A process for hydroprocessing a renewable feedstock in a fixed-bed reactor system having at least one catalytic bed involves directing a downward flow of the renewable feedstock to a filtering zone having top-open interstitial portions to receive the downward flow and top-covered annular portions that are in fluid communication with a headspace between the filtering zone and a catalytic zone. The feedstock flows from the interstitial portions to the annular portions through a filtering material disposed between the interstitial portions and the annular portions, resulting in a filtered feedstock, which then flows to the catalytic zone. In the catalytic zone, filtered feedstock is reacted under hydroprocessing conditions sufficient to cause a reaction selected from the group consisting of hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulphurization, hydrodemetalation, hydrocracking, hydroisomerization, and combinations thereof.