New York Shorts International Film Festival (14)

Festival start: 10 October 2025      Festival end: 16 October 2025

New York Shorts International Film Festival features over 340 short films, special events, talks, retrospectives films, and tributes with honored guests, establishing New York Shorts as one of the finest exhibitions of short films in North America.

Now in our 13th year, New York Shorts International Film Festival is the largest short film festival on the East Coast. A non-profit organization that provides a showcase for emerging filmmakers from around the world.

New York Shorts is a qualifying film festival for the Canadian Screen Awards, presented by The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. We are the only short film festival in New York on the Canadian Screen Awards eligible festival list.

The festival has become a career stepping stone, establishing a tradition of discovering and promoting filmmakers who have gone on to become Academy Award® Nominees.

Previous film selections include:

2023 Student Academy Award® Duet by Lyuwei Chen - Winner New York Shorts Best Documentary

2023 OSCAR® NOMINEE Live-Action Short Film, The Red Suitcase by Cyrus Neshvad winner New York Shorts 'Best International Film'

2022 OSCAR® WINNER Documentary, Short The Queen of Basketball by Ben Proudfoot

2020 OSCAR® WINNER Live-Action Short Film, "The Neighbors" Window" by Marshall Curry winner New York Shorts 'Best of Fest'

2020 OSCAR® NOMINEE Documentary Short Subject The New York Times Op-Docs "Walk Run Cha-Cha" by Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt

2019 OSCAR® NOMINEE Animated Short "Animal Behaviour" by Alison Snowden and David Fine

2015 OSCAR® NOMINEE "The Dam Keeper" by Robert Kondo, Daisuke Tsutsumi

2013 Student Academy Award® "A World for Raúl" by Mauro Mueller wins New York Shorts Best Drama

2012 OSCAR® NOMINEE & BAFTA Best Short Animation "A Morning Stroll" by Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

2012 World premiere "Derek" by Ricky Gervais wins New York Shorts Best Comedy and became a popular British television show picked up by Netflix.

New York Shorts International Film Festival is one of the largest showcases of short films in North America and an ideal platform for filmmakers to screen their films and gain recognition in New York City.

New York Shorts events include receptions, as well as workshops with industry experts and top filmmaking professionals sharing their practical advice to attending filmmakers.

2023 Industry Events
Industry Master Spotlight w/ BAFTA Nominated Director Jon Amiel
Industry Master Spotlight w/ Academy Award® Winning Producer Andrew Carlberg
Industry Short Film Spotlight w/ Academy Award® Winning Director Chris Overton

2022 Industry Events
Tribute to legendary film director Bob Giraldi
Spotlight Screening from George R.R. Martin's (Game of Thrones creator)
Beyond The Screen with Ben Proudfoot (Oscar® winning documentary director)
Film Retrospective Kim Magnusson (producer/director of seven Academy Awards® nominations and two Oscar wins)
Film Tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

New York Shorts believes short-form cinema and its filmmakers should have their own premier film festival in New York deserving similar recognition given to feature films.

The heart of the festival is the quality and scope of extraordinary film programming to enthusiastic audiences in the vibrant filmmaking enclave of New York City.

Canadian Screen Awards Qualifying

Grand Prize
Best International
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best Animation
Best Documentary
Best Experimental
Best Sci-Fi
Best Horror
Best Music Video
Best Web Series
Halyna Hutchins Cinematography Award

Previous Judges
2023 Jury
Farah Nabulsi, Academy Award® Nominated and BAFTA Award Winning Palestinian British filmmaker
Lana Link, Senior Vice President, Moving Picture Institute
Joyce Pierpoline, Award-Winning Film Producer and Founder of Pierpoline Films

2022 Jury
Chris Overton (director/producer)
Kia Brooks (Director Gotham Film & Media Institute)
Sam French (filmmaker)
Anita Svingen (Festival Director, Kortfilmfestivalen / The Norwegian Short Film Festival)

2021 Jury
Seigo Tono (Festival Director Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia)
Easmanie Michel (Special Projects Assoc. NYWIFT)
Tom Van Avermaet (writer/director)
Dorotea Mercuri (Greek-Italian actress)

If any category does not meet the standard deemed award-worthy by the judging committee, it’s possible that there will be no award announced in that category.

2024 Requirements

Films must NOT screen in New York's five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island) prior to our festival.

Films must have been completed after January 1, 2024

Non-English films must have English sub-titles.

Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they will be completed prior to the festival.

You may submit more than one film- but you must complete a separate entry form and pay entry fee for each film.

Film entries will NOT be viewed without entry fee payment

Selection

Film selection for the festival will be made by the screening Committee.

We prefer films NOT screen in New York's five boroughs prior to our festival. We will factor in previous screenings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island when determining a films selection.

All filmmakers will be notified via email of acceptance.