The Inwood Film Festival presented by Inwood Art Works is a community event in a world class city, intent on showcasing the sights, sounds, people and talents of the filmmakers that reside in Inwood, NYC and its surrounding community, and filmmakers that make their films in the community.

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING:

All films will be either made in Inwood or its surrounding community (Washington Heights, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingbridge, and Riverdale) or by current or past Inwood community filmmakers.

PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT IF YOUR FILM DOES MEET THESE CONDITIONS.

Categories will include:

• Short Shorts - exhibition of films 5" or less made by people from Inwood and its surrounding community or made in the Inwood community.
• Long Shorts - exhibition of short films 25" minutes or less made by people from Inwood and its surrounding community or made in the Inwood community.
• Feature Films - exhibition of feature films made by people from Inwood and its surrounding community or made in the Inwood community.
• Student Films - exhibition of films made by current students who reside or attend school in the Inwood community or made in Inwood.
• Web Series - Web series made by people from Inwood and its surrounding community or made in the Inwood community.

The film festival will take place in-person and online on IFF+.

Submissions close December 25, 2025. Late submission deadline is January 15, 2026.

Festival dates will either be in May 2026, pending venue availability.

Awards & Prizes

Awards given for excellence in filmmaking:
*Spirit of Inwood Award
*Documentary Filmmaking
*Short Short Award
*Long Short Award
*Feature Film Award
*Student Film Award
*Web Series Award

Rules & Terms

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING:

Film Guidelines:
*All films will be either made in Inwood or its surrounding community (Washington Heights, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingbridge, and Riverdale) or by current or past Inwood community filmmakers.  
*Films must be the finished and complete final cut.  No works-in-progress, trailers or teasers.
*Films that have had a public screening or exhibition elsewhere including film festivals in or outside of New York; or have been commercially broadcast, distributed or exhibited in theaters; or have been distributed on DVD, broadcast on TV; or through digital media (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) are eligible.

Web Series Guidelines:
*Please only submit the pilot episode.
*A Web Series must have 3 or more finished episodes.
*Episodes must not exceed a maximum length of 30 minutes per episode.
*Any genre is acceptable.  
*All Film submission guidelines are applicable to Web Series.
*Please note that Official Selections for Web Series will exhibit exclusively online via IFF+.

• Entrant(s) can submit one short film and/or one feature film, and/or one web series.
• Only one person (“film representative”) representing the film or web series submitted shall be the point of contact for each film.
• Entrant(s) confirm(s) and warrant(s) required legal authority to submit the entry into the festival and to use all music, images and content in the entry.
• Entrant(s) will allow usage of clips from the entry and all related publicity material submitted for promotional use on television, radio, in print, web and at live Festival events.
• All exhibition copies must be delivered at 1080p mp4 format or higher resolution.

29 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Carlos A. Hiciano

    I had a fantastic time at the Inwood Film Festival. From the moment I arrived, everyone was welcoming, friendly, and genuinely supportive of filmmakers. The quality of the films presented was outstanding, and the festival provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow artists and members of the local community.

    One of the highlights was networking with residents and creatives from Inwood, as well as neighboring communities like Washington Heights and the Bronx. The festival truly celebrates the voices and stories that make these neighborhoods unique.

    Festival Director Aaron Simms deserves special recognition for his dedication to the arts. He is incredibly supportive of filmmakers and has created a platform that showcases some of the best local talent while fostering a strong sense of community.

    If you're a filmmaker or film lover looking for a welcoming and engaging festival experience, I highly recommend the Inwood Film Festival. And as an added bonus, there's cake at the end of every night!

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Sandra Luckow

    It was what all festivals should strive to be. Communication before hand was excellent; the curation of films was thoughtful; the talent in the community astonishing; the volunteers so joyful and committed. Executive director Aaron Simms attention to detail made me so proud to be a part of this festival and community. He was bold to program my film and I was humbled to receive an award of Excellence in filmmaking for a feature film -- and it was a documentary!!

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Taylor Coriell

    Loved every second. Great programming and such a welcoming community :-)

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Lauren Sowa

    A lovely community-oriented local festival. Highly recommend!

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Jack Romashoff

    Great festival, highly recommend! Proud to be a part of this lovely community.

    June 2025
    Helpful