The Dumbo Film Festival is a yearly event structured in monthly contests. Every 2 month, each of the categories will be awarded and a final ceremony will be held every year in New York City’s district of Dumbo to award projects that have been judged the very best over the past year.

Main missions of the nonprofit Dumbo Film Festival Inc. are:

• highlighting the young and artistic heart of Dumbo district by making it an appealing destination for both emergent and affirmed filmmakers to share their talent and sensitivity;

• becoming a den for cinema lovers by organizing competitions, screenings, galas and related activities;

• building a bridge among the many different cultures that can be experienced under the wing of independent cinema (thus contributing to raising tolerance and familiarity towards different ways of life, traditions and new points of view).

By the end of the Seventies, a prosperous renewal has brought the district of Dumbo to a new life, and it is now considered to be one of New York’s most glamorous districts and a thriving destination for artists to meet and share their thoughts.
On this background of revival within the New York panorama, DFF aims to establish itself among the most important independent festivals in the world.
Producers and directors from around the world can meet each other here, encounter new ideas, and begin working toward prestigious goals.

Many of our award-winning films have been nominated for, or won, at the Goyas Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the American Academy Awards (Oscar®). They have also been distributed on major televisions and international platforms such as HBO, Netflix, Amazon, PBS, BBC.

DFF is organized into six categories: Feature Narrative, Short Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Documentary, Animation, and Experimental. The monthly nominees will receive a certificate of excellence and be granted access to the final phase of the competition.

Awards & Prizes

GRAND BRIDGE AWARD ($ 1,000)
This Award is for the best work in contest.
Eligibility: chosen among all the finalists.
Jury: This award is assigned by the Board of Directors of the Festival.

BEST IN CATEGORY AWARD
Assigned to the best film in each category:

1. Narrative Feature – Prize: Trophy ($500)
2. Documentary Feature – Prize: Trophy ($500)
3. Short Narrative – Prize: Trophy ($500)
4. Short Documentary – Prize: Trophy ($500)
5. Experimental – Prize: Trophy ($500)
6. Animation – Prize: Trophy ($500)

Jury: This award is assigned by the panels of Judges.

CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE (monthly nominees)
The monthly winners will be automatically selected for the annual exhibition. Each of the nominees will have the opportunity to win two awards: the Best in Category Award and the GRAND BRIDGE AWARD.

Certificates are assigned to the monthly winners in each category:

Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Short Narrative
Short Documentary
Experimental
Animation

Rules & Terms

Terms & Conditions
This competition is open to either U.S. and International projects, as long as your project will comply with Dumbo Film Festival’s Terms and Conditions. You can check the following for further information.

CATEGORIES
In order to be accepted, your submission must fall in one of the following categories:

1) Short Narrative – Duration/Running Time: No more than 60 minutes
2) Feature Narrative – Duration/Running Time: No less than 60 minutes
3) Short Documentary – Duration/Running Time: No more than 50 minutes
4) Feature Documentary – Duration/Running Time: No less than 50 minutes
5) Experimental – Duration/Running Time: No limitations
6) Animation – Duration/Running Time: No limitations

Submission to the wrong category will result in disqualification.
Please have care to choose the correct category for your entry project. You will not be notified in case of mistake.

COMPLETION DATE
In order to be accepted in the 2021 Dumbo Film Festival, your project will have to be completed after January 1, 2019.

SUBTITLES
For your submission to be accepted, your foreign-language project must be equipped with English subtitles. In the event subtitles are missing, you will be notified by email and asked to update your work. If your updated submission will fail to be provided by the final deadline, your work will be disqualified with no refunds of the submission fees (See “REFUNDS” herein).

PRIOR SCREENINGS:
Dumbo Film Festival requests partial exclusivity in screening your film: your work must not have been broadcast on any TV network or be publicly available online before the event date. Nonetheless, private, industry, press screenings, as well as previous screenings at other film festivals are allowed.
The “New York Premiere” status is recommended, but not mandatory.

COPYRIGHT & LEGAL TERMS
By submitting your project at 2020 Dumbo Film Festival, the submitter and filmmakers associated with the entry project warrant as follows:
-You authorize your project to be exhibited at the Dumbo Film Festival;
-You accept to hold full legal responsibility for the intellectual property herein;
-Your project does not infringe any trademark, agreement, copyright, artistic, personal, civil, privacy, moral right of any person, firm, corporation or association;
-In the event of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered, you accept to indemnify and hold harmless the Dumbo Film Festival from and against any resulting claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court).

REFUNDS
You will not be eligible to any refund of submission fees for any reason (either in case of withdrawal and disqualification – see “DISQUALIFICATION” herein), once your film is in “In Consideration” status on the platform FilmFreeway.

DISQUALIFICATION
Any failure to comply with one or more of the Dumbo Film Festival’s Terms and Conditions related to will result in disqualification:
-Submissions: included and not limited to wrong category submissions (see “CATEGORIES”), failure to pay submission fees by the deadline, double submissions (excepted for updated subtitled versions – see “SUBTITLES”);
-Completion Dates (herein “COMPLETION DATES”)
-Subtitles (herein “SUBTITLES”)
-Prior Screenings (herein “PRIOR SCREENINGS”)
-Copyright and Legal Terms (herein “COPYRIGHT & LEGAL TERMS”)
160 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kiki Tsakalakis

    I wanted to mention what an honor it was for "Silent Notes" to be selected as a Semi-finalist in the October-November bimonthly competition. While our film did not advance, it still brought on a smile to have been considered towards a Finalist into such special, niched, boutique NY festival festival. Thank you DFF and wishing all the 2021 Finalist good luck!

    March 2021
    Helpful
  • Mike Hay

    I was delighted that my project ‘Even The Rats’ made the official selection and participated in the 2020 Dumbo film festival. I found the festival team to be very helpful and supportive in answering questions and helping making arrangements for participation. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in the festival again someday!

    March 2021
    Helpful
  • Anthony Stengel

    Great Festival, Great Communication and value for the filmmaker! Highly recommend.

    March 2021
    Helpful
  • Yerania Del Orbe

    Thank you for having our film La Santera in the festival. Super excited we are a semi-finalist. Thank you 🙏🏼 Latina Made Media

    February 2021
    Helpful
  • J Reid

    It was an exciting honor to have our nature film short, Canopy of WIngs selected as a Semi-finalist in the Dumbo Film Festival!

    February 2021
    Helpful