Festival of Cinema NYC

Elevating Emerging Filmmakers From Around the World
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August 7 - 16, 2026

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Volunteer with the 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC!

JOIN OUR 2026 TEAM!

Now seeking community members of all ages to work alongside the team at Festival of Cinema NYC this summer! Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and experience firsthand how events of this scale operate.

Activities will include on-site set up, helping with ushering/seating arrangements, attendee registrations, as well as hospitality servicing, event & merchandise table operations, and working with our press and media team on the red carpet.

Core skills we are looking for : Communication: Providing friendly and outgoing instructions and information to our guests, artists, and filmmakers. Problem-Solving: Pivoting quickly when issues arise (sold out showings, late comers, etc.) Organization: Managing multiple tasks, helping keep our lobby setup clean and on brand.

In additional, we also seek reliable, professional, and enthusiastic volunteers with knowledge and experience in photography & videography, audio/video/computer technician experts, and social media influencers.

Excited about the opportunity? Share this call with your friends and have them sign up too!

Click this link to apply!

What Is Cinema NYC
What Is Festival Of Cinema NYC?

Festival Of Cinema NYC is designed to elevate the work of emerging filmmakers and help them get to the next level of their career.

Founded by working independent filmmakers, Festival of Cinema NYC is a fully rounded film festival. The 10-day festival is designed to nurture and help develop the careers of emerging filmmakers and writers by helping to cultivate a working relationship between them and industry professionals who can help advance their careers.

The festival particularly seeks feature films from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd time feature filmmakers, as well as shorts and episodic filmmakers that are looking to develop their work into features or series.

Short films of all genres are programmed thematically (Drama, Comedy, Horror, etc.) or paired with feature films to attract the largest audiences possible. The festival takes pride in helping filmmakers find their audience by helping them land distribution deals through scouts and sponsors that are regularly invited to the festival.

Best In Independent Films
The best in independent films

Truly independent cinema

Festival of Cinema NYC is dedicated to bringing exposure to the independent artists who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into making their vision come true. No budget is too big or too small.

You'll never see big budget Hollywood blockbusters at Festival of Cinema NYC. All the films screened, including our opening night, closing night and special screenings, come from homegrown truly independent filmmakers.

We champion filmmakers who take creative risks and tell the stories that matter. Our audience comes ready to discover the next breakthrough.

Why submit your film?

Exposure and media coverage

Our press team works around the clock to put your film on the radar of audiences, journalists and industry partners.

Distribution opportunities

Past selections have landed distribution deals and streaming placements after premiering with us.

Industry connections

Meet programmers, producers and creatives through filmmaker lounges, Q&As and afterparties.

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We're Not Just Movies

Workshops, Panels and Talkbacks

Festival of Cinema NYC hosts educational sessions with distributors, guild members, and working filmmakers throughout the festival.

Networking And Afterparties

Happy hours, filmmaker meetups, and community events create the connections that keep the festival energy going long after screenings end.

We're Not Just Movies
Submissions For The 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC are closed.

The 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC will take place August 7 - 16, 2026

Find us on FilmFreeway
Submissions period for the 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC 10th Anniversary Edition are now closed. Good luck to all the filmmakers and writers that submitted their work. Acceptance notifications will be going out in June.

Festival Dates

August 7 - 16, 2026

Submissions will open for the 2027 festival in September. Stay tuned!