Nitehawk Cinema’s annual NITEHAWK SHORTS FESTIVAL is a celebration of independent short filmmaking.

“There is a clear egalitarian outlook ingrained in the festival. [Caryn] Coleman’s programming stays away from the focus on stars, or the obsessive culture of selfies, photos ops and autographs. Nitehawk Shorts Festival shows instead a generosity of ideas that endeavors to spark a communal feeling and discourse.” – Patrick Devitt, Kinoscope

Since 2013, the mission of the Nitehawk Shorts Festival has been to highlight exceptional short-form film works by artists and filmmakers. The Festival’s main slate programming features a range of filmmakers, from emerging film school students to Academy Award nominees, in curated screenings that prioritize conversations between the films over categorical listings. Programs at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival consist of short films in all forms (animation, documentary, narrative, non-narrative, artist films, music videos, horror) by local, national, and international filmmakers.

Our priority is to embrace inclusion and support diverse voices as the Nitehawk Shorts Festival provides an inclusive platform for filmmakers that encourages engagement with larger audiences and to establish a dialogue with the New York film community.

Awards & Prizes

2025 PRIZES

FESTIVAL JURY WINNER
Post-production sound services from HEARD CITY ($16k value)
Boris FX Bundle (featuring Boris FX Sapphire, Boris FX Continuum, Boris FX Mocha Pro) one-year subscription from BORIS FX ($1195 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

MIDNITE PRIZE
Boris FX Bundle (featuring Boris FX Sapphire, Boris FX Continuum, Boris FX Mocha Pro) one-year subscription from BORIS FX ($1295 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

MUSIC DRIVEN PRIZE
Prize package featuring GS1000x headphones and phono cartridge from GRADO ($1195 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

FUTURE OF FILM IS FEMALE AWARD
$250 + Inclusion before a screening in the FOFIF series at Nitehawk

FIRST TIME FILMMAKER AWARD
Training certificate good towards any in-person educational workshops or classes ($500 value) + rental certificate good towards any equipment rental package ($500 value) from ABELCINE
$500 awarded to a selected debut short film by a filmmaker screening in the 2023 Nitehawk Shorts Festival.
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Account with VIMEO (eligible during Opening Nite, Midnite, Music Driven, Matinee One, Matinee Two, NoBudge and Closing Nite screenings – $199 value each).

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY
1. Nitehawk Cinema’s Shorts Festival is open to all filmmakers (regional, national, international) in all genres and categories (documentary, animation, fiction, experimental).

2. Submitted works must have been completed between 2021-2024.

3. Submitted works must be under twenty minutes in length.

4. Entrants must comply with these “Rules and Regulations” including all deadlines, film length, entry material, and other requirements.

5. Non-English language works must have English subtitles.

6. Short films online or from other film festival accepted.

PROGRAMMING
Works invited to participate in Nitehawk Shorts Festival will be shown in the section, series/program, day, and time determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, in their sole discretion.

Festival programmers select and invite all the films to be presented at Nitehawk Shorts Festival either from submissions or independent curatorial selections. Invited filmmakers will be notified via email (please make sure to update us with new contact information or status changes prior to the Festival). Nitehawk may rescind an invitation if a film’s eligibility status changes.

IF YOUR WORK IS SELECTED
If your work is selected you must fulfill the following requirements by the dates(s) designated by the Festival:

1) You/Filmmaker state you (i) accept responsibility for obtaining any and all clearances necessary to exhibit your film at Nitehawk Shorts Festival, (ii) warrant that you have the rights necessary to exhibit your film at Nitehawk’s Shorts Festival; and (iii) indemnify and hold harmless Nitehawk Cinema Brooklyn LLC, its affiliates, and subsidiaries and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and representatives against any claim arising out of exhibition of your film at Nitehawk Cinema.

2) You must upload the file of the accepted work to the preferred technical specifications and location Nitehawk will supply you upon confirmation.

3) You must provide a properly completed and signed official Nitehawk Shorts Festival “Film Information Form” including all specified in the “Materials Checklist.”

4) You must provide via email still images of your film (1000 pixels, 72dpi and 300dpi) with permission for promotional purposes.
31 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Vango Jones

    I thoroughly enjoyed the festival and am super thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it.

    March 2024
    Helpful
  • Haley Alea Erickson

    Our team had an amazing time - thank you to the festival and thank you SO much for honoring our film CALL ME MOMMY with the NoBudge Audience award.

    March 2024
    Helpful
  • Sally Eckhoff

    Fantastic from beginning to end. I was in the music-driven portion, and it was great meeting filmmakers who were working with original music and ideas rooted in music. Organizers were accessible and the venue was FUN.

    March 2024
    Helpful
  • Mario Rubén Carrión

    We had a blast screening at Nitehawk. The Fest team was super welcoming & thoughtful and I was super impressed with the curation- the quality & diversity of the shorts was next level.

    April 2023
    Helpful
  • Elijah Barry

    Simply as great as a festival can be. Worth it 100%.

    March 2023
    Helpful