New York Monthly Film Festival is an established IMDb-verified event that is now open to short films from filmmakers around the world. If you have a compelling story to tell, an innovative vision to share, or a captivating short film to showcase, this is your opportunity to shine on one of the most prestigious stages in the world of cinema. Join us as we embark on a cinematic journey filled with inspiration, creativity, and the magic of storytelling.

** IMDb event: https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0065144/overview/

At the New York Film Festival, we believe in the power of diverse storytelling. We celebrate films that challenge conventions, provoke emotions, and leave a lasting impact on audiences. We embrace stories from different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives, as they enrich our collective understanding of the human experience. We encourage filmmakers from all walks of life to submit their work and contribute to the vibrant tapestry of cinematic excellence.

We invite filmmakers of all backgrounds, genres, and styles to submit their films for consideration. Whether you’re an established professional or an emerging talent, we are eager to discover your unique voice and celebrate your creative vision. Don’t miss this chance to showcase your work to a global audience and make your mark on the New York Film Festival.

-- The structure of the festival

The deadline for submissions is the end of each month. After the submission period concludes, our expert panel of judges will meticulously review each film, evaluating its artistic merit, narrative strength, and technical proficiency. The process is as follows:
- Each judge selects top ten films in their view. These films will be given "Official Selection" status.
- All judges will review all of the selected films and give a score from 1 to 10. The selected films will be announced in due course.
- The film with highest score in each category will be the winner. The top five films will be finalists.
- The winners of each month will be invited to the physical event where their projects will be displayed in the physical festival.
Please note that while the selections are monthly, the event will happen only when there are enough attendees (25, including judges and winners).

---- Event schedule
- The nominees and winners will be announced online.
- Only finalists and winners will be invited to the screening event which will be organized every few months.
- If they do not respond or cannot attend due to their location, the event may get cancelled.
- The 2023 event scheduled for January 2, 2024 was canceled due to low number of turnout.
- The 2024 event will be on June 2nd and December 28th.

** Laurels for selections and winners: https://filmfreeway.com/laurels/74344/new-york

- Official Selection: Any entry that is selected by one judge will be considered "Official Selection". They will receive official laurels from FilmFreeway and can add their title as "nomination" on IMDb.
- Finalists: They will receive official laurels from FilmFreeway (finalist), named on the website, and can add their title as "nomination" on IMDb.
- Winner: Each month's winners will receive recognition on the FilmFreeway, the official website, and IMDb. The final pick will be based on all critics' anonymous ratings.

- Films must have been completed in the past 3 years.
- Entry fees are non-refundable since our programmers need to evaluate each project twice.
- Online screening is optional in the seasonal competition, and it has to be requested by the producer and is not mandatory for entering various sections of the competition due to premiere status of projects.
- The applicant holds the sole responsibility of copyright clearance of any copyrighted material in the film.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Great communication - clear, timely, articulate and transparent.
    Thank you for our official selection!
    The 'Five Days' Short-Film Team.

    June 2026
  • Scott Clist

    I am truly grateful to this brilliant festival. My movie Therapy won Best Feature film. Communication was brilliant. Notification dates met on time and the organisers were consistant with information.
    Brilliant coverage and a great oppertunity.
    I highly reccomend this festival. Very good value for money.

    June 2026
  • I am truly grateful to the festival team for awarding my film “Kazbegi” Best Documentary Short. It is an honor to have my work recognized and to share this story.

    February 2026
  • Arseny Ovchinnikov

    Great emotions, very excited for the results! Thank you very much for choosing our film!

    February 2026
  • Thank you so much for the selection , best wishes .

    December 2025