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New Filmmakers Los Angeles

JAN 1-1, 2027
19 YEARS RUNNING
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Deadlines

MAR 31, 2026Spring Deadline (Monthly)
JUN 30, 2026Summer Deadline (Monthly)
SEP 30, 2026Fall Deadline (Monthly)
DEC 31, 2026Winter Deadline (Monthly)

About festival

Completion date requirement: 2026Premiere World PreferredPremiere National Preferred

New Filmmakers Los Angeles

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presents the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival, a uniquely intimate opportunity that provides a filmmaker focused festival approach by an intently devoted team. The model, a monthly festival with a very small number of official selections per month, generally fewer than 20, provides filmmakers with maximum attention and commitment from the Festival audience, participants and staff. This format allows NFMLA to serve a similar number of filmmakers as most annual Festivals (average of 220 per year), while being able to dedicate its efforts to a core group every month throughout the year.

Each NFMLA Monthly Film Festival provides its official selection of filmmakers meetings with professionals, press interviews with publications such as MovieMaker Magazine, industry panels, screenings, audience Q&A sessions, networking receptions and qualification for the Best of NFMLA Awards.

The Festival boasts over 120,000 indie film supporters in the LA area and regularly has executives and creatives participate from Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios, Netflix, Warner Bros., United Talent Agency, NBCUniversal, HBO, NEON, Endeavor, STARZ, Bad Robot, Creative Artists Agency, Entertainment 360, Legendary Entertainment, 20th Century Television, Verve, Cinetic Media, Focus Features, Zero Gravity Management, AMC Studios, FilmNation, Mattel Films, Lionsgate, Searchlight Pictures, Grandview, Walt Disney Studios, Range Media Partners, Magnolia Pictures, Gravitas Ventures, Gersh, Paramount, DreamWorks, Circle Management and Production, Hulu, MACRO, Skydance, ESPN Films, and Blumhouse among an abundance of other agencies, management companies, production houses, distributors, studios, streamers and more.

Submissions are open year-round and NFMLA highly encourages filmmakers to submit their newest work as early as possible to maximize their project’s consideration window. NFMLA screens short and feature films (narrative, documentary, experimental and animation), as well as music videos and new media projects by content creators of all backgrounds throughout the year as part of our eclectic ongoing selection, in addition to our InFocus programming, which places a special emphasis on diversity, inclusion and regional representation with its spotlighted group of filmmakers each month.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging within NFMLA’s programming is incredibly important, and all filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their work for consideration in all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming calendar.

Festival Amenities

Hotel DiscountsTravel StipendsFilmmaker LoungeCateringPress EventsQ&A SessionsFilmmaker EventsAll Access BadgesFestival CatalogSocial Media SpotlightIndustry PanelsComplimentary Tickets

Accepted Content

Genres:
ActionAdventureAnimationBiographyComedyCrime
DocumentaryDramaFamilyFantasyHistoryHorrorMusicMusicalMysteryRomanceScience FictionThrillerWarWestern
Sub-Genres:
Coming of AgeBuddy ComedyBlack ComedyBad ComedyAlternative ComedyDark Comedy
DetectiveEnvironmentalFantasy-ComedyFantasy-DramaFeministHorror ComedyHuman RightsSocial IssuesSocial ImpactRomantic ComedyPsychological ThrillerSilentPoliticalPoetryPeriod PieceMockumentaryMartial ArtsLGBTQ+SpoofSportsSuspenseChildren'sCringe ComedyCultCyber PunkDarkDance
Film Types:
NarrativeDocumentaryNon-FictionExperimentalAnimation
Categories:
EpisodicDocumentaryDigital MicrobudgetDigitalNew MediaShort Film
Shot On FilmTVTV SeriesWeb SeriesFeature FilmMicroMicrobudgetMicroshortMusic Video
Festival Focus:
DocumentaryEmerging FilmmakersFirst-Time FilmmakerActivismExperimentalIndigenous Stories
Stories of ResilienceBIPOCDisabilityAdventureInternationalSocial ChangeFamilyArthouseStudentYouthRegional StoriesConservationRegional

Submission Categories

Short- Narrative

Live action or animated narrative short films under 40 minutes.

Fee: $50Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Short - Documentary

Documentary short films under 40 minutes.

Fee: $50Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Feature - Narrative

Live action and animated films of feature length

Fee: $55Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Feature - Documentary

Feature length documentary films.

Fee: $55Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Music Video

Music Videos showcasing any genre of music.

Fee: $50Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

New Media - 40 Minutes or Under

New Media projects 40 minutes running time or less.

Fee: $50Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

New Media - Over 40 Minutes

New Media projects over 40 minutes running time or more.

Fee: $55Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Student

Films from any category can be submitted at a discount under the student category if they were made by a student.

Fee: $45Deadline: September 30, 2026
Type: Film

Festival Team

LL

Larry Laboe

Executive Director

BS

Bojana Sandic

Programming Director

GG

George Gomez

Programs & Operations Manager

DT

Daphne Trinh

Education & Industry Programs Manager

LM

Lauren Muniz

Programs Coordinator

Festival Rules

Completion date requirement: 2026Premiere World PreferredPremiere National PreferredPremiere State PreferredPremiere City Preferred

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION:

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles screens monthly year round. FESTIVAL DATES, NOTIFICATION DATES and DEADLINES displayed on this listing are for expiration of this listing and ARE NOT our screening dates.

Runtime Policy:

Shorts must be under 40 minutes total runtime. Features must be 41 minutes minimum with a 180 minute maximum total runtime.

Completion Date Requirement::

We can only accept films that have completed post production within a maximum of 12 months from the date of their submission to the festival. NewFilmmakers Los Angeles selects and screens completed work only - we do not consider scripts or works in progress.

Premiere Status Policy:

Premiere status is NOT required, however, films with an LA or similar premiere status are preferred.

Distribution Policy:

As is the industry standard among many festivals, in all instances except Music Videos and ‘New Media’ programs, we generally do not screen films that have theatrical distribution nor films that have been posted online without password protection, or are available for streaming on a VOD platform (with the exception of SVOD for short films). However, we reserve the right to make exceptions to this rule on a case by case basis.

Notification Policy:

NFMLA sends decline notifications on a rolling basis, and will contact you directly by phone if your film is shortlisted to go into the next round of consideration. A phone call is just a next step in the shortlisting process and does not mean your film has been accepted. Films have only been accepted once they have been sent an Official Acceptance Notice.

Review Time:

Review times will vary, but please feel free to check in with us six months after your film has been submitted for an update on the status. In order to receive a reply, please submit all Submission Status Requests through the Submission Status Request Form here to receive an update within 10 business days: https://forms.gle/wetKV6DAivTi6EzW7