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New York City Independent Film Festival (18)

Deadlines

22 Apr 2025
Call for entries

31 Aug 2025
Early deadline

30 Nov 2025
Standard deadline

31 Jan 2026
Late deadline

15 Feb 2026
Extended deadline

9
mths

04 Jun 2026
Notification date

03 Jun 2026
07 Jun 2026

Address

358 West 44th Street, 10036, New York, New York, United States

Festival description

Short film festival >10' 40'<

Feature film festival 140'<

Festival requirements

Film festival

Fiction

Documentary

Animation

Fantastic

Terror

Experimental

Music Video

Other

Any Genre

Any Theme

Has submission fees

International Festival

Physical Location

Production date: Any

Production countries: Any

Shooting countries: Any

Director nationalities: Any

Debut Films

School projects

Short Films >10' 40'<

Feature Films 140'<

Any language

Subtitles
English

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English

Festival description (Edition: 18)

Festival start: 03 June 2026 Festival end: 07 June 2026

New York City Independent Film Festival (NYCIndieFF) will hold a physical festival this year. We will celebrate the Independent Filmmaker, documentaries, short and feature-length films and animation. Whether a submission is comedic, dramatic, or something in between, The NYCIndieFF is eager to embrace fresh ideas and storytelling.

Home of the NYC Indie Awards the festival aims to discover the Artist Filmmaker, showcasing them to the entertainment industry and the NYC public. All NYCIndieFF screenings take place in the historic center of NYC, Time Square which is the perfect home for an event geared toward creating incredible opportunities for independent voices.

NYCIndieFF honors the Best in Category which includes Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Super Short, Best Covid Diaries, as well as Best Director.

NYCIndieFF provides a showcase for the best in independent cinema, including short films, feature films, music videos, and animated works. With panels, parties and a week-long gathering of fellow indie filmmakers NYCIndieFF is the place to be June 3 to June 7, 2026 This dates may move to accommodate any and all government regulations.

Submit now to be a part of all the excitement and join our community of Filmmakers from around the world. See in this year in NYC in 2026!!

Prizes and qualifications

Trophies and certificates are awarded to all winners. Some of the confirmed prizes for 2026 are!

Shorts and Super Shorts Winners - ShortTV Distribution deal offers. (non Exclusive)
All accepted Shorts and Super Shorts - ShortTv US Broadcast offers. (non Exclusive)

This year we are adding a new prize to all the selected Feature films both narratives and documentaries. ANTIDOTE Sales will review the films and may offer a distribution deal to the filmmaker for the film.

*All prizes subject to change*
*All prizes subject to change*

Rules

GENERAL RULES

We hope everyone has fun and enjoys themselves at the festival. but a few suggestions...

Please submit as soon as possible. The process goes a lot smoother if we are not sent a lot of films at the last minute. THANKS!

We only accept online submissions it is much easier to share the video with our judges worldwide. Festhome online secure video is fine, and so is a password protected Vimeo / Youtube link posted through Festhome.

Please note that the ONLY difference in the early submission deadline versus the final submission deadline is the fee discount. The submission process and consideration by the Programming Committee is not affected by the date you submit your film as long as it is postmarked by our final deadline - your chances are equal regardless of the day your film makes it into our offices, as long as it is postmarked by the final deadline!

ALL films submitted to the festival are seen and scored by multiple judges. All films that have a high rating average, or are a favorite of a programmer, go on to final deliberations. NYCIFF selects its films by majority vote.

Film Submissions are non-returnable for any reason.

If a film is accepted, entrants will be solely responsible for delivering their promotional materials to and from the festival venue. Complete press kits will be needed as soon after notification as possible. NYCIFF cannot be held liable for your exhibition print/video materials which are lost or damaged.

In 2026 the awards will be juried.

Please note festival dates are subject to change.

Unfortunately, NYCIFF does not provide room, board or travel for filmmakers.

Documentary Feature

Feature Films >70' 130'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 50$ 46$ 38.5$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 30 Nov 25

Late 70$ 64.4$ 53.9$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 80$ 73.6$ 61.6$ 15 Feb 26

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Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

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11.5$

Submit

A Documentary is a film that depicts true facts, true information presented in a reasonably balanced and accurate way. With a length of between 60 to 130 minutes.

Short Film

Short Films >11' 40'< (2015+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 40$ 36.8$ 30.8$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 50$ 46$ 38.5$ 30 Nov 25

Late 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 65$ 59.8$ 50.05$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
9.2$

Submit

Any non-documentary film from 11 minutes to 59 minutes in length is acceptable. Short Documentaries have their own category

Super Short Film

Short Films 10'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 35$ 32.2$ 26.95$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 45$ 41.4$ 34.65$ 30 Nov 25

Late 55$ 50.6$ 42.35$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
8.05$

Submit

A Super Short Film is any film 10 minutes or less that is NOT a music video or a documentary. Music Videos and Short Documentaries have their own categories.

Narrative Feature Films

Feature Films >70' 140'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 50$ 46$ 38.5$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 30 Nov 25

Late 70$ 64.4$ 53.9$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 80$ 73.6$ 61.6$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
11.5$

Submit

A full length Feature Narrative Film. A work of fiction. From 70 to 140 minutes in length.

Short Documentary

Short Films 40'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 40$ 36.8$ 30.8$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 50$ 46$ 38.5$ 30 Nov 25

Late 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 65$ 59.8$ 50.05$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
9.2$

Submit

A Short Documentary in a film that depicts true facts, true information presented as a reasonably balanced and accurate way, in 59 minutes or less.

Short Animation

Short Films 30'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 40$ 36.8$ 30.8$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 50$ 46$ 38.5$ 30 Nov 25

Late 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 65$ 59.8$ 50.05$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
9.2$

Submit

We will accept, Classical (hand drawn, traditional), Digital, Stop-motion, Clay, Cut-out, Paint-on-glass, Drawn-on-film and Experimental animation. Tell a good story and be creative we want to see it! Maximum length of 30 minutes.

Art Films (Experimental)

Short Films 10'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 35$ 32.2$ 26.95$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 45$ 41.4$ 34.65$ 30 Nov 25

Late 55$ 50.6$ 42.35$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
8.05$

Submit

We accept works in film or video of experimental or art or whatever you want to call it (narrative or documentary not accepted) on any subject. Be creative and break the rules! The length should be between 1 and 10 minutes.

Narrative Mid-Length films

Short and Feature Films >41' 70'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 45$ 41.4$ 34.65$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 55$ 50.6$ 42.35$ 30 Nov 25

Late 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 70$ 64.4$ 53.9$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
10.35$

Submit

Narrative Mid-Length films 41 - 70 minutes in length

Documentary Mid-Length films

Short and Feature Films >41' 70'< (2018+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 23%

Early 45$ 41.4$ 34.65$ 31 Aug 25

Standard 55$ 50.6$ 42.35$ 30 Nov 25

Late 60$ 55.2$ 46.2$ 31 Jan 26

Extended 70$ 64.4$ 53.9$ 15 Feb 26

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
15 Feb 26

Save up
10.35$

Submit

Mid-length Documentary Film - 41 to 70 minutes

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