The largest short film festival on the East Coast, featuring nearly 300 short films, special events, talks, retrospectives films, and tributes with honored guests, establishing New York Shorts International Film Festival as one of the finest exhibitions of short films in North America.
A non-profit organization that provides a showcase for emerging filmmakers from around the world.
New York Shorts is a qualifying film festival for the Canadian Screen Awards, presented by The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. We are the only short film festival in New York on the Canadian Screen Awards eligible festival list.
The festival has become a career stepping stone, establishing a tradition of discovering and promoting filmmakers who have gone on to become Academy Award® Nominees.
Previous film selections include:
2025 Documentary "Filmology" by two-time Academy Award® Nominee Richard Gladstein
2025 "A Love Letter To M" by Academy Award® Nominated Producer Sara McFarlane
2025 Student Academy Award® "The 12 Inch Pianist" by Lucas Ansel
2024 OSCAR® NOMINEE Live-Action Short Film, ANUJA by Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai - Winner New York Grand Prize
2023 Student Academy Award® "Duet" by Lyuwei Chen - Winner New York Shorts Best Documentary
2023 OSCAR® NOMINEE Live-Action Short Film, "The Red Suitcase" by Cyrus Neshvad -Winner New York Shorts Best International Film
2022 OSCAR® WINNER Documentary, Short "The Queen of Basketball" by Ben Proudfoot
2020 OSCAR® WINNER Live-Action Short Film, "The Neighbors" Window" by Marshall Curry - Winner New York Shorts Grand Prize
2020 OSCAR® NOMINEE Documentary Short Subject The New York Times Op-Docs "Walk Run Cha-Cha" by Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt
2019 OSCAR® NOMINEE Animated Short "Animal Behaviour" by Alison Snowden and David Fine
2015 OSCAR® NOMINEE "The Dam Keeper" by Robert Kondo, Daisuke Tsutsumi
2013 Student Academy Award® "A World for Raúl" by Mauro Mueller - Winner New York Shorts Best Drama
2012 OSCAR® NOMINEE & BAFTA Best Short Animation "A Morning Stroll" by Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe
2012 World Premiere "Derek" by Ricky Gervais - Winner New York Shorts Best Comedy and became a popular British television show picked up by Netflix.
New York Shorts International Film Festival is one of the largest showcases of short films in North America and an ideal platform for filmmakers to screen their films and gain recognition in New York City.
New York Shorts events include receptions, as well as workshops with industry experts and filmmaking professionals sharing their practical advice to attending filmmakers.
2025 Industry Events
Industry Spotlight Screening & Talk w/ Two-Time Academy Award® Nominee Richard Gladstein
Industry Spotlight Talk w/ Academy Award® Nominated Producer Sara McFarlane
2024 Industry Events
How to produce on a micro-budget and work with SAG•AFTRA actors
Hosted by Jack Mulcahy SAGindie Film Committee for SAG•AFTRA
co-Chairman of the National Low Budget Film Committee
Speaker Michael Sládek, SAGindie NY Consultant
2023 Industry Events
Industry Master Spotlight w/ BAFTA Nominated Director Jon Amiel
Industry Master Spotlight w/ Academy Award® Winning Producer Andrew Carlberg
Industry Short Film Spotlight w/ Academy Award® Winning Director Chris Overton
2022 Industry Events
Tribute to legendary film director Bob Giraldi
Spotlight Screening from George R.R. Martin's (Game of Thrones creator)
Beyond The Screen with Ben Proudfoot (Oscar® winning documentary director)
Film Retrospective Kim Magnusson (producer/director of seven Academy Awards® nominations and two Oscar wins)
Film Tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
New York Shorts believes short-form cinema and its filmmakers should have their own premier film festival in New York deserving similar recognition given to feature films.
The heart of the festival is the quality and scope of extraordinary film programming to enthusiastic audiences in the vibrant filmmaking enclave of New York City.
Canadian Screen Awards Qualifying
Grand Prize
Best International
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best Animation
Best Documentary
Best Experimental
Best Sci-Fi
Best Horror
Best Music Video
Best Web Series
Halyna Hutchins Cinematography Award
Previous Judges
Maxine Bailey, Executive Director of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC)
Jacob Stebel, Program Director, Ghetto Film School New York
Lauren Lukow, Film Producer, former Manager of Producing and Artist Support at Sundance Institute Feature Film Program. Development at Pixar Animation Studios
Farah Nabulsi, Academy Award® Nominated and BAFTA Award Winning Palestinian British filmmaker
Lana Link, Senior Vice President, Moving Picture Institute
Joyce Pierpoline, Award-Winning Film Producer and Founder of Pierpoline Films
Chris Overton (director/producer)
Kia Brooks (Director Gotham Film & Media Institute)
Sam French (filmmaker)
Anita Svingen (Festival Director, Kortfilmfestivalen / The Norwegian Short Film Festival)
Seigo Tono (Festival Director Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia)
Easmanie Michel (Special Projects Assoc. NYWIFT)
Tom Van Avermaet (writer/director)
Dorotea Mercuri (Greek-Italian actress)
If any category does not meet the standard deemed award-worthy by the judging committee, it’s possible that there will be no award announced in that category.
