History
The Vermont International Film Foundation (VIFF) was founded in 1985 by two longtime peace and social justice activists, George and Sonia Cullinen. The inspiration for the Foundation came from the success of the Cullinens’ 1981 film, From Washington to Moscow, which documented a Walk for Peace between the two rural Vermont towns. The film won the UNESCO prize at the 1983 Hiroshima International Film Festival in Japan and taught the Cullinens that film and video could motivate people to become involved in their own communities and elsewhere in the world. The Vermont International Film Festival grew out of this vision — the challenge to work for peace, justice, and human rights, and to become involved in a global effort to preserve and to enrich life on the planet. Today, the festival continues to grow in the spirit of the original challenge.
The first Vermont International Film Festival was held in 1985 at Marlboro College in southern Vermont. About one hundred people attended the inaugural event. Now based in Burlington, VIFF has produced 15 festivals, introducing diverse and important works to our ever expanding audience.
Over the years, the Vermont International Film Festival has become the premier documentary film and video festival in the region. Today, VIFF participates internationally with the Human Rights Film Network to promote exchange, communicate and collaborate regarding the representation of human rights issues in moving pictures. Connecting global and local perspectives remains paramount in the festival’s mission.
VIFF is programmed around through a juried call-for-entry selection of new work. The organization is committed to functioning as a focal point for filmmakers to have their work recognized in the festival community. Juried awards are given out each year to films that best exemplify new work in three competitive categories: War and Peace, Human Rights, and The Environment. Additional awards are presented to Vermont filmmakers.