About Us

TRIFEST International Youth Film Festival grew out of a Berkshire County Teen Film Festival held at the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington, MA, USA in 2024. Following an influx of non-local submissions, the festival expanded its scope from local to international in 2025, and broadened its age range from teens to under 25. 

TRIFEST was founded and organized by our current Festival Director Nicki Wilson, alongside Molly Cooper, Andreas Engel, Ben Elliott and Sam Handel. The team soon expanded to include Mari Kishi, Salem Rabley, Teagan Far, and intern Eve McDougall. TRIFEST was officially launched at the Triplex Cinema in September 2025.

In 2026, TRIFEST relocated to Time and Space Limited (TSL) in Hudson, New York, in order to offer more accessible travel time, reach a larger youth audience, strengthen connections with local schools, and provide easier transportation from major cities. Moving the festival to July, rather than September, also allows emerging filmmakers to attend without having to work around their academic schedules.

TRIFEST takes its name from “tri,” which we understand as “threefold” or “three spaces.” It reflects our belief that cinema can function as a third space in society—a place set apart from work and home, where people can gather, learn, connect, build community, challenge themselves, and find inspiration. TRIFEST aims to program films not only for their artistic merit or broad appeal, but for their capacity to spark conversation, engage with the pressing issues of today and the future, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a more open and informed world.

THE TEAM – 2026

Nicki Wilson – Festival Director 

Mari Kishi – Programming Director

Teagan Far – Art Director

Salem Rabley – Social Media Director