Submissions Closed

Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival

121 SOUTH 6TH AVENUE, MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK 10550, UNITED STATES

FEB 3 - APR 13, 2026

2 YEARS RUNNING

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Deadlines

APR 13, 2026Deadline

About festival

Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival

The Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival (MVIFF) is a vibrant celebration of cinematic artistry, showcasing the diverse talents of local Westchester filmmakers, with a spotlight on emerging voices from Mount Vernon.

Born from a passion for film and a desire to enrich the cultural landscape of the community, MVIFF provides a platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers to connect, learn, and inspire.

Our mission is to:

Showcase exceptional films from Westchester filmmakers.
Support emerging Mount Vernon filmmakers through workshops and panels.
Educate the community with film-related seminars and events.
Celebrate the art of filmmaking in a welcoming and accessible environment.

We are committed to creating a unique festival experience that fosters creativity, collaboration, and a shared love of cinema. Join us at MVIFF and be a part of this exciting cinematic journey!

There will be awards given in both short and feature categories .

Some of these can include:

- Best Picture - Best Director - Best Actor - Best Actress - Best Cinematography - Best Editing - Best Experimental - Best Drama - Best Comedy - Best Documentary - Best Horror

The awards are created at the discretion of the screening team.

Festival Amenities

Filmmaker LoungeIndustry PanelsAfter PartiesAll Access BadgesSocial Media Spotlight

Accepted Content

Genres:

ActionAdventureAnimationBiographyComedyCrime

DocumentaryDramaStudentScience FictionRomanceMysteryMusicalHorrorFantasyFamilyThriller

Sub-Genres:

DetectivePsychological ThrillerFantasy-DramaCyber PunkComing of AgeRomantic Comedy

Fantasy-Comedy

Film Types:

NarrativeDocumentary

Categories:

Short FilmDigitalDocumentaryFeature FilmMusic Video

Submission Categories

Shorts

All films must run 40 minutes or less. All films will be placed into role based award categories at the team's discretion. This includes documentary, animation, horror, crime, thriller, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, music video and experimental.

Fee: $20·Deadline: April 13, 2026

Type: Film

Features

All films must run 40 minutes or more. All films will be placed into role based award categories at the team's discretion. This includes documentary, animation, horror, crime, thriller, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, music video and experimental.

Fee: $25·Deadline: April 13, 2026

Type: Film

Contact

121 South 6th Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York 10550, United States

Festival Rules

Short Film Definition:

Short films can include music videos, webisodes, pilot episodes, and anything in-between.

All Digital:

The Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival is an eco-friendly festival, so to reduce waste and environmental impact films must be submitted digitally.

English or Bust!:

All films must be in English or with English subtitles if the language isn't in English.

360 Marketing:

If your film is selected, then you will be asked to provide digital stills from the film, press materials, promo clips and video trailer (if available). Please make sure all assets are current and uploaded to your FilmFreeway account if possible.

For the Art:

The Mount Vernon Independnet Film Festival does not consider films that require SCREENING/RENTAL FEES and DOES NOT PAY SCREENING or LICENSING FEES for submitted films. By submitting your film, you acknowledge that the festival will not pay you to present your work.

Marketing:

If accepted, filmmakers are expected to assist the Mount Vernon Independent Film Festival in the promotion of their screening. We will do the same.

Refund Policy:

No refunds for incorrectly formatted pieces submitted