Please be sure to read the submission guidelines before you mail and/or attach a link to the entry. We will try to accommodate people as much as possible. Depending on the number and date of submissions we may have limited time and resources to figure out application mistakes. Please try and be as accurate as possible.

Submissions online are best but if you send a DVD all films must be submitted in DVD/NTSC 0 or 1 formats to be included in the film festival. If your film is selected we will be screening all films from hard drives. Final file details will be posted here soon. But an .mov and .mpg always work.

If your submission is selected, we will notify you approximately March 31, 2016 by email. Often when we send our first email to people our emails can go to spam. Around March 15 please start to check you spam folder before deleting everything!!! If your film is selected to be in the festival, you will be given free admission to the festival. All filmmakers may also choose to be part of one of our panels. (We cannot help with any transportation, food or housing costs. We are a small indie festival!) If you are coming to the festival and want to be a part of a panel during the festivities we need to know by April 15, 2016 so we can make arrangements such as number and size of panels, etc. It will depend on the number of people coming to the festival; both fans and artists.

GENERAL RULES 
We hope everyone has fun and enjoys themselves at the festival. but a few suggestions...

Please submit as soon as possible. The process goes a lot smoother if we are not sent a lot of films at the last minute. THANKS!

We strongly encourage all applicants to use online submissions. DVDs do not get lost that way and it is much easier to share the video. FilmFreeWay online secure video is fine but so is a password protected vimeo/youtube link. If you must send DVDs, we are strongly encouraging entrants submitting hard-copies to submit films in a paper DVD sleeve. When packaging, protect the DVD in a padded envelope, or similar package. Please DO NOT send your dvd in a slim, jewel, or standard DVD case.

Please note that the ONLY difference in the early submission deadline versus the final submission deadline is the fee discount. The submission process and consideration by the Programming Committee is not affected by the date you submit your film as long as it is postmarked by our final deadline - your chances are equal regardless of the day your film makes it into our offices, as long as it is postmarked by the final deadline!

ALL films submitted to the festival are seen and scored by multiple judges. All films that have a high rating average, or are a favorite of a programmer, go on to final deliberations. NYCIFF selects its films by majority vote.

Film Submissions are non-returnable for any reason.

If a film is accepted, entrants will be solely responsible for delivering their promotional materials to and from the festival venue. Complete press kits will be needed as soon after notification as possible. NYCIFF cannot be held liable for your exhibition print/video materials which are lost or damaged.

In 2016 the awards will be juried. The jury will submit their ratings to a third party who will track and calculate the results. The results will be held by the third party until the evening of the awards where the results will be announced. The process for calculating the winners are; 
1 - The films/videos are shown to the judges. 
2 - The judges mark the ballots rating the films and other appropriate categories from 1 to 10, 10 being the best. 
3 - All the scores are totaled and then divided by the number of ballots. 
4 - Highest score wins. 
5 - The decision of the festival is final.

Please note festival dates are subject to change.

Unfortunately, NYCIFF does not provide room, board or travel for filmmakers.

Documentary Feature 
A Documentary is a film that depicts true facts, true information presented in a reasonably balanced and accurate way. With a length of between 60 to 130 minutes. 
Short Film 
Any non-documentary film from 11 minutes to 59 minutes in length is acceptable. Short Documentaries have their own category. 
Super Short Film 
A Super Short Film is any film 10 minutes or less that is NOT a music video or a documentary. Music Videos and Short Documentaries have their own categories. 
Music Video 
A Music Video is a video/film that is produced around a song. Its purpose is to enhance the song by adding visuals. 
Narrative Feature Films 
A full length Feature Narrative Film. A work of fiction. 
Short Documentary 
A Short Documentary in a film that depicts true facts, true information presented as a reasonably balanced and accurate way, in 59 minutes or less. 
Animation 
We will accept, Classical (hand drawn, traditional), Digital, Stop-motion, Clay, Cut-out, Paint-on-glass, Drawn-on-film and Experimental animation. Tell a good story and be creative we want to see it! 
Short Scripts 
We accept original, short screenplays between 5 and 60 pages in length. Scripts cannot yet have been produced and cannot yet be in production. 
Art Film (Experimental) 
We accept works in film or video of experimental or art or whatever you want to call it (narrative or documentary) on any subject. Be creative and break the rules! The length should be between 1 and 10 minutes.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE 
We are proud to present the 7th Annual New York City Independent Film Festival. This year's festival will run from April 27 to May 3, 2016. The festival will strive to promote an open and nurturing environment for artists, writers, actors, film-makers and fans, and will focus on offering great networking opportunities for its participants.

Thanks to each year's success, New York City Independent Film Festival is growing. We are proud to add the Art Films (Experimental) category and look forward to all the great submissions we are sure will follow. We will be screening more films and offering more panels and discussion groups.

We will screen narratives, documentaries, short films, super shorts, animation shorts and music videos. We are looking for documentaries where the filmmaker had a passion, which he/she put into the film. No matter the subject, if the work has merit and the filming is well done; be it a full-length feature, a short or a super short - we are interested in viewing it. We are looking for all genres of narratives from comedy to drama and from thrillers to love stories.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 
We welcome the true Indie filmmaker. Your film will be screened for other Indie Film-makers who are looking for new voices with new ideas to be explored by the art of filmmaking. New York City is known for its diversity and we love that we see a diversity of submissions every year.

And don't forget the NYC Indie Film Fest awards. During the 6th Annual Festival we gave away prizes with a total cash value of over 28,000 USD. We are sure we will be giving away a lot more this year but have not finalized the exact prizes yet. Please check back from time to time to see as we add the awards.

NYC Independent Film Festival is a celebration of the true independent filmmaker, documentaries, short and feature-length films, music videos, and animation. Whether a submission is comedic, dramatic, or something in between, The NYC Indie film Fest is eager to embrace fresh ideas and storytelling.

The festival aims to discover the Artist Filmmakers, showcasing them to the entertainment industry and the NYC public. All NYC Indie screenings take place in the historic center of NYC, Times Square which is the perfect home for an event geared toward creating incredible opportunities for independent voices.

NYC Indie Film Festival honors the Best in Category which includes Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Super Short, Best Music Video, as well as Best Director and Best Screenplay.

The NYC Indie Film Festival provides a showcase for the best in independent cinema, including short films, feature films, music videos, and animated works. With panels, parties and a week long gathering of fellow indie filmmakers The NYC Indie Film Festival is the place to be April 27 - May 3, 2016.

RELEASE FORM for New York City Independent Film Festival

As a condition of entering the New York City Independent Film Festival, hereafter known as NYCIFF, I/we hereby certify that: 

1. I/we am/are the sole creators of the film, script, short stories, poems which I/we have submitted to the NYCIFF.

2. I/we warrant as sole and exclusive owner(s) of all legal right and title thereto have absolute authority to submit the enclosed material to NYCIFF.

3. I/we understand that the NYCIFF will not return and is not obligated to return my film or any other materials I/we have submitted to the NYCIFF.

4. I/we hereby grant the NYCIFF the nonexclusive right to use my name, photograph, and likeness in connection with any and all publicity and promotional activities regarding the NYCIFF.

5. For filmmakers: NYCIFF may transfer the submitted material to a compilation NTSC DVD for screening, if needed, and if the submitted material is selected for screening the compilation DVD may be used by NYCIFF for promotional purposes.

6. I/we will indemnify and hold harmless NYCIFF, its judges, sponsors and partners, individually and collectively, from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses including legal expenses arising out of or in connection with any and all claims, or third party claims based on material submitted to NYCIFF.

7. I/we shall be solely responsible for taking all necessary steps to establish and protect my/our copyright in the submitted material, and the NYCIFF shall have no obligation with respect thereto. The NYCIFF shall have the right to reproduce all or part of said material for use in its publicity and any and all related communication directly associated with NYCIFF.

8. I/we have read all of the festival rules, regulations and releases, understand them, and have complied with them. I/we understand that the festival rules, regulations and releases may change or be updated, and that it is my responsibility to read, understand and comply with any changes or updates.