Now in its 8th Year, the Katra Film Series is an internationally acclaimed film festival and screenwriting competition dedicated to supporting the next generation of filmmakers with the exhibition and promotion of independent cinema from around the world at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater. Hailed by Tribeca Films for its "honorable mission to spotlight new and emerging cinematic talents…where some of their top alums have since gone on to great things in the indie world and beyond" while the New York Times agrees “From the bottom up an amazing and excellent festival that has made it in New York,” and Remezcla writes “An innovative new model pushing for the future of its filmmakers,” while Time Out NY states “Nothing but the best.” And last year ‘LLERO magazine sums it up succinctly “A memorable film fest like none other. In over 6 years, the Katra Film Series has become a hub for up-and-coming filmmakers.”

Our prizes are provided by Canon, Rhino Films, Final Draft, 3636 Studios, The Yard, International Screenwriters' Association, NY Women in Film and TV, Museum of the Moving Image, and more. Every season we curate a diverse selection of independent works where audience participation is central in choosing the winners. Regardless of who wins each season all official selections will be considered for the Year-End Grand Finale taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater where our jurors are comprised of industry veterans and professionals who watch the films and select the top winners. The Grand Jury Prize Winner is awarded a one-on-one meeting with acclaimed Hollywood Producer Stephen Nemeth and the winner also takes home a top of the line CANON camera.

Some of our past alums have landed theatrical distribution deals and have gone on to write, produce and direct feature films and TV shows for HBO, FOX, Netflix, Showtime, ESPN, Vice Media including festival stops at Sundance, Tribeca, Berlin and Cannes Film Festival.

Additionally, we have also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Huffington Post, Daily News, NY1, NBC, Women & Hollywood, Metro NY, The New Machine, Bklyner, and many other local and national publications.

Awards & Prizes

Over 20K in prizes. The 2019 Grand Prize Winner of The Year will be awarded a one-on-one meeting with acclaimed Producer Stephen Nemeth from the Academy-Award Nominated The Sessions Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Rules & Terms

All genres/forms accepted. Seeking Feature Films, Short Films, Web Series, Documentary, Music Videos, Experimental Works, Animation, and Video Art. We accept works-in-progress.

NO PREMIERE POLICY (although works that have premiered with us in the past have gone on to screen at the biggest festivals worldwide). Works must have been completed after January 1, 2017. From no budget to big budget. JUST SIMPLY BLOW OUR MINDS! All foreign-language films MUST be subtitled in English.

1. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2016.
- There is no premiere policy.
- Works-in-progress are accepted.

2. Exhibition Format: h.264 quicktime file

3. Please disregard any automatic notifications from FilmFreeway. If you don't hear from us DIRECTLY via email, your work is still in consideration for the 2018 Katra Film Series. Please bear with us as we carefully review all works submitted to us with extreme care and consideration.

4. Submission Fee
The submission fee is non-refundable.

44 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Maria Massei-Rosato

    What a surprise to have this amazing film festival in my own backyard. The films were all top-notch thanks to Geoffrey's curation and the networking opportunity with NY-based filmmakers was awesome. Venues for the pre-event, screenings, and awards were intimate and well-run. And I am so glad they began to invite screenwriters too as my feature script, Lost in Control, was a finalist. Looking forward to attending another Katra Film Series soon!

    April 2019
    Helpful
  • Carlos Valdivia

    Fantastic festival. Very well organized with streamlined communication. The screening venues are fantastic. 100% worth the entry fee.

    April 2019
    Helpful
  • Madison Calicchia

    Had a fantastic experience at Katra's Side Bar Edition, and it was such an honor to be selected as the evening's Audience Choice winner. This festival's dedication to showcasing films from a diverse point of view is really impressive. They also have a great list of sponsors including HiO, Century 21, ISA, and 3636 Studios. Thanks so much for including Summon in your festival, Geoffrey!

    March 2019
    Helpful
  • Micah Khan

    Had a great time at Katra! A great variety of short films to watch! I

    March 2019
    Helpful
  • Taylor Schafer

    Katra Film Series was fantastic with their email communication, social media promotion, venue at the Alamo Drafthouse, and gift bags for filmmakers! They provided constant communication regarding the festival and I never felt out of the loop. The quality of films was great with some real standouts. However, not all of the filmmakers showed up, and at my block I was only one of two films represented at the Q&A. I wish more had shown up as I feel like I missed out on some networking opportunities and a fuller Q&A. Other than that (which is to a large degree out of the festival organizers' control), I had a great time and would recommend this festival to others!

    March 2019
    Helpful