The award-winning Film Fights with Friends® podcast is proud to present its first annual companion short film festival! We are an international action short film festival that will take place in New York City at Stuart Cinema and Café on September 19th, 2027. After years of hosting film screenings and networking sessions for the NYC film community, we are ready to raise the bar!

This is a competitive short film festival that honors practical action filmmaking. All submitted films must be five minutes or less including credits. Generative AI films, motion capture, animation or live action films with AI characters, portions of larger films or episodes from episodic series are not eligible to submit for this festival. All submissions must be self-contained short films.

Awards & Prizes

Three nominees will be chosen for the following categories: Best Action Design, Best Cinematography, Best Story, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Practical Make Up Effects, Best Action Performance, Best Soundtrack, Hardest Hit and the Celluloid Cinema Award for submissions shot on film. Best in Show will be selected by our international Jury from the slate of nominated films. Our Audience Choice Award will be chosen by audience votes at the festival.

All nominated films will receive one free ticket to the festival. Attending filmmakers will participate in post-screening Q&A sessions, network with other filmmakers and industry guests at our after-party. Our Best in Show winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a complimentary submission to our 2028 festival, have the opportunity to sit for a one-to-one notes' session with available jury members at the festival (or receive written notes if an in person meet up is not possible) and will have the opportunity to appear as a guest on the Film Fights with Friends® podcast.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Best Action Design
Best Cinematography
Best Story
Best Editing
Best Sound Design
Best Practical Make Up Effects
Best Action Performance
Best Soundtrack
Hardest Hit
The Celluloid Cinema Award
Audience Choice Award
Best in Show

Rules & Terms

The Film Fights with Friends® Film Festival is open to all short films under 5 minutes (including credits), originating anywhere in the world. All foreign language films must be subtitled in English. Films must have been produced within two years of the festival date. We only accept online submissions via FilmFreeway for the judging process. Please do not send DVDs or press kits of any kind. If your film is selected for the festival, we will request deliverables at that time.

FESTIVAL JURY

- Becca GT (United States): Stunt Coordinator and Stunt Performer (Poker Face, Russian Doll, The Gilded Age)

- Hugh Fitzgerald (United States): Writer, Actor and 87 North head grappling instructor (Hell Hath No Fury, The Unit, Red Belt)

- Lauro “Lash” Chartrand-Del Valle (Canada): Writer, Director, Stunt Coordinator (Shogun, Protectors of the Land, Tracker, Midnight Mass)

- David Tuttman (United States): Director, Cinematographer (The Night Agent, Wu Tang: An American Saga, The Following, Damages)

- Stephen Koepfer (United States): Film Fights with Friends Host and stunt performer (Ray Donovan, Caught Stealing, John Wick: Parabellum, The Blacklist)

- Paul Varacchi (United States): Film Fights with Friends Host and stunt performer (Walking Dead: Dead City, Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Good Fight, The Night Agent)

- Sunny Pang (Singapore): Actor, Stunt Coordinator (Havoc, The Night Comes for Us, Headshot)

- Joshua Todd James (United States): Writer (Take Cover, Pound of Flesh)

- More Jury members to be announced soon

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Filmmakers must have all rights associated with their films and allow the festival to use clips for publicity purposes. The Film Fights with Friends® Film Festival is permitted to retain digital copies of each film officially selected as part of our festival library and for media educational use. If you do not wish your film to remain in our library after the festival concludes (and henceforth), please notify us in writing.