NYC FILM WEEK
OFFICIAL RULES & TERMS
Submission to NYC Film Week constitutes the submitting party’s agreement to these Official Rules & Terms. “NYC Film Week,” “Festival,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to NYC Film Week and the legal entity, affiliates, contractors, partners, venues, sponsors, and representatives responsible for administering the Festival. By submitting a project, the submitting party represents that they have read, understood, and agreed to be legally bound by these Rules & Terms.
1. ELIGIBILITY
NYC Film Week is a competitive film festival dedicated to stories from, about, or substantially connected to New York City. Eligible projects must have a meaningful connection to New York City through story, subject, setting, characters, history, community, institution, business, artistic movement, neighborhood, or filmmaker perspective. Projects may originate anywhere in the world provided they satisfy the Festival’s New York City eligibility requirements.
NYC Film Week accepts documentaries, features, Shorts Anthologies, and episodic projects. A Shorts Anthology must consist of three or more short films presented as one submission with a combined runtime of no less than 60 minutes and no more than 90 minutes. The submitting party must have authority to submit and bind every film included in the anthology. Individual short films are not accepted as standalone submissions.
Episodic projects, including pilots, individual episodes, limited-series presentations, web series, and other serialized works, are accepted for streaming consideration only and are not eligible for the theatrical competition unless otherwise stated in writing by NYC Film Week.
All submissions must comply with the runtime, format, category, and technical requirements published for the applicable category. Films containing dialogue primarily in a language other than English must include English subtitles. Submission does not guarantee selection, Finalist status, public voting placement, theatrical exhibition, streaming consideration, distribution, acquisition, or any other commercial opportunity.
2. PREMIERE REQUIREMENT
NYC Film Week is a premiere-based competition. To remain eligible for theatrical competition, a submitted film may not have received a prior commercial theatrical release and may not have been made publicly available through streaming, broadcast, transactional video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand, advertising-supported streaming, FAST channels, public video platforms, television, or other commercial digital distribution prior to completion of the NYC Film Week competition.
Previous film festival screenings are permitted and do not automatically affect eligibility. Private screenings, industry screenings, press screenings, educational screenings, cast-and-crew screenings, invitation-only screenings, password-protected screeners, and private distributor or sales-agent screenings generally do not affect eligibility provided they were not public commercial releases.
A film that becomes publicly available through theatrical exhibition, streaming, broadcast, digital release, or another prohibited form of distribution after submission but before completion of the competition may become ineligible. The submitting party must promptly notify NYC Film Week of any material change in the project’s exhibition, distribution, acquisition, or streaming status. Materially inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or omitted information may result in disqualification.
3. PRIOR FESTIVAL HISTORY
Previous film festival participation does not automatically disqualify a project. NYC Film Week may require disclosure of prior festivals, screening dates, in-person or virtual participation, nominations, awards, recognition, promotional activity, press coverage, attendance, ticketing information, or virtual audience figures.
Where exact attendance or ticketing information is unavailable, the filmmaker may provide a good-faith estimate or state that the information was not provided by the prior festival. NYC Film Week may consider prior exhibition and audience history when evaluating premiere status, audience discovery potential, competitive positioning, and Festival opportunities. Knowingly providing materially false or misleading information may result in disqualification.
4. COMPETITION AND FINALISTS
Eligible documentaries, features, and Shorts Anthologies may be considered for the primary NYC Film Week competition. Submissions will be reviewed by the NYC Film Week jury or designated screening committee, which will select the official Finalists. Finalist decisions are final.
Once Finalists are announced, eligible Finalist films will advance to the official public voting period. The Finalist receiving the highest number of verified eligible votes during the designated voting period will be declared the winner, subject to final eligibility verification and compliance with these Rules & Terms.
Episodic submissions do not participate in the public vote or theatrical-placement competition unless otherwise stated in writing.
5. PUBLIC VOTING
NYC Film Week will establish the official voting dates, platform, voter eligibility requirements, and voting procedures. Only votes submitted through an authorized NYC Film Week voting system will be counted.
NYC Film Week may verify, audit, reject, remove, or invalidate votes reasonably determined to result from bots, scripts, automated systems, vote farms, purchased votes, fraudulent accounts, prohibited duplicate voting, technical manipulation, unauthorized software, coordinated fraudulent activity, or other attempts to compromise the competition.
Finalists may promote their participation and encourage legitimate public voting but may not manipulate the voting process. NYC Film Week’s determination of verified vote totals is final. In the event of a verified tie, the NYC Film Week jury will determine the winner from among the tied films. A project may be disqualified where its filmmaker, production, representative, campaign team, or person acting on its behalf knowingly participates in fraudulent voting activity.
6. THEATRICAL DEBUT AND FILMMAKER REVENUE PARTICIPATION
The winning eligible film will receive a week-long theatrical debut at LOOK Cinemas through NYC Film Week. The theatrical engagement is the principal competitive prize of NYC Film Week.
The winning filmmaker will receive a contractually defined percentage of qualifying theatrical box-office revenue generated by the film’s theatrical engagement. The applicable revenue-share percentage and related accounting, settlement, reporting, ticketing, tax, processing, and payment terms will be established in a separate theatrical engagement agreement issued to the winning film.
The winning filmmaker will receive an accounting showing qualifying ticket revenue generated during the engagement and the calculation of the filmmaker’s contractual share. No minimum ticket sales, gross receipts, attendance, or filmmaker earnings are guaranteed.
NYC Film Week, in coordination with its theatrical partner, will determine the participating theater location, exhibition dates, screening schedule, number of showtimes, presentation format, technical specifications, ticket pricing, ticketing procedures, related Q&As or appearances, and promotional schedule.
The winning filmmaker must provide all required exhibition, technical, rights-clearance, insurance, and promotional materials by Festival deadlines. Failure to satisfy applicable legal, technical, delivery, or rights-clearance requirements may result in forfeiture of the theatrical opportunity. The theatrical opportunity and related revenue participation may not be transferred, sold, assigned, exchanged, or redeemed for cash.
7. PARTICIPATION AND PROMOTIONAL OBLIGATIONS
NYC Film Week is an active competition. Selection as a Finalist carries promotional and participation obligations.
The director, available principal cast, and participating crew of each Finalist must reasonably cooperate with NYC Film Week in connection with interviews, media appearances, promotional campaigns, social media activity, public voting efforts, Q&As, screenings, panels, photography, premieres, Festival events, and activities related to theatrical placement.
Finalists are expected to actively promote their participation during the public voting period. The winning film’s team must reasonably cooperate in promotion surrounding the theatrical engagement. Selected episodic creators must reasonably cooperate with promotional, pitching, streaming, interview, or industry activities associated with their selection.
NYC Film Week may make reasonable exceptions where illness, disability, emergency, production conflict, travel restriction, visa issue, or another substantial circumstance prevents participation.
8. PROMOTIONAL AND RECORDING RIGHTS
By submitting, the submitting party grants NYC Film Week and its authorized partners, venues, theatrical partners, sponsors, contractors, press partners, media partners, and promotional partners a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right to use materials associated with the submitted project for Festival-related promotion, publicity, marketing, administration, presentation, reporting, documentation, advertising, and archival purposes.
Such materials may include the project title, poster, trailer, teaser, stills, short clips, synopsis, credits, production information, filmmaker biography, photographs, logos, behind-the-scenes materials, interviews, and recorded Festival appearances.
NYC Film Week may photograph, film, livestream, record, reproduce, and distribute Festival-related events and may use participants’ names, voices, images, likenesses, statements, and appearances for Festival-related publicity, promotion, documentation, marketing, media coverage, and archival use. No additional compensation is owed for such Festival-related promotional use unless otherwise agreed in writing.
9. AUTHORITY AND RIGHTS CLEARANCE
The submitting party represents and warrants that they possess full legal authority to submit the project and grant the rights described in these Rules & Terms. For Shorts Anthologies, the submitting party represents that they possess the authority necessary to submit every included film.
The submitting party is solely responsible for securing all rights, licenses, permissions, consents, releases, and clearances required for submission, promotion, Festival exhibition, theatrical exhibition, streaming consideration, and other authorized uses. This includes applicable copyright, music, master recording, publishing, performance, appearance, location, trademark, archival footage, artwork, literary, life, privacy, publicity, and other third-party rights.
NYC Film Week is not responsible for clearing rights on behalf of filmmakers.
10. OWNERSHIP
Filmmakers and applicable rights holders retain ownership of their submitted projects. Submission does not constitute a sale, assignment, acquisition, transfer, or permanent license of copyright ownership to NYC Film Week.
Except for the exhibition, promotional, recording, and related rights expressly granted under these Rules & Terms, ownership remains with the applicable rights holders.
11. STREAMING, DISTRIBUTION, AND INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES
NYC Film Week may introduce selected filmmakers, Finalists, winners, and episodic creators to distributors, streaming platforms, sales agents, financiers, producers, exhibitors, television companies, acquisition executives, and other industry representatives.
Episodic submissions are specifically accepted for streaming consideration and related industry opportunities. Such consideration or introductions do not guarantee acquisition, streaming placement, distribution, representation, financing, broadcast, licensing, or production.
The winning film’s theatrical revenue participation applies only to the qualifying NYC Film Week theatrical engagement unless otherwise agreed in writing. Any subsequent distribution, streaming, acquisition, licensing, financing, or sales agreement must be negotiated separately.
12. ACCEPTANCE AND WITHDRAWAL
Submission to NYC Film Week is voluntary. Before Finalist or official-selection acceptance, a filmmaker may request withdrawal subject to the applicable submission platform and refund policies.
Once a filmmaker accepts an invitation to participate as a Finalist or selected episodic project, that acceptance constitutes a commitment to complete the applicable Festival process. Selected projects may not be withdrawn after acceptance without prior written approval from NYC Film Week.
NYC Film Week may remove or disqualify a project that becomes ineligible, violates these Rules & Terms, supplies materially false information, fails to meet required deadlines, fails to provide required materials, or fails to satisfy participation obligations.
13. SUBMISSION FEES AND MATERIALS
The submission fee is $60 per project. Submission fees are non-refundable unless otherwise required by law or expressly stated in writing by NYC Film Week. Payment of a submission fee does not guarantee selection.
The submitting party is responsible for ensuring the project is submitted to the correct category and that all supplied information is complete and accurate. Filmmakers must provide all requested submission, screening, publicity, festival-history, theatrical, episodic, and streaming-related materials by applicable deadlines.
14. FESTIVAL ADMINISTRATION AND DISCRETION
NYC Film Week has sole discretion over programming, scheduling, category placement, jury procedures, Finalist selection, voting procedures, vote verification, screening schedules, technical requirements, promotional requirements, theatrical scheduling, streaming consideration, and enforcement of Festival rules.
NYC Film Week may reasonably amend deadlines, schedules, voting periods, venues, event formats, or administrative procedures where necessary. Material changes affecting selected participants will be communicated to affected parties.
Festival decisions regarding eligibility, rule enforcement, jury selection, vote verification, disqualification, category placement, and competition results are final.
15. CONDUCT
Filmmakers and participants are expected to conduct themselves professionally during Festival activities. NYC Film Week may remove an individual or project where conduct creates a legitimate safety risk, materially disrupts Festival operations, constitutes harassment or unlawful conduct, or substantially interferes with the competition or related Festival activities.
16. INDEMNIFICATION
The submitting party agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless NYC Film Week and its legal operating entity, officers, directors, employees, contractors, volunteers, jurors, agents, representatives, sponsors, venues, theatrical partners, streaming partners, affiliates, promotional partners, and media partners from claims, losses, liabilities, damages, judgments, costs, expenses, and reasonable attorneys’ fees arising from the submitted project, Festival participation, theatrical exhibition, promotional use, rights-clearance disputes, intellectual-property claims, privacy or publicity claims, ownership disputes, contractual disputes involving rights to the project, or breach of these Rules & Terms.
17. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
To the fullest extent permitted by law, NYC Film Week and its legal operating entity, officers, directors, employees, contractors, jurors, volunteers, sponsors, partners, venues, theatrical partners, streaming partners, affiliates, and representatives will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages arising from submission to or participation in NYC Film Week.
NYC Film Week is not responsible for lost profits, lost distribution or streaming opportunities, travel or lodging expenses, production or marketing costs, equipment loss, technical failures outside the Festival’s reasonable control, third-party platform outages, or commercial opportunities that do not materialize.
Except where prohibited by law, the maximum aggregate liability arising directly from a submission will not exceed the submission fee actually paid, except for amounts contractually owed to a winning filmmaker under an executed theatrical revenue-sharing agreement.
18. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
NYC Film Week may use third-party platforms and services for submissions, ticketing, voting, streaming, communications, screenings, payments, marketing, or Festival administration. NYC Film Week is not responsible for outages, failures, data loss, access problems, or technical issues caused solely by an independent third-party provider beyond the Festival’s reasonable control.
Where a third-party service materially affects competition results, ticketing, or theatrical settlement, NYC Film Week may take reasonable corrective action to preserve the integrity of the applicable process.
19. FORCE MAJEURE
NYC Film Week will not be considered in breach where performance is delayed, altered, relocated, rescheduled, substituted, or prevented because of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including natural disaster, severe weather, public-health emergency, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government order, labor dispute, transportation interruption, power failure, venue closure, equipment failure, technology disruption, security emergency, or public-safety issue.
Where reasonably possible, NYC Film Week will make commercially reasonable efforts to preserve the substance of the competition and theatrical opportunity.
20. NO EMPLOYMENT, PARTNERSHIP, OR JOINT VENTURE
Submission to or participation in NYC Film Week does not create an employer-employee relationship, partnership, joint venture, agency relationship, fiduciary relationship, or franchise between NYC Film Week and a filmmaker.
Theatrical revenue participation does not create any ownership interest, partnership, joint venture, or continuing financial relationship between the parties.
21. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
These Rules & Terms will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Except where prohibited by law, disputes arising directly from submission to or participation in NYC Film Week shall be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction located in the State of New York, and the submitting party consents to personal jurisdiction in New York.
22. SEVERABILITY AND WAIVER
If any provision of these Rules & Terms is determined to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. Failure by NYC Film Week to enforce a provision in one instance does not waive that provision or the right to enforce it later.
23. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
These Rules & Terms, together with the applicable submission form, published category requirements, Finalist or official-selection acceptance documents, and any theatrical engagement or revenue-sharing agreement issued by NYC Film Week, constitute the applicable agreement governing participation.
Any separate distribution, acquisition, sponsorship, production, financing, streaming, or licensing agreement must be documented independently.
24. ELECTRONIC ACCEPTANCE AND AUTHORITY TO BIND
Electronic submission constitutes electronic acceptance of these Rules & Terms. Checking an acceptance box, completing an official submission, paying the submission fee, or electronically signing a Festival document will have the same force and effect as a handwritten signature to the extent permitted by law.
The person completing the submission represents that they possess authority to bind the production and applicable rights holders to these Rules & Terms.
25. FINAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By submitting a project to NYC Film Week, the submitting party acknowledges that the project satisfies the published eligibility, category, and premiere requirements; that prior festival participation will be accurately disclosed when requested; that all necessary rights and permissions have been or will be secured; that competitive Finalists must participate in Festival promotion and activities; that Finalists will be subject to the official public vote; that verified votes may be invalidated where necessary; that the winning eligible film will receive a week-long theatrical debut at LOOK Cinemas subject to applicable legal, technical, and delivery requirements; that the winning filmmaker will participate in qualifying theatrical box-office revenue pursuant to a separate theatrical engagement agreement; that episodic projects are submitted for streaming consideration only; that selection does not guarantee subsequent distribution or streaming acquisition; that filmmakers retain ownership of their projects; and that Festival decisions relating to eligibility, category placement, jury selection, vote verification, rule enforcement, and competition administration are final.