Held in New York’s gorgeous Finger Lakes Region, the Finger Lakes Film Festival is an annual celebration of the film and video artists who have stories to tell and the passion to tell them. The Finger Lakes Film Festival highlights diverse voices that advance the field through innovation and an unflinching commitment to the art of cinematic expression. We welcome films from all over the world, and are especially excited to screen work from upstate New York – the home of the Finger Lakes Film Festival. We encourage submissions from filmmakers at any stage of their careers or level of experience: students to experienced filmmakers; emerging artists to established professionals. It is our mission to connect creative voices with an eclectic audience of film lovers for a one-of-a-kind evening unlike anything else in the Finger Lakes.
This year, we invite filmmakers to submit their short works (20 minutes maximum) in any genre, including but not limited to: animation, documentary, live action narrative, and video essay. There will be two categories for submission: Student and General. Please see below for detailed submission guidelines.
The 2026 Finger Lakes Film Festival will be held the second week of February at the historic Smith Opera House and the Dove Block Project arts center in the heart of downtown Geneva’s cultural district. Films selected for the festival will be divided into programming blocks and presented with short breaks between blocks. Audience Choice Awards and juried prizes will be awarded. All works selected for public screening will receive official Finger Lakes Film Festival graphics for use in their marketing.