PANO is looking to spotlight short films from filmmakers experiencing gender marginalization including women, trans, and gender-expansive creators in our 4th annual Shorts Showcase. We will host an in-person screening of all the selected films at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in NYC on Thursday, March 27th, 2025.

PANO (formerly NYC Women Filmmakers) is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women, trans, and gender expansive creators in Film, TV & Media. Since our founding in 2015, we've served thousands of filmmakers with labs, grants, screenings, events, workshops and a private online community. To learn more about PANO's other programming, visit www.panonetwork.org.

Submissions are free for any PRO member of the PANO Network. Current PANO PRO members, please login to the Network and visit this page (https://panonetwork.org/benefits/#submissiondiscounts) for the waiver code to submit for free.

We look forward to watching your films! Make sure to save the date March 27th, 2025 for our in-person screening followed by a live Q&A with the filmmakers. Sign up for our newsletter on our website to stay informed with all PANO programming. We hope to see you at NYU in March!

Submission Guidelines:
- Short films with key positions held by filmmakers experiencing gender marginalization including women, trans, and gender-expansive creators
- Limit 1 submission per person
- Please do not submit films that have been submitted to previous PANO Shorts Showcases
- Open to films of any genre and subject
- Maximum length: 40 minutes (including credits)
- Films must have been completed after 1/1/2024

Selected filmmakers will be notified early in March 2025. Please have your assets (H264 video file and graphics and credits for promotion on social media) ready to go, in case you are selected. Selected filmmakers will be invited to participate in a live Q&A at the NYC screening and given 2 free passes for members of their team to attend.

**Current PANO PRO members, please login to the Network and visit this page (https://panonetwork.org/benefits/#submissiondiscounts) for the waiver code to submit for free.

Please email us with any questions. We look forward to watching your films!

Winners will be announced at the festival and will receive laurels & prizes from our sponsors along with marketing and publicity throughout our website and social media channels.

Awards will be given. Some of the possible categories include:
● BEST NARRATIVE SHORT (1 Winner)
● BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (1 Winner)
● BEST DIRECTOR (1 Winner)
● BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (1 Winner)
● BEST PERFORMANCE (1 Winner)
● BEST EDITING (1 Winner)
● BEST SOUND DESIGN OR MUSIC (1 Winner)

Previous Prizes have included:
● Canon Camera Kit
● $250 AbelCine Gift Card: https://www.abelcine.com/
● $500 towards AbelCine Training: https://www.abelcine.com/education
● Innovator Memberships to Film at Lincoln Center. Learn more here: https://www.filmlinc.org/membership/members/
● Rosco DASH Light: https://us.rosco.com/en/products/brand/dmg-dash
● Headshot/Branding Session with Lauren Sowa: https://www.laureneliotphotography.com/
● Financial Management Consultation by Tuesday Brooks / AJOY: https://www.ajoymanagement.com/
● PRO Membership Extensions to the PANO Network
● This year's prizes subject to change

● The submitted film must have at least one filmmaker in a key crew position that identifies as woman, non-binary, or gender non-conforming. Key positions include: Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, Production Designer, Gaffer, Sound Designer, Music Composer, Colorist.

● Existing PANO PRO members: Please login to the Network and navigate to your Benefits page (https://panonetwork.org/benefits/#submissiondiscounts) for your waiver code to submit before the deadline.

● PRO Applicants must apply with the same name that is listed on their PANO profile. Do not apply on behalf of someone else. Applicant must use their real name and contact information in the application.

● All winners and film festival selections are the decision of the PANO jury and are final.

● PANO will in no way own or control your copyright or intellectual property.

● Entry fees are non-refundable.

● All Winners and Selected Filmmakers agree to share the news of winning and/or being selected on their website and/or social media channels using PANO’s name and tagging @panonetwork or linking to the PANO website.

● We will require the selected filmmakers to submit their email, mailing address, social handles and phone number. It is required for our records. If you cannot share that information, please do not apply.

● You - the Applicant - grant permission to PANO to share your name, project title, images, synopsis and description, genre, excerpts, and information about you, and your project on the PANO website, social media platforms, in our promotional, visual, digital, or print, marketing materials, and grant applications in perpetuity throughout the known and unknown Universe.

BY SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION YOU AGREE TO THE ABOVE RULES AND THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
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This Agreement of Terms and Conditions is made effective upon you submitting your application and consists of the entire agreement between You (the “Applicant”) and PANO Network, Inc. (“PANO”), concerning PANO's Shorts Showcase (“Showcase”).

The Applicant agrees as follows:
1. Hold Harmless. Upon the performance of services by any of its employees, agents, invitees and/or volunteers for the purposes specified herein, the Applicant shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless PANO from any and all actual or alleged claims, demands, causes of action, liability, loss, damage and/or injury (to property or persons, including without limitation wrongful death), whether brought by an individual or other entity, or imposed by a court of law or by administrative action of any federal, state, or local governmental body or agency, arising out of or incident to any acts, omissions, negligence, or willful misconduct of Applicant, its personnel, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers in connection with or arising out of the Project or Applicant’s services. This indemnification applies to and includes, without limitation, the payment of all penalties, fines, judgments, awards, decrees, attorneys’ fees and related costs or expenses, and any reimbursements to PANO for all legal expenses and costs incurred by it.

2. Authority to Enter Agreement. Each Party warrants that the individuals who have signed this Agreement have the legal power, right, capacity and authority make this Agreement and bind each respective Party.

3. Amendment; Modification. No supplement, modification, or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing and signed by both parties.

4. Waiver. No waiver of any default shall constitute a waiver of any other default or breach, whether of the same or other covenant or condition. No waiver, benefit, privilege, or service voluntarily given or performed by a Party shall give the other Party any contractual right by custom, estoppels or otherwise.

5. Ownership. The Applicant warrants, affirms and represents that they are the rightful owner of the copyright of the submission and owns and maintains the rights to their project and submitted materials. Applicant hereby grants PANO a non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable and transferable license to use excerpts from the project to show, publicly perform, display, use and/or stream on the PANO website, social media or promotional materials, as well as Applicant’s name and/or likeness for promotional purposes.

6. Content. Submissions may NOT include material that may be considered pornographic, obscene, hateful, violent or advertising a product or any commercial activity or that which would otherwise conflict with the mission of PANO. Applicant will be solely responsible for its own content and the consequences of submitting the content to this contest. Applicant also expressly affirms, represents, and warrants that they own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to publish, use, perform, display or otherwise submit all of the material in the product they submit for consideration in the PANO approval process. Applicant further expressly warrants, affirms and represents that the project submitted does not contain third party copyrighted material, or material that is subject to other third party proprietary rights, for which Applicant does not have the express and legal permission from the rightful owner of the material and that Applicant is otherwise legally entitled to use all of the material included in the submission for consideration in the PANO Short Film Showcase, and grants PANO all of the license rights granted herein.

7. Submission is electronic signature. The parties agree that by the act of submission of the application to this site, Applicant explicitly agrees that they are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions herein and will have the same effect as if the Applicant physically executed said document.

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us: https://panonetwork.org/contact/

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Hospitality
Networking
  • Asha Dahya

    Thank you PANO for including my short documentary in your final film festival. This is a wonderful community for filmmakers and it was an honor to be part of the festival this year!

    March 2025
  • My team and I had such a great time at PANO's festival! Filled with kind people and quality films. Just a great evening from start to finish. Thank you, PANO!

    March 2025
  • Pano Short Showcase was wonderful! The films were so great. Each film had such a specific voice and vision, I felt honored “Halmoni’s Pot” (“Grandma’s Pot”) was part of this final showcase.

    March 2025