Are you a college/university student or recent grad with a documentary film?

Submit your entry for Salem Film Fest 2027, taking place March 18-21, 2027 in Salem, MA. Mass Reality Check is a showcase for Massachusetts college students to present their short documentary and experimental documentary films. Open to current or 2026 college graduates who live in Massachusetts OR attended(ed) a Massachusetts college or university. Entries must be 20 minutes or less in duration.

The first place winner will be awarded "Mass Reality Check Best Short." Prizes will be awarded by our industry sponsors, Women in Film and Video New England (WIFVNE), Massachusetts Production Coalition (MPC), and others to be determined. The first place winner will also meet individually after the festival with programming staff from Salem Film Fest to get advice about filmmaking as a career and receive insights into funding and distribution, as well as other professional considerations.

 
 

Please note the following rules and guidelines for entry:

  1. Submissions are FREE! There is no entry fee.

  2. Films must have been completed in 2026 or 2027.

  3. All forms of documentary are welcome.

  4. No unauthorized use of copyrighted images or music is allowed.

  5. Films that have been previously considered will not be reviewed again.

  6. Entries will be judged by a panel of filmmakers and industry professionals.

  7. Festival tickets and prizes will be provided by Salem Film Fest and our sponsors.

  8. Submission deadline is February 12, 2027.

submit your documentary film here

Congratulations to all of our 2026 Mass Reality Check film participants!

 

PALLBEARERS

Directed by Tati Chavitage
Pallbearers is an experimental personal documentary that follows the 10-day journey of a filmmaker and her best friend as they travel to see their mother’s grave for the first time.

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY: THE JILLS DOCUMENTARY

Directed by Abby Sommers
A documentary investigating the past, present, and future of Tufts University’s oldest all-femme a cappella group, The Jackson Jills.

PULPA

Directed by Brianna Benitez
A glimpse into the life of Maria, a street vendor who sells mangoes.

EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE

Directed by Tiago Serpa
A brief interview with Rockport artist Morgan Dyer, this documentary explores her unique view of "the landscape," linking the physicality of nature to a deeper, inner world. It incorporates personal experiences and history, blending them into the essence of self.

FRISSON

Directed by Alison Hupper
A personal reflection.

VICKERILLA FAMILY REUNION

Directed by Charlie Lay
A mellow and charming reflection on 10 years of family reunions is told through watercolor illustration and evocative sound clips.

KAKAWA CHOCOLATE HOUSE

Directed by Siena Tan Yi
A peek behind the scenes of Salem's own Kakawa Chocolate House.

BEFORE I BLEED

Directed by Isa Han
Experimenting with textures, sounds, and voices, this cinematic embodiment of PMS builds a mosaic of various women's nuanced experiences of the same journey — adapting and co-existing with pain that only bleeding can justify.

SAFE SPACES

Directed by Keanna Lane
President Donald Trump's "crackdown" of "illegal" immigrants has sparked a larger presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) in spaces once deemed safe. This film follows the impact ICE has had on college students, specifically Boston University, through various interviews, protests, and detailing of current events.

SIEMPRE SOÑANDO

Directed by Jasmine Garcia-De Los Santos
A housekeeper shares her dreams and ambitions as her daily work routine consists of cleaning hotel rooms during Oregon’s busiest tourist season.

CLOSEST TO THE HEART

Directed by Lina Barclay
An accomplished third-generation accordion player reflects on family, music, and life as he instructs sprouting musicians, dotes on his young daughter, and dances with strangers in the park.

 

 Sponsored By:

 
 
 

SFF 2026 Presenting Sponsor