FESTIVAL 2025
The Astoria Film Festival will be held in person Thursday May 29- Sunday June 1. 2025, with online events on June 2. The festival will be a celebration of live short films and animated films from around the world.
There will also be a showcase of films made by local students in Astoria Film Festival's
media education programming around NYC as well as a
youth festival with films from around the country and around the world.
Held at the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios, with events at MOMI, ARRI, and KCCNY and online as well, the festival features an impressive lineup of screenings, filmmaker panels, industry panels, parties, guest speakers, and networking events.
FESTIVAL 2025
The 2025 Astoria Film Festival will be held on MAY 29 - JUNE 2 2025
SUBMISSIONS OPEN NOV 1 - MAY 1 on filmfreeway.com/astoriafilmfestival
Notifications May 5, 2025
SUBMISSION DEADLINES:
November 1, 2024 - Opening Date
February 1, 2025 - Earlybird Deadline
March 1, 2025 - Regular Deadline
April 1, 2025 - Late
May 1, 2025 - Last Minute
May 5, 2025 - Notification Date
Accepting: Short films and short animated films (up to 20 mins - documentaries up to 40 mins)
in both YOUTH (up to age 24) and MAIN FESTIVAL (all ages) categories
NEW AWARDS THIS YEAR: BEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM & BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL FILM
(for group films made in school as a class project)
There are separate awards and prizes for filmmakers in the Youth Festival and Main Festival.
MAIN FESTIVAL:
Grand Jury Prize
Best International Short
Best Drama Short
Best Comedy Short
Best Experimental or Dance Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Horror Short
Best Animated Short
Best International Animated Short
Best Directing
Best Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design
Best Screenplay
Best Performances
YOUTH FESTIVAL
Best Middle School Film (NEW)
Best High School Film (NEW)
Youth Grand Jury Prize
Best Youth International Short
Best Youth Drama Short
Best Youth Comedy Short
Best Youth Experimental/Dance Short
Best Youth Documentary Short
Best Youth Horror Short
Best Youth Animated Short
Best Youth International Animated Short
Best Youth Directing
Best Youth Editing
Best Youth Cinematography
Best Youth Sound Design
Best Youth Screenplay
Best Youth Performances
AWARDS include gift certificates and free subscriptions from our sponsors which vary each year. Past sponsors included Final Draft, SoundStripe, Coverfly, NYWIFT, KTEK, Gotham Sound, Samansa, LawTechTango, Marketing Macabre, MOMI, Bareburger, Sacred Space Astoria, Gamestoria, as well as Astoria Film Festival swag and monetary prizes.
2025 JURY
One of our main goals as a festival is to get our filmmakers and creators work in front of industry professionals
