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. Festival of Cinema NYC is a fully rounded film festival that looks to nurture and help develop the careers of emerging filmmakers and writers. 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.
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!
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The 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC will take place from August 7 - 16, 2026
Save money by submitting your films early during the submission period. Early Bird pricing ends Sept. 30.
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.
Submit to our Pro Account on festhome and save 10% off the price of submissions.
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