Expanded NYC Public School Film Festival Now Open to All New Yorkers

Kick-Off Event with Panels, Career Expo, Keynote Presentation from Academy Award-Nominated Writer, Director, and Playwright Celine Song, and Free Admission to Museum of the Moving Image – April 29

Movies Under the Stars Student Film Screenings – Washington Square Park, May 9; Sunset Park, May 10

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and New York City Public Schools are proud to announce details for an expanded version of the NYC Public School Film Festival, now in its 7th year. The festival, which celebrates the talent and diversity of student voices, and looks to open doors for the youngest New Yorkers into the city’s world-renowned film & TV industry includes:

• Free admission for all New Yorkers, including all NYC Public School students and their families, to Museum of the Moving Image – NEW THIS YEAR!
  • Tuesday, April 29 3-8PM, 36-01 35th Ave, Queens
  • Student film screenings, career and educational expo with film & TV production companies, and, NEW THIS YEAR, panel with information on how to apply for specialized arts high schools
  • Keynote Presentation by Celine Song, Academy Award-nominated Writer and Director of Past Lives and the upcoming film Materialists
  • Full access to the museum including the brand new “Mission: Impossible—Story and Spectacle” exhibit which spotlights star and producer Tom Cruise’s exceptional commitment to practical stunt work
  • Sign up to attend HERE
• Free outdoor screenings as part of Movies Under the Stars
  • Friday, May 9, 8:15PM, Arch @ Washington Square Park, Manhattan
  • Saturday, May 10, 8:15PM, Sunset Park Central Lawn @ 44th St., Brooklyn
  • Presented in partnership with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks), families, students and all New Yorkers are invited to pull out a blanket and enjoy productions from NYC’s next generation of filmmakers.

Nearly 150 films were submitted for the festival (15% over last year) from NYC middle and high school students spanning 43 schools throughout the five boroughs, including 19 schools who have never submitted to the festival before. A total of 22 short films have been selected for inclusion in the festival, including:

• I Thought I knew You, A young woman ends a rocky relationship after she meets Mr. Perfect…but nobody’s perfect; Kappa International High School, The Bronx
• Nightmare on 96th Street, A student in Brownsville Brooklyn can’t escape the same lesson, building, phone call and moment in time; East Brooklyn Community High School
• Into The Field, An 8th grader is ready to move onto High School, but circumstances prove to make it less than simple; PSIS 187, Manhattan
• The Lost Sock, Like many other socks, our sock has been separated from its beloved partner. Will our sock be reunited with its beloved matching sock?; The Baccalaureate School for Global Education, Queens
• “The Cafe,” A mockumentary based in a student-run coffee shop, Barks & Beaks, that highlights the individuality and often overlooked whimsical side of individuals with disabilities, P37R The David Marquis School of the Arts, Staten Island

The NYC Public School Film Festival will feature a Career Expo to provide a snapshot of opportunities in NYC’s film & TV industry. Participants include, Center for Communication, Academy for Careers in Television & Film, Five4Five Films, The Animation Project, School of Visual Arts, Project Feel, Reel Works, Art & Design High School, Sesame Workshop and many more. Organizations interested in participating in the expo can RSVP HERE. Additionally, the festival will include a panel discussion specifically targeted to middle school students, families and teachers on the types of arts high school programs available across the city and the requirements for entry. 

The NYC Public School Film Festival was created to provide students an opportunity to have their work recognized and to encourage careers in filmmaking. The selected films are chosen by a panel of NYC Public School Film Festival teachers and media professionals. All submissions to the NYC Public School Film Festival are evaluated and adjudicated to provide feedback to students interested in filmmaking.