We were going to do a festival devoted to only comedic shorts. However, we've decided to open it up to ALL GENRES. Narratives, animations and documentaries, etc.
So please submit the best you got. Thanks to all you wonderful filmmakers throughout the world!

Our mission is to bring cultures together through the art of filmmaking.

Awards & Prizes

There will be $200 awarded to the Audience Favorite Film director!

There will be laurels given in various categories judged by audience members and The Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival panel of judges.

Press releases will go to the New York Times, Time Out NY, NY Daily News (see their article on us at http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sunnyside-festival-features-local-foreign-short-films-article-1.319582), various local papers and the TV station NY 1.

Rules & Terms

SHORT FILMS ONLY. 20 MINUTES MAXIMUM
ENTRY RULES & GUIDELINES (*ALL STUDENT FILMS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY STUDENT I.D. PROOF CAN BE EMAILED TO FilmFreeway OR sunnysideshortsfest@gmail.com.
FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS: Through the Secure Online Screening format available through FilmFreeway. Please ensure that your film plays fully. Questions can be directed to FilmFreeway Festival or to sunnysideshortsfest@gmail.com. Exhibition is by video projection only. All submission media should be clearly marked with director's name, film title, genre, total running time and the filmmakers' email address and FilmFreeway tracking #.

All entrants will be notified of selection by Sept. 9, 2019, or earlier.

Please ensure if you are submitting a film that contains copyrighted material by anyone other than yourself, that you have obtained festival clearance for that material used. By entering your work, you agree to this and the responsibilities involved.

Films screened in the festival should be presented in English. For all dialogues presented in other languages, the festival will accept subtitling and/or dubbing.

All films selected for the festival are automatically entered into competition for a variety of honors and prizes awarded by the festival organizers, jurors and audience.

Film Length is 20 minutes max.

All student entries must be accompanied by a photocopy of a current student I.D.. Please email these to sunnysideshortsfest@gmail.com.

Entering this competition represents my accepting all the terms and conditions specified above.

All questions should be sent to sunnysideshortsfest@gmail.com.

7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Madison Traub

    I am so honored to have had my short film, "Worlds Apart, Same Heart" selected and shown at this festival. Communication was great, as well the additional help I received from the festival director. Everyone there was so friendly and supportive of our teen film. It was such an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it to other aspiring filmmakers!

    November 2018
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Madison! It was great meeting you and your family. Wonderful film you made and should be shown at all schools.

  • Anthony Bradley

    Great festival that really supports the filmmakers!

    October 2016
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Anthony! We loved your film "Flaws". As did the audience.

  • John Corcoran

    The festival only returned after a long break/hiatus so it was very quiet on the friday when our short played. I think it could do with more publicity even a poster or banner outside the venue where there was nothing to indicate that it was on there. The organisers are nice, friendly and easy to deal with. Hopefully next year with bit more effort this will be a highlight of the Sunnyside/suburban NY area..

    October 2016
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    Response from festival:

    Hi John: I am sorry you missed the large banner outside the church. We had it there since the beginning of September and of course the night of, when you attended. We also had posters all over the neighborhood. We were advertised in all the local and Queens papers and listed on the events pages. We were listed on TV on Channel 1 which is NY1 Community Events. We were were written about on: http://www.queensbuzz.com/sunnyside-shorts-film-festivals-queens-cms-1156 (you'll see the poster there), http://sunnysidepost.com/sunnyside-shorts-film-festival-coming-back-takes-place-in-october and http://qns.com/story/2016/10/05/5-year-hiatus-sunnyside-shorts-film-festival-back-weekend/ .
    We had almost a full house on Saturday night with many returnees from Friday night.
    We've always had the festival on a Saturday night only and we now see that it is difficult to draw an audience on a Friday at the end of a work week and next year's festival will take place on a Saturday only.
    Thank you for attending the Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival with your family and friends. I enjoyed meeting you and hope to see another submission from you next year.

  • Davon Johnson

    N/A THIS FESTIVAL NEED HELP! MY WORK ARE AWARD WINNING FILMS WAS NOT SELECTED! BUT I GOT SOMETHING ABOUT SCREENING MY FILM NEXT YEAR???

    October 2016
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    Response from festival:

    Dear Mr. Johnson: I am sorry you feel this way. I hope you understand that out of 1255 films, we had many award winners and not all could be shown in 2 nights.
    And yes, we are considering your film for next year.

  • FARIDUL AHASAN SHOURAV

    I don't know anything about the festival. They didn't contact with me actually. But through Filmfreeway they just informed me that my film was Semi-Finalist.

    October 2016
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    Response from festival:

    Dear Mr. Shourav: As you said, notification is done by Film Freeway of your status and it is done by their computer system. With 1255 submissions this year to Sunnyside Shorts, we couldn't possibly do it manually on our own. Your film has semi-finalist status and is in consideration for next years' event.