YoFiFest is Your Film Festival! Now in its 12th year, the 2024 YoFiFest Film Festival returns this November to celebrate moving pictures, the people who make them and the people who watch them. Voted by filmmakers as a Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway (NINE TIMES!), YoFiFest was created for filmmakers by filmmakers. Movie Maker Magazine says “what stood out at YoFiFest was the organizers’ obvious respect for the people who craft cinema and video.”
Located on the beautiful Hudson River, YoFiFest takes place in the booming downtown Yonkers waterfront, home to first class restaurants, bars, coffee shops, galleries, waterfront promenade, and even a brewery! With the construction of several studios in Yonkers, including our neighbors Lionsgate Studios, Yonkers is now home to the largest modern film and TV production facility on the East Coast and is rapidly becoming a hub for filmmakers and other creators.
From opening night’s Red Carpet Reception, through our Closing Night Party, YoFiFest is a welcoming and inclusive festival that celebrates filmmakers at every stage of their careers. Our schedule is jam packed with screenings, workshops, panels, networking opportunities and parties that honor and celebrate the independent, artistic spirit from around the world, and right in our own backyard. And it’s run by film, television and audio/visual professionals, ensuring all films receive high quality presentation in actual theaters.
YoFiFest takes the selection process very seriously and is careful to ensure that each movie is reviewed by the screenings committee and programmer, in its entirety, at least three times. We are filmmakers ourselves, and we understand and respect the amount of hard work put into each film. 100% of the films played at our YoFiFest 2022 festival were films selected from FilmFreeway submissions! Out of fairness to all filmmakers who submit to the festival, we don't offer any fee waivers. Every film accepted is eligible for our Audience Choice Award in its category.*
While we are well known for our in person parties and mixers, filmmakers have been raving about our Virtual Lobby and online social events that we developed over the last few years to meet the challenges and needs of the pandemic. In light of the demand, and to include as many filmmakers as possible, we’ll be bringing back our Virtual Meet the Filmmaker Nights, Online (and in Person) Trailer Party, Speed Networking Events, Remote Mix&Mingles and more! Filmmakers who attend in person will receive an All Access VIP pass that allows entry to the Opening Night Taste of Yonkers Red Carpet Reception, All the AfterParties, the Closing Night Party and EVERY screening, workshop, panel, party, networking and social event through out the festival!
We believe that a robust range of voices and stories makes for a better and more interesting community. We're committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we welcome and strongly encourage women, persons of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community to submit.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing your work!
Awards & Prizes
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:
All selected films are eligible.
One film from each award category will be the Audience Choice Awards Recipient and one film from each award category will be an Audience Choice Awards Honorable Mention.
Every ticket holder can vote, whether in person or online.
The film will be considered in the category in which it was submitted. You may submit your film to more than one category.
Comedy Short
Dramatic Short
Animated Short
Documentary Short
Dance Short
Horror/Thriller/Suspense Short
Queer Screen Short
Short Short
Music Video/Trailer
Locally Sourced Short
Tri-State
Student Short
Episodic
Featurette
Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Recipients will receive laurels, a dedicated social media announcement, and will be posted on our website.