NewFilmmakers Los Angeles

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presents the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival, a uniquely intimate opportunity that provides a filmmaker focused festival approach by an intently devoted team. The model, a monthly festival with a very small number of official selections per month, generally fewer than 20, provides filmmakers with maximum attention and commitment from the Festival audience, participants and staff. This format allows NFMLA to serve a similar number of filmmakers as most annual Festivals (average of 220 per year), while being able to dedicate its efforts to a core group every month throughout the year.

Each NFMLA Monthly Film Festival provides its official selection of filmmakers meetings with professionals, press interviews with publications such as MovieMaker Magazine, industry panels, screenings, audience Q&A sessions, networking receptions and qualification for the Best of NFMLA Awards.

The Festival boasts over 120,000 indie film supporters in the LA area and regularly has executives and creatives participate from Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon Studios, Netflix, Warner Bros., United Talent Agency, NBCUniversal, HBO, NEON, Endeavor, STARZ, Bad Robot, Creative Artists Agency, Management 360, AMC Studios, MGM, FilmNation, Lionsgate, Magnolia Pictures, Paramount, Circle of Confusion, MACRO, Skydance and Blumhouse among an abundance of other agencies, management companies, production houses, distributors, studios, streamers and more.

Submissions are open year-round and NFMLA highly encourages filmmakers to submit their newest work as early as possible to maximize their project’s consideration window. NFMLA screens short and feature films (narrative, documentary, experimental and animation), as well as music videos and new media projects by content creators of all backgrounds throughout the year as part of our eclectic ongoing selection, in addition to our InFocus programming, which places a special emphasis on diversity, inclusion and regional representation with its spotlighted group of filmmakers each month.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging within NFMLA’s programming is incredibly important, and all filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their work for consideration in all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming calendar. By submitting to NFMLA, you are entering consideration for all future months. However, if you are aiming to be considered for a specific InFocus Festival program, we do suggest submitting at least 4 months in advance of the program.

NFMLA is seeking submissions from filmmakers who are eager to gain access to industry professionals, audiences and resources. Our programming includes Festivals at the South Park Center in Downtown Los Angeles and select Festivals presented in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

NFMLA is a not-for-profit organization that champions emerging filmmakers from around the world and has screened over 4,500 films from 92+ countries. In an effort to showcase, support, educate and build relationships for next-gen filmmakers, NFMLA has rapidly expanded beyond the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival to host an array of workshops, panels, competitions and networking programs. NFMLA offers an unforgettable festival experience that helps kick start the careers of new storytellers.