The NYC Student Film Festival is a place where students from across the country and around the world can have their work shown and be able to make long lasting connections. At NYCSFF, we are looking for films that are powerful and memorable. That move audiences. That evoke emotional responses. That tell captivating and fresh stories. That are true cinema. We want to discover emerging student filmmakers and give them a voice. We want to give them an opportunity to get a leg up in a tough industry.

The festival is open to all student filmmakers, not just those in New York. However, the festival is only open to current high school, university, or graduate students.

We are coming off a very fun and successful first year full of screenings, an awards ceremony, and a screenwriting talk with industry professionals Paul Guyot and Craig T. Williams. For our second year, we are excited to announce our new home, Village East by Angelika!

There will be two screenings on July 10th and 13th 2025, each for an hour. After the screenings there will be a Q&A and reception. The awards will be hosted in person and live-streamed on July 16th.

In addition to the screenings, the festival will host talks with professionals in the industry and networking opportunities.

Awards & Prizes

There will be multiple awards given out:
Best Narrative Film
Best Documentary
Best Animated Film
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Screenplay
Best Score
Audience Award

By submitting to "Narrative Films" you are automatically eligible for Best Director, Actor, and Actress awards.

NEW FOR 2025: We are proud to announce the traveling filmmaker grant. One of the biggest obstacles filmmakers face on the festival circuit are the costs of travel. We want to ease this for our selected filmmakers with the new "Traveling Filmmaker Grant." If your film is selected and you live more than 100 miles away, you can apply to this grant to help you and your team with travel expenses. Two filmmakers will be eligible to receive the grant and the amount will be based on each filmmaker's need. However the maximum we can give out to either filmmaker is $300.

Rules & Terms

All films submitted must be in English or have English subtitles. If there are words in another language, those must have subtitles.

Films that use copyrighted music or other media without obtaining the rights to it will be disqualified.

Films must have been completed after June of 2022.

All films must be under 40 minutes.

If you are a student, you need to show proof you are a student (or were a student when the film was made) if selected.

Entry fees are non-refundable.

We do not waive submission fees for anyone for any reason.

Does not have to be a premiere to screen at NYCSFF.

No excessive praise for a religion or tone films/music videos.

Films made with the use of AI in any capacity will not be considered.

Filmmakers can submit more than one project.

By entering, you waive the right of the film festival to use content from your film to promote the festival. If you get in, we may also make a meme to promote your film (all memes will be respectful of course).