Submission Period Now Open for the 6th Annual New York City Public School Film Festival

Students can Submit Videos at nyc.gov/nycpsfilmfestival

Photo and Video Assets Here

New York, NY - The NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) announce that the application period is now open for the 6th Annual New York City Public School Film Festival, celebrating the talent and diversity of student voices. NYCPS middle and high school students can apply now through March 25, 2024 at www.nyc.gov/nycpsfilmfestival. The New York City Public School Film Festival was created to provide opportunities for students to have their work recognized by industry leaders and explore careers in filmmaking.

Films will be selected for the festival by a panel of educators and media professionals, and screened on May 15, 2024 at the Museum of the City of NY. Last year, a record 183 films were submitted for the festival, a 20% increase over last year, from NYC middle and high school students spanning 47 schools throughout the five boroughs. 2024 submission categories are Animation, Short feature/narrative, Documentary, Experimental and P.S.A./Advocacy.

Submitted films must be 5 minutes or less, and in .mp4 or .mov format. Films must use only original or public domain music. No nudity, profanity or violent acts are permitted. Student filmmakers must play the major creative role on the production of the submitted works as directors, writers, and/or editors. Teacher directed, produced, or generated works will not be considered. Films will be selected and notification given by early-May 2024. For more information on the NYC Public School Film Festival, including full rules and regulations, please visit filmfreeway.com/NYCPublicSchoolFilmFestival.

“In our schools at this very moment are the future directors, writers, producers and artists who will lead our film industry into the future,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “The New York City Public School Film Festival is a chance for our students to show our city what they can do, and I’m eager to see the amazing films our kids will create.”

“We are so pleased to once again be partnering with New York City Public Schools to bring this festival to life, and to give students an introduction to our city’s world-famous film and television industry,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “As the movies and TV shows made right here in NYC continue to generate wins during this awards show season, such as "Maestro," "Past Lives" and "Succession," we believe the city's next generation of filmmakers will be uncovered during this film festival."