This year in terms of THEME: International Film Festival Manhattan is seeking short films 15 mins and below that are in the themes of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals:
1) No Poverty 2) Zero Hunger 3) Good Health and Well - Being 4) Quality Education 5) Gender Equality 6) Clean Water and Sanitation 7) Affordable and Clean Energy 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth 9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastruction 10) Reduced Inequalities 11) Sustainable Cities and Communities 12) Responsible Consumption and Production 13) Climate Action 14) Life Below Water 15) Life on Land 16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 17) Partnerships For the Goals

International Film Festival Manhattan will be doing Hybrid Live and Online Events happening in person in Manhattan NYC, USA on October 9-12, 2025. On October 9, 2025 we will be doing a Special Networking Party with all Filmmaker Participants venue: TBA. Awards Opening Night Ceremony will be on Friday, October 10. All the film Screenings will be held on Saturday October 11 and Sunday October 12, 2025. The venue for October 10- 12, 2025 will be at the Look Dine-In Cinemas 657 West 57th St NYC, USA.

International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM), now on it's 15th Milestone Year, is dubbed as the coolest Indie Film Festival that showcases quality selection of world-class short films that will be screened at several Theater venues in Manhattan New York City, USA.
Our short film programming encompasses all different genres of diverse program; documentaries, student films and now professional films from all over the world. We also have a focus on social relevance as part of our programming and our goals.

We are visionaries who believe in the possibilities of New York, the greatest city in the world. We have seen how film, as a powerful medium can make a direct impact on lives or facilitate change. We also have seen the unique diversity of New York's culture and its people. The city's appreciation for film and ability to make things happen. Our vision is to help merge the two, creating an opportunity for filmmakers and artist to showcase their works in New York. Support will be given to all filmmakers to help find their audiences.

IFFM is committed in showcasing entertaining and diverse films in all genres and scope to equal the diversity of New York. It is also committed in exploring all opportunities to promote the artists, his work, his vision, and his cause if he has any, during the showing of the films and the events during the festival.

We are a festival that gives importance to a full Question and Answer (Q&A) portion after each film screening. We believe that filmmakers who attend their screening should be heard and celebrated on stage. We also pride ourselves in having red carpet interview moments during the festival, IFFM is also known for it's full scale Black Tie Opening Night Awards Night. We will be featuring exclusive networking parties, Industry Meet ups, One on One Industry - Filmmaker meetings, seminars and filmmaker Q&A after each screenings.

Awards & Prizes

We will give more than 35 award plaques each year including:
Best Documentary, Best Short, Best Music Video, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Student Film, The Gerry Balasta Award for Best Advocacy, Most Popular Film plus Special Jury Awards in IFFM and many more. In addition we now have a Professional Category Awards.

All Selected Professional Category Finalists will win either Gold, Silver or Bronze Prize Plaques and a Top Winner of the Professional Category will be honored as well.

Rules & Terms

1) All films must be not older than year 2015

2) It is encouraged that films be in English or else, Non-English language films must have English subtitles.

3) IFFM New York will be screening online plus a few screenings with limited live audience this year.

4) IFFM New York, does not require World Premiere, but appreciates if you notify us if you are either a World Premiere, International Premiere (your first premiere outside your country of origin), North American Premiere or New York Premiere.

5) Entry fees are in U.S. dollars, per film entry and are non-refundable.
Entries without entry fees will be disqualified. IFFM does not give fee waivers. Please refrain from emailing us about fee waivers. Thank you.

6) Submitting filmmakers/individuals will be notified by e-mail and thru FilmFreeway on a specified date on September 2024.

7) IFFM accepts screening copy - mp4 via FilmFreeway, wetransfer, downloadable via vimeo or google drive or dropbox will be required for the Online.

DCP's will be required for live in-person movie house events. All filmmakers will be required to deliver DCPs to us using AutoDCP. If you also need to make a DCP they are very affordable and experienced to help you do so. To use AutoDCP you'll need a Dropbox account with enough storage space to accommodate your film and or its associated DCP.

Your DCP should be 2K 24fps FLAT or SCOPE formats, and compliant to either 'interop' or SMPTE standards. This format is supported in all digital cinema theaters (~300K) worldwide today.

It may also be possible to use a 4K DCP and or non-24 fps DCPs, but please check with us first as it is dependent on if the theater itself supports them, many do, and or are upgrading their theaters to support 4K, but it's still safer to simply provide a 2K DCP.

8) Regarding our IFFM Film Festival Director Awards, a committee will be selecting nominated films but the final awardees will eventually be selected by the International Film Festival Manhattan Film Festival Director.

We also added a few Special Jury Awards which will be selected by a group of esteemed members of the Jury who have Film Industry background. There will be an awards night (both live and online) where the awardees will be honored and IFFM Film Festival Director Award Plaques will be given out. All nominated films/filmmakers will be notified to attend the Awards Night.

In addition this year, the critics and writers of CinemaDailyUS.com will pick the Grand Prixe Grand Prize Best Short Winner.