Festival of Cinema NYC

Festival of Cinema NYC, New York City's fast growing film festival enters its fourth year in 2020! Beginning the first Friday of August, this year Festival of Cinema NYC will run from August 7 - 16th.  

Festival of Cinema NYC seeks the best in independent film of all lengths and genres. Whether your film is a drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, documentary, experimental, LGBTQ, animation, etc. - we want to show it! Our Opening Night, Closing Night, Midweek Red Carpet Event, and Midnight Madness Grindhouse Horror films are all selected from the very best submissions we receive. Plus, every filmmaker that submits their film(s) will automatically receive a one year subscription to Videomaker Magazine, a leading subscription service that focuses on guiding independent filmmakers with online tutorials and publications (a $20 value).  Our only criteria is that your film be truly independent and not backed by any of the seven major movie studios. All selected filmmakers get VIP passes that allow entry into all our screenings, events and parties.

As a film festival created by filmmakers for filmmakers, Festival of Cinema NYC  has quickly made its mark on the festival circuit. Sponsored by Regal Cinemas – the 2nd largest theater chain in the United States, Festival of Cinema NYC screens over 100 films at the historic Midway Theater in Forest Hills. Films are exhibited on grand screens with state of the art sound and projection. Attendees get to experience each screening in the comfort of the theaters recliner seats. Additional screenings, workshops and panels presented at the Queens Library at Forest Hills and the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, offer filmmakers and guest a world class event showcasing the work of truly independent filmmakers locally and from around the world. 

Because Festival of Cinema NYC was founded by independent filmmakers we understand the needs and challenges that filmmakers face. Our festival staff is committed to offering filmmakers the opportunities they seek to promote and ultimately have their film seen and sold. Since our inception in 2017, over 10 films have found distribution through our sponsors, with many more being offered distribution deals from visiting distributors. One of the key components to Festival of Cinema NYC's success, is making sure each filmmaker and their film get the proper attention and publicity that they deserve. Our publicity department works around the clock to ensure that filmmakers get as much coverage in news and local media. Filmmakers at the festival have had their films covered in various news publications around Queens and New York City, including the N.Y. Times, the NY Daily News, The NY Post, The Queens Chronicle,  CBSN and NY1 News on Spectrum cable. Attending filmmakers are invited to participate on the official festival video podcast, hosted by New York City's largest network of independent film - The NYC Indie Film Collective.  Moreover, filmmakers in attendance each get a Q&A following their screening, giving them the chance to engage our audience. 

Additionally, Festival of Cinema NYC hosts panels and workshops that strongly appeal to filmmakers. Subjects including distribution and production resources, as well as workshops by industry leaders such as Sag-Aftra and Seed & Spark. Beginning with our 2019 edition, Festival of Cinema NYC has partnered with Cinemarket. Debuting at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Cinemarket is a secure Online Transaction Platform (OTP) where license owners can sell their film directly to distributors and exhibitors.  The platform offers a full-service, end-to-end solution for distributors and producers to close legally-vetted, industry-standard licensing agreements, including payment and escrow services. In other words, Festival of Cinema NYC is now one of the handful of film festivals in the North East where filmmakers will have an opportunity to interact with distributors directly!

Festival of Cinema NYC is a competitive festival that accepts films and media of all lengths, genres and subjects. Awards in 18 categories include Best Feature and Short Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Music Video & Experimental, and Best Web Series. Audience choice for Feature and Short film are also awarded. Past Jury members have included Anna Garduno, Executive Producer at Netflix; Amy Peters, Emmy award winner; Doug LeClaire, founder of Asbury Shorts USA; and  Isil Bagdadi, president of distribution at Cavu Pictures. Winners walk away with an amazing custom statuette as well as over $20,000 in prizes being offered from some of our amazing sponsors. Sponsors have included The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, The Queens Economic Development Corporation, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, The Queens Council on the Arts, SAG-AFTRA, Moviemaker Magazine, LA/NY 411, Indiepix FIlms, Final Draft, Jungle Software, Showbiz Media, InkTip, Simple DCP, Soundview Media Partners, Synimatica, The Acting Studio NYC, Seed & Spark, Yelp and Big City Graphics. 

Finally, what would a film festival be like without any parties and events?? Filmmakers and attendees are encouraged to engage each other at our networking events, red carpet after parties, karaoke night, trivia night, comedy night, and billiards night - all taking place on festival grounds throughout Forest Hills!