Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen, located in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY, specializes in recently released experimental, foreign, and indie art-house film and well as varied repertory runs, and has become an important hub in the independent filmmaking scene.

In an effort to support young filmmakers and grant short films a larger audience, Syndicated is looking for quality short films to be programmed as a part of its regular schedule and for consideration in its yearly festival.

All selected films will be shown in a year's end program of shorts and compete for the following awards. Specific prizes to be determined.

-Audience Award-
-Jury Award-

Films with a duration of 5 minutes or less will be considered for screenings prior to Syndicated's regular feature film programming. Accepted shorts of this duration will be screened a minimum of nine (9) times at Syndicated during a single four-month period, as well as during our yearly festival.

Films under 40 minutes in duration are eligible for the yearly festival screenings.

To be considered for screening as a part of Syndicated Shorts, all submissions must meet the following criteria:

Films:
Must be of high quality
Must be original content
Must not be or contain advertisements

The filmmaker/film submitter agrees that:
If their film is selected, an exhibition-quality digital file (in an agreed upon file format) is required to arrive at Syndicated at least two weeks in advance of project cycle start date or festival date.

Any non-English language films must have onscreen English subtitles.

All insurance costs covering shipping of film exhibition copy to and from Syndicated are the responsibility of the filmmaker/film submitter.

All shipping costs covering shipping of the film exhibition copy to Syndicated are the responsibility of the filmmaker/film submitter.

Films submitted for consideration must have previously obtained all legal copyright clearances, licenses, and permissions for materials contained within the films (picture and audio). By submitting a film to the project, the submitter certifies that they are the copyright owner of the film or are authorized by the copyright owner to submit the film and that it has been legally cleared for public exhibition.

Film submitter agrees to grant Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen the right to exhibit the film at Syndicated in a year-end festival competition format as well as the right to exhibit the film prior its regular programmed feature-length films. Film submitter agrees to grant Syndicated use of up to thirty (30) seconds of footage excerpted from the film and all submitted press kit materials in advertising and promotions.

If a legal claim arises in connection with the submitted film, the filmmaker/person/company submitting the film for entry agrees to bear all costs incurred by Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen in defense of the claim, including full payment of all damages, due royalties, and reimbursement of all incurred attorney fees and travel fees.

Submission to the project is a Declaration of Ownership of copyright of the film by the owner or authorized representative of owner.

By entering a film submission, you are indicating that you understand, comply with, and agree to the project's General Rules, Terms, and Conditions and the submissions, eligibility, and exhibition copies' requirements.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jenny Groza

    Brendan and the entire team at Syndicated were super communicative before, during and after the festival. Syndicated Shorts ran all year and then culminated in a festival at the end, which is a great value for films because your film shows multiple times throughout the year. I plan on being part of this great local festival for years to come!

    February 2019
  • David Toth

    Being a part of Syndicated Shorts was a great experience! Brendan was great at communicating, sending out info. about us being accepted and the logistics. I attended both screenings and they were both sold out! Seeing such diverse and unique works on the big screen was amazing. The only thing that should change, in my opinion, is the opportunity for filmmakers to network. We were encouraged to talk to one another after the screening, but being that the bar was getting full with regular customers made this difficult. I don't know what the solution would be. But overall, it was a positive and memorable night! I was compelled to write a blog about it, which you can read here:

    http://jktoth.com/blog/2019/01/29/syndicated-shorts-festival-13-shorts-ranging-from-deep-to-quirky/

    David Toth

    February 2019
  • Luke Williams

    Syndicated Theater in Bushwick already has a great reputation for showcasing new (and old!) films on a curated rotation, so we were very excited when we learned that our film was selected for the first batch of the Syndicated Shorts program!

    The curators contacted us frequently and with much care and detail to ensure our film files were handled properly and timely. We were provided a full schedule of the screenings (of which there were many!), and weren't shy about offering us comped tickets to bring along our friends. Their screen is huge and the image was super high quality. The sound was full as well, showcasing our film in a flattering way all-around.

    Although this program is a celebration of new films, it is unlike most traditional film festivals because the shorts are hitched to feature films in the Theater's regular calendar rotation. It is not an event for networking, but still a great way to share your film with the local film lovers in Brooklyn.

    Syndicated is a high quality theater that plays a critical role in the night life of Brooklyn, and I would recommend any up and coming filmmaker to submit their work for consideration in the Syndicated Shorts programming.

    September 2018
  • Julia Anrather

    Syndicated was a great! They were very hands on, making sure I was happy with how my DCP was playing in their theater before setting up a screening schedule. Their space is beautiful and Brendan, the coordinator, was a great communicator before during and after the run of the festival, letting me know when I could see it, arranging comp tickets, and after it was all over giving me a round up of how many audiences it screened to. The festival wasn't about networking--I didn't meet the other filmmakers involved as the screenings happen in separate blocks throughout the season--but I didn't mind as Syndicated had plenty of other benefits to offer. I'll be submitting again for sure.

    September 2018