NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presents the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival, a uniquely intimate opportunity that provides a filmmaker focused festival approach by an intently devoted team. The model, a monthly festival with a very small number of official selections per month, generally fewer than 20, provides filmmakers with maximum attention and commitment from the Festival audience, participants and staff. This format allows NFMLA to serve a similar number of filmmakers as most annual Festivals (around 200 per year), while being able to dedicate its efforts to a core group every 30 days throughout the year.

Each NFMLA Monthly Film Festival provides its official selection filmmakers meetings with professionals, press interviews with publications such as MovieMaker Magazine, industry panels, screenings, audience Q&A sessions, networking receptions and qualification for the Best of NFMLA Awards.

The Festival boasts over 120,000 indie film supporters in the LA area and regularly has executives and creatives participate from Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon Studios, Showtime, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, United Talent Agency, NBCUniversal, HBO, NEON, Endeavor, STARZ, Bad Robot, Creative Artists Agency, Management 360, AMC Studios, MGM, FilmNation, Lionsgate, Magnolia Pictures, Paramount, Circle of Confusion, MACRO, Skydance and Blumhouse among an abundance of other agencies, management companies, production houses, distributors, studios, streamers and more.

NFMLA screens short and feature films (narrative, documentary, experimental and animation), as well as music videos and new media projects by content creators of all backgrounds throughout the year in addition to our InFocus programming, which places a special emphasis on diversity, inclusion and region. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their work which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming.

NFMLA is seeking submissions from filmmakers who are eager to gain access to industry professionals, audiences and resources. Our programming includes Festivals at the South Park Center in Downtown Los Angeles and select Festivals presented in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Submissions are open year-round and NFMLA highly encourages filmmakers to submit their newest work as early as possible to maximize their project’s consideration window. While diversity, equity and inclusion within our programming is incredibly important and focused on, all filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their work which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, etc.

NFMLA is a not-for-profit organization that champions emerging filmmakers from around the world and has screened over 3,000 films from 85+ countries. In an effort to showcase, support, educate and build relationships for next-gen filmmakers, NFMLA has rapidly expanded beyond the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival to host an array of workshops, panels, competitions and networking programs. NFMLA offers an unforgettable festival experience that helps kick start the careers of new storytellers.

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles selections are in competition for NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ annual Best of NFMLA Awards, which take place each spring and award films played the preceding calendar year across multiple categories. All projects selected as part of the festival are in consideration for the Best of NFMLA Awards.

In addition, NFMLA awards cash grants through various NFMLA programs and initiatives such as NewNarratives in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery 150, the Anthony Rhulen Film Fund and more. In 2022 NFMLA awarded over $125,000 in cash grants and prizes.

*****IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION:

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles screens monthly year round. FESTIVAL DATES, NOTIFICATION DATES and DEADLINES displayed on this FilmFreeway listing are for expiration of this listing and ARE NOT our screening dates.

Runtime Policy:
Shorts must be under 40 minutes total runtime. Features must be 41 minutes minimum with a 180 minute maximum total runtime.

Completion Date Requirement:
We can only accept films that have completed post production within a maximum of 12 months from the date of their submission to the festival.

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles selects and screens completed work only - we do not consider scripts or works in progress.

Premiere Status Policy:
Premiere status is NOT required, however, films with an LA premiere status are preferred.

Distribution Policy:
As is the industry standard among many festivals, in all instances except Music Videos and ‘New Media’ programs, we generally do not screen films that have theatrical distribution nor films that have been posted online without password protection, or are available for streaming on a VOD platform (with the exception of SVOD for short films). However, we reserve the right to make exceptions to this rule on a case by case basis.

Notification Policy:
NFMLA sends decline notifications on a rolling basis, and will contact you directly by phone if your film is shortlisted to go into the next round of consideration. A phone call is just a next step in the shortlisting process and does not mean your film has been accepted. Films have only been accepted once they have been sent an Official Acceptance Notice.

Review times will vary, but please feel free to check in with us six months after your film has been submitted for an update on the status. In order to receive a reply, please submit all Submission Status Requests through the Submission Status Request Form here: https://forms.gle/wetKV6DAivTi6EzW7

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Ken Aguado

    This is an amazing program. To call it a "festival" is greatly underselling what the program offers to new filmmakers, and not-so-new ones, like me. If your ambition is to break into the Hollywood entertainment industry, this is the program you want.

    November 2023
  • Absolutely amazing film festival! They really care about the filmmakers and provide resources tailored to your specific needs/wants in order to develop as a filmmaker.

    October 2023
  • Derek Sitter

    There's just not enough words to describe how d*** good this festival is. Top-Notch EVERYTHING. Tons of useful industry panels. Great mixers and fantastic screenings. The staff and organization are splendid to work with and their mission is pure. SUBMIT to this festival. They really celebrate cinema and support filmmakers from all over the world! ***********

    August 2023
  • Easily one of the best festivals I've been apart of and some of the best films I've screened with. Highly recommend!

    August 2023
  • One of the best festivals I've attended as a filmmaker so far! The communication from NFMLA was on point. The panels they organized were extremely valuable and NFMLA took into account what speakers to choose based on the requests of the participating filmmakers. They really invest in the storytellers they select and I was honored to participate! Hope to be back another year.

    June 2023