitment to craft and to join a festival experience defined by discovery, connection, and artistic exchange.

Here, cinema is not simply screened it is celebrated. And the relationships forged here extend far beyond the final frame.

Awards & Prizes Glass Wave Award

Best Feature Film 
Best International Feature Film 
Best Short Film 
Best Documentary, Short 
Best Documentary, Feature 
Best Cinematography - USA, Short Film (sponsored by Panavision), $15,000 EQUIP GRANT 
Best Cinematography, International Short Film 
Best Animation, Short or Feature 
Best Producer(s) 
Best Student Film, sponsored by Final Draft/Coverfly 
Audience Choice Award: Short, Feature 
RBFS Blue Hen, Excellence in Industry Award

Festival Passes & Tickets

Join Us for An Unforgettable Week of Cinema

Coming Soon