Programming consists of remarkable independent films, of all lengths, genres and subjects from around the world screened to the public over a ten day period.
Our programmers look for the best in truly independent films. All films selected come from independent filmakers that put their blood, sweat and tears into their productions. No film selected has backing from a major film studio.
Festival of Cinema NYC is the only film festival in New York City to be supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Council on the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Support from these nationally recognized foundations is a testament to the hard work our team has put into advancing the careers of filmmakers. Whether they are new to the industry with their first film, or a filmmaker with several films under their belt, our mission is to help these emerging filmmakers get more exposure and media attention, reach larger audiences, and meet other industry professionals who can help further their career.
Our programmers look for the best in truly independent films, series, music videos, animation and scripts of all lengths and genres. All films selected come from independent filmmakers that put their blood, sweat and tears into their productions. No budget is too big or too small.
Our exquisite press team works around the clock to get the most media coverage for your film at the Festival. Past film selections have been covered by Page SIX of the NY Post, Time Warner Spectrum NY1 News Channel and CSNBC.
Our budding reputation has lead various independent film distributors to send their scouts to our festival, in hopes of acquiring the next big Indie Hit. To date Festival of Cinema NYC has helped over a dozen films land a distribution deal.
Festival of Cinema NYC hosts a variety of workshops, panels and industry Q&A's that are free for everyone to attend. Past workshops have included presentations by SAG-AFTRA, Seed & Spark and Kitsplit. Speakers have included distributors from Cavu Pictures, Artsploitation Films, and Soundview Media Partners.
Festival of Cinema NYC is not just movies! The festival offers opportunities to escape from the theater by inviting locals and attending filmmakers to join us for our Happy Hour get together, Karaoke Night, Trivia Night, Comedy Night and our popular Mid-Week Red Carpet Event Afterparty!
Harley Kaplan is a co-founder and casting director with Powers/Kaplan Casting, a bi-coastal casting office that specializes in independent film. Recent projects include the feature films This is Not a War Story, The Last Time I Saw You Blessed, Empathy Inc. Harley started out in casting with the legendary office of Hopkins/Smith/Barden, where he worked as a casting assistant on movies such as Boys Don't Cry, The Cider House Rules, and Simply Irresistible, as well as HBO's television series Sex In The City. He later served as an associate with PalmStar and S2 Entertainment. Since forming Powers/Kaplan in 2010, Harley has cast the award-winning Blue Ruin and The Comedy, as well as Mamarosh, The Sector, The Tell-Tale Heart, and promotional campaigns for Sony, Random-House, PSE&G, AncestryDNA
Alexis Walker is a Talent Manager at Entertainment Lab. She holds a Bachelor of Fine and Applied Arts Degree from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Previous work includes: Jr. Agent at the Jackson Agency, Mentee in the CSA Mentorship Program and Jennifer Ajemian Casting.
Jacob Stebel is a teacher, writer, photographer, and producer from Long Island, NY where he spent his teenage years and early twenties working on public access shows, and managing an arthouse movie theater, while writing and acting in several short films.
Joshua A. Foster is a film director/producer graduate of the prestigious New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He currently serves as the Executive of Cinetic Media.
Danielle Burgess is known for USA's Golden Globe nominated 'The Sinner', HBO's 'The Deuce', NBC's 'Manifest', and 'Law & Order: SVU.
Dito Montiel is an author, screenwriter and director. His 2006 film A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize and the Director’s Award. Mr. Montiel will be in attendance for a retrospective screening of his film, followed by a moderated Q&A.
Dito Montiel will be receiving the Indie Film Vanguardian Award at the 2023 Festival of Cinema NYC recognizing his accomplishments as a writer and director
2023
and see what attending filmmakers have to say
Submissions are now open for the 2024 Festival of Cinema NYC taking place from August 2 - 11, 2024
Early-Bird submission deadline is October 18, 2023
Festival of Cinema NYC proudly accepts entries exclusively on FilmFreeway, the world's #1 way to enter film festivals and creative contests.
Gold Festival Discount available when you submit using FilmFreeway.
We encourage committed filmmakers to submit via FilmFestivalLife. With monthly subscriptions and pro accounts FilmFestivalLife is the smartest way to save money with a strategic approach. Join the platform where award-winning filmmakers and quality festivals meet.
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