The Queen City Film Festival (NJ), a A Queen City Film & Television Workshop event, is a community centered film festival based in the historic city of Plainfield, New Jersey; a central jersey hub for culture, cuisine, music, art and film. Located 25 miles southwest of Tribeca in lower Manhattan, Plainfield is set with two train stations along the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line and is a quick easy commute to and from from New York City. QCFTVW is a NJ nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing Tv and film production training to area youth, free of charge
 
With tree-lined streets and Victorian homes set against a unique urban landscape, the city is a perfect location for the festival, which attracts cinephiles from all around for two days of movies, workshops, networking, vendor opportunities, parties and an awards ceremony. Community partners include restaurants, shops, air b&b stewards and other local businesses .
 
The festival, now in its 4th year, started out as a pop-up short film showcase featuring both Plainfield filmmakers as well as films produced within its borders. The goal of the festival is to provide a platform for developing and seasoned filmmakers with a platform for their work. To Connect audiences with emerging talent while curating impactful films. To create a space for film professionals to access continuing education and development in and effort to encourage career preparedness for the television and motion picture industry.

The festival also pledges to continue its youth mentoring and internship programming through various nonprofit components. The Plainfield Film and Television Production Training Program has afforded dozens of local youth access to the tools of film production, direct contact with accomplished professionals and career counseling and placement in industry.

Projects with socially impactful themes in their storytelling will be given the primary consideration from the judge’s panel . The class of 2018’s included films from Writer Okema T. Moore, Jacqueline Howell-King, Jamal Hodge, Director Patrick Coker as well as renowned novelist and Plainfield’s own, JM Benjamin.

Despite the challenges presented by COVID 19 - 2020 was an amazing year. We amassed over 10,000 views on our Facebook page hosting live screenings of official selections as well as a sold out DRIVE IN EXPERIENCE over 140 guests. Having made the decision to go virtual in April of 2020, the Queen City Film Festival weathered the pandemic and remains dedicated to providing this space for filmmakers ONLINE as well as with a DRIVE IN experience. Three days of film, workshop and development as well as an awards stream.

Join us October 22 -24,2021 as we bring the best independent short and feature length films, series,animation, horror, music video, documentary and screenplays. New Jersey's fastest growing film festival for underrepresented artists.

Awards & Prizes

Laurels and trophies plus some cash prizes for top categories

Grand Jury Prize
Production Deal fueled by Nonstop Show Group and Tryboro Productions

Cash Prizes
1st
2nd
3rd

AWARD CATEGORIES

Best Director
Best Cinematographer
Best Short
Best Documentary
Best Music Video
Best Horror
Best Digital Series
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best ScreenPlay

Audience Choice Award

Rules & Terms

Queen City Film Fest (NJ) Entry Submission Guidelines

Queen City Film Fest (NJ) is now accepting film entries for our 2021 Festival. We are seeking films from a wide variety of independent filmmakers from every walks of life. We are filmmakers and enjoy watching well made, crafted productions that open our minds to worlds previously unimagined.

Please read the following information fully and complete the online submission form found on FilmFreeway. Note: if your film was shot in New Jersey or there are any verifiable New Jersey ties of your principals (NJ residence) there is a $10 entry fee reduction (Early Bird, Regular or Late deadlines applies). You are encouraged to submit prior to the deadline for a reduced fee. Please state why your film is eligible in this category.

QCFFNJ Eligibility

Entries must be written, directed, produced and/or principally acted by a person of color. Works in progress are not considered.
More than one entry can be submitted; however, each entry must be accompanied by a separate online submission form, entry fee, color JPEG publicity photo, one - two sentence synopsis and URL link and password.
Year of completion must be 2017 or later.
Foreign language films must have English subtitles.

Online submissions must include the fully completed submission form, entry fee, JPEG publicity photo(s), downloadable trailer link, two sentence synopsis and URL link (Vimeo preferred). The URL link and password for selected films must be available until Oct 27, 2019.

Completion of the entry form certifies that you are the rightful owner of the submitted work and own all rights and releases necessary for public screening. All legal clearances and releases including, but not limited to talent, intellectual property, music or stock footage are the responsibility of the filmmaker. The submitted film is not subject to litigation and is not threatened by litigation. If selected, you agree to provide a final exhibition downloadable link and password no later than June 29, 2019. You give permission for QCFFNJ to utilize clips or stills of your entry for festival promotional purposes (including but not limited to television, web, and presentations).

QCFFNJ encourages at least a NEW JERSEY premiere for the selected films and shorts, but is not required. Projects may have distribution but not yet had a theatrical release, airplay on television, or broadcast on the Internet (excluding webisode series).
Official Selection Announcement will be made the week of September 20, 2019, via Facebook Live or via email. It will be followed up by an official acceptance sent via e-mail.

Submission and Judging Categories include:

- Feature Film (narrative fiction): (60 minutes or less)
- Short Film (32 minutes or less) All shorts must provide a link and password.

- Documentary: (30 minutes or less)
- Digital Series (two in a series; each not to exceed 30:00min)
- Music Video (must be an original song, not a cover and not to exceed 6:30)

- Student Shorts (up to 39 minutes); must be written, shot, directed and produced by
students who were in college during the time of its production and submission.
(Student shorts are not eligible to be submitted in the Shorts category;
QCFFNJ reserves the right to move them to the Student category)

BEST OF recommendations will be based on the judge's evaluations.
6 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Diana Atai

    I truly enjoyed my experience at the Second Annual Queen City Film Festival (NJ). It was very well organized. The panels were informative. The projects selected were quality. I learned so much! Thank you for having me and for being so hospitable.

    December 2019
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  • Kujo Ashanti

    This was a great festival overall. Well handled, magnificent filmmakers on hand and really felt like they really cared about their creatives. I'm honored to have been selected and will be back next year with BKBOX!

    November 2019
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  • Diandra Marie

    Great film fest. For the 2nd annual, it felt so well run and organized. You felt that every filmmaker and film screening was special to the organizers. Got that "for us, by us" vibe. Only thing I would suggest are hands on workshops to that filmmakers can build on to growing in their craft (ex. intro to screenwriting, turning a screenplay into a film, intro to animation, etc). Already looking forward to next year.

    November 2019
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  • Sam Hicks

    Great film festival. And the best was the amazing Cinema it was held at. Really proud. Great staff to accommodate everyone.

    November 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Sam! We were so stoked to receive your submission! Such a great, fun and well produced film. Looking forward to many years of screening Sam Hicks films! Salute!

  • Squeaky Moore

    A feel good festival! It felt like I was amongst family. The filmmakers were so supportive of each other. I had so many great conversation with other filmmakers.

    My screening was at 3pm on Friday. I thought that was going to be a bad time for the screening but it was well attended. The Q&A was thorough too. They also gave away a surprise production deal which no one knew of until the award ceremony. Such a cool festival! I’m definitely supporting next year with or without a Participating film. Thanks for the experience QueenCity!

    November 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Squeaky! Our goal was to give you a screening time that would allow students to attend. We are glad you had a great experience and we look forward to having you back again! Perhaps a panel is in your future for 2020! See you next year!