Press release
Winter Film Fest 2026 Opens for Submissions
Winter Film Festival
FEBRUARY 18-22 2026
SUBMISSIONS OPEN NOW!
Festival to Showcase Diverse Indie Voices & Emerging Filmmakers
Documentary, Narrative, Horror, Music Video, Animation and Web Series
Underrepresented voices in film to be featured at NYC celebration of local and global indie directors.
Winter Film Festival Is New York City. Like the city itself, the organization showcases the eclectic diversity and excitement of the independent arts world. The 14th Annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026.
Winter Film Festival's mission is to promote diversity, bridge the opportunity divide and provide a platform for under-represented artists and a variety of genres, viewpoints and approaches - only by seeing others' stories can we understand each other and only via an open door can the underrepresented artist enter the room.
The Festival features creative fresh voices from emerging filmmakers worldwide in all genres and lengths - feature length and shorts, narrative fiction, dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation, horror, web series and music videos.
Filmmakers are invited to submit their latest work via https://filmfreeway.com/WFA
Filmmakers from around the world will travel to NYC to attend the Festival's thoughtfully curated film screenings, fascinating discussion panels and professional development workshops and glittering parties at venues throughout NYC. The Festival will conclude with an awards ceremony to be held on February 22, 2026 at NYC's premier nightclub.
The Festival's goal is to create an exciting program of work from around the world, showing the vast diversity of experience these artists are creating and help them gain the recognition needed to move forward with careers in the industry. Filmmakers receive extensive educational opportunities geared towards emerging filmmakers, substantial media exposure and support via SEO-enhanced web pages, written articles and video promos.
Winter Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of voices in indie film and the 2025 lineup included 87 outstanding films, half made by women and half by people of color. Filmmakers came from 20 countries and 1/3 of the films were made in the New York City area. 15 films were made by students and 29 works from first-time filmmakers. Visit our 2025 Festival Press Page for details.
Outstanding work will be awarded for each category, along with Best Director, Best Student Film and Best NYC Film. Over $50,000 in cash, prizes & distribution opportunities will be awarded. Winter Film Festival is an IMDB-qualifying festival.
WFF2026 Milestone Dates
June 1 2025...Submissions Open
September 12 2025... Early Bird Submissions Deadline
October 17 2025 ... Regular Submissions Deadline
November 14 2025 ... Late Submissions Deadline
January 5 2026 ... Entrants to be notified of final decisions
February 18 2026 ... Festival Opening Night Celebration
February 19-21 2026... Screenings, Director Q&A, Discussion Panels, Social Mixers & Networking Parties
February 22 2026 ... Gala Red Carpet & Awards Ceremony
"Congratulations to the organizers of the Winter Film Festival thank you for once again choosing NYC as the backdrop to this incredible celebration of independent filmmaking. Our office is proud to support this event and its efforts to spotlight diverse filmmakers and storytellers from around the world." - Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman
"Emerging filmmakers with low budgets and no connections are so often ignored in favor of the standard big budget generic action films. Diverse, exciting low budget films are created all over the world; it is critical for film festivals to showcase them. Indie film festivals are often the sole means for the community to share personal stories from around the world, and WFF's location in the center of the action provides our filmmakers with a dazzling chance to begin their careers in the film industry." - George Isaacs, Winter Film Festival Founder
"Phenomenal festival! Use of stellar venues and top notch treatment of the filmmakers. The whole team is inviting, communicative and champions of creatives. Amazing open and closing night parties with a very exciting awards show. The awards show is reminiscent of those you'd see on TV with red carpet interviews pre and post awards. Definitely a festival I will attend again." - Steven St. Pierre, director "Room for Rent"
31 West 34th Street, 8th Floor
New York NY 10001
https://winterfilmfest.org/
info@winterfilmawards.com
Winter Film Festival is an all-volunteer women and minority-run organization as part of Winter Film Awards Inc, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2011 to celebrate emerging talent in local and international filmmaking.
The 14th annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026 includes a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC's LOOK Cinemas, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 22 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.
Winter Film Festival programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment.
For more information about Winter Film Festival, visit WinterFilmFest.org
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