CERES FOOD FILM FESTIVAL | 10TH EDITION
Where bold food stories raise awareness, inspire action, and celebrate the culture, joy, and complexity of what, how, and why we eat.
● ABOUT CERES
The Ceres Food Film Festival is a global platform that uses film to explore the stories behind what we eat. Through documentaries, conversations, and community-driven events, Ceres deepens understanding and sparks connection around food, culture, and sustainability.
Now in its tenth edition, Ceres partners with universities, cultural institutions, chefs, filmmakers, and food innovators to present work that examines food as a lens on culture, labor, climate, equity, and pleasure.
Recent programs have featured voices including Ruth Reichl, Laura Gabbert (City of Gold), Chris Morocco (Bon Appétit), Priyanka Naik, and Jaeki Cho, alongside collaborations with New York University, Lonely Whale, Rethink Food, Kiss the Ground, and Stone Barns.
● YEAR-ROUND | ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
Ceres accepts submissions year-round. Projects are reviewed on a rolling basis for inclusion in our upcoming Spring festival edition in New York City.
Throughout the year, Ceres may also curate standalone screenings, partner programs, or special events as opportunities arise. Participation in these off-season programs is always optional and arranged in direct coordination with filmmakers.
● SPRING 2026 | IMPORTANT CONTEXT
The April 2026 edition marks the soft launch of Ceres’ new Spring festival dates and takes the form of a retrospective program, celebrating past award winners and previously presented films from our first nine editions while also setting the stage for the future of the festival.
While the April 2026 program is not accepting new submissions, we are currently welcoming projects for early consideration for the April 2027 festival.
● WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Ceres welcomes short and feature documentaries, experimental work, animation, new media, and episodic or pilot projects that engage meaningfully with food — from access and equity to climate, culture, labor, pleasure, and gastronomy.
The world is your oyster.
● HOW CERES PROGRAMS FILMS
Ceres is a hybrid festival with multiple presentation formats.
Each season, our programming team curates immersive, thematic in-person screenings in New York City, shaped by venue partnerships and the overall audience experience.
Ceres also presents a time-limited virtual program during the Spring festival, expanding access to selected films for audiences beyond a single city. We strongly encourage participation as part of our commitment to accessibility and global engagement. Filmmakers indicate virtual eligibility at the time of submission. We fully respect distribution, premiere, and sales restrictions; participation in the virtual program is not mandatory.
Throughout the year, we may curate standalone screenings or partner events as opportunities arise. Participation in off-season programs is optional and arranged directly with filmmakers.
Programming decisions are made holistically. Acceptance into Ceres does not automatically determine presentation format.
● QUESTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING
○ What does “food film” mean to Ceres?
For us, food is not a genre but a lens. Films may center chefs, farmers, labor, policy, climate, ritual, migration, science, pleasure, or unexpected intersections. If food is meaningfully present in your work, it likely belongs in the conversation.
○ Are premieres required?
Not at all. Ceres accepts both premiere and non-premiere submissions.
○ What stage of completion must my film be in?
Films should be substantially complete at submission. Rough cuts may be considered if narrative structure and editorial direction are clearly established.
○ Do you accept international submissions?
Yes. Ceres welcomes filmmakers from around the world.
○ Are films in languages other than English eligible?
Yes. Non-English films must include English subtitles.
○ How are films selected?
Submissions are reviewed by Ceres’ programming team. We consider storytelling craft, clarity of perspective, thematic resonance, and meaningful engagement with food and its broader cultural, social, or environmental context.
Ceres presents a range of juried awards recognizing excellence in storytelling, impact, and creative vision within food and food systems media. \
Awards include monetary prizes as well as special distinctions and may vary by year. Past honors have included Jury Awards for Best Feature, Best Short, and Special Jury Recognition, alongside Spirit Awards recognizing work in areas such as Visual Storytelling, Food Justice, and Sustainable Futures.
Full award details are announced as part of the festival program.
