Returning every fall to celebrate a new slate of essential cinematic offerings from around the globe, NYFF has been an enduring part of New York’s rich cultural and historical landscape since 1963. Produced by Film at Lincoln Center, the 59th edition will take place from September 24 until October 10 with a hybrid of in-person and virtual screenings.

Submissions will be accepted via FilmFreeway from April 21 through May 24, and for the duration of this window, the entry fee is $45. This fee will help fund a seasonal staff of submissions screeners as well as additional festival operations, including artist support. NYFF is noncompetitive, and all sections are curated by the selection committee with support from an international roster of programming advisors and screeners. While the festival is open to films of any length, only short films (40 minutes or less) are accepted through FilmFreeway.

NYFF’s call for submissions provides an opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers to share their work in an otherwise curated festival. In addition to film submissions collected via FilmFreeway, the NYFF59 selection committee considers recommendations from alumni and industry colleagues, as well as work that has premiered in international festivals and galleries since the previous edition of NYFF. Submitted films will be evaluated by NYFF59 programming staff and considered equally with all other prospective entrants. Due to the total number of short films in consideration, fewer than 1% of submissions may be invited via FilmFreeway. All films submitted through FilmFreeway will be notified of their status by July 30.

In 2020, organizers unveiled a reimagined festival structure under the leadership of new NYFF Director Eugene Hernandez and NYFF Director of Programming Dennis Lim. The festival’s offerings were streamlined into five sections: Main Slate, Currents, Spotlight, Revivals, and Talks. The NYFF59 selection committee consists of Florence Almozini, K. Austin Collins, Devika Girish, Eugene Hernandez, Dennis Lim, Aily Nash, Rachel Rosen, Dan Sullivan, Madeline Whittle, and Tyler Wilson, with Violeta Bava, Michelle Carey, Leo Goldsmith, Rachael Rakes, and Gina Telaroli serving as advisors. Visit filmlinc.org for additional information about the festival structure and selection committee.

Awards & Prizes

The New York Film Festival is non-competitive.

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES

1. Film at Lincoln Center defines a short film as any film with a running time of 40 minutes or less.

2. All films submitted to NYFF must be New York premieres. “Premiere” is defined as any film having not screened for the public in the greater New York area, or having received a run in a festival operating within New York state.

3. Films that have shown theatrically in New York or been broadcast on television prior to NYFF or are available on DVD or VOD will be deemed ineligible.

4. Films that have had private, unpublicized screenings are eligible for submission to NYFF.

5. Films that have been previously submitted to NYFF are ineligible.

6. Films must have been completed in the current or previous year (2020, 2021). Films publicly exhibited before the 2020 edition of NYFF (September 17, 2020) are ineligible.

7. All applicants must complete the official festival submission form located on FilmFreeway.

8. NYFF reserves the right to disqualify any film not submitted through these websites without refund of any application fees.

9. The applicant holds the sole responsibility of copyright clearance of any copyrighted material in the film. Films including unauthorized copyrighted material are ineligible.

10. Films not in English must be subtitled in English unless dialogue is minimal and not necessary for the comprehension of the Film.

TERMS

1. Films submitted by mail will not be returned.

2. Multiple versions of the same film will not be considered. Only the first submitted version of a film will be considered for NYFF.

3. If the submitted film does not play, NYFF staff will make an attempt to contact the applicant based on the contact information supplied at the time of submission in order to obtain a replacement. If a replacement is not available, NYFF reserves the right to disqualify the film without refunding the submission fees.

4. NYFF will attempt, but is under no obligation, to view a submission that arrives after the designated deadline without refund of the submission fee.

5. Submitted films that qualify based on the regulations and eligibility requirements stated here will be seen by NYFF programming staff and be considered equally with all other submissions.

6. NYFF reserves the right to disqualify any film for non-payment of the submission fee. NYFF will attempt to contact the applicant based on the contact information supplied at the time of submission in order to resolve non-payment status.

7. Applicants acknowledge that NYFF reserves the right to change the nature of screenings and events due to circumstances related to public health and welfare or at the direction of local, state, or federal authorities. In such cases no submission refunds shall be issued.

8. NYFF is under no obligation to provide comments regarding submitted films to any applicant. The festival is not responsible for any internal comments obtained by the applicant regarding their film.