SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2025 SUMMER SERIES CLOSED ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2025
The Rooftop Films Summer Series
The Rooftop Films Summer Series — our signature program of new, independent films — runs annually from May to September, featuring daring new films, all screened outdoors, in front of big, loyal audiences in parks, piers, and on rooftops overlooking the greatest city in the world. Tens of thousands of people attend Rooftop Films screenings every summer, making it one of the most popular festivals in New York City and one of the biggest festivals for independent films and short films in the world.
In 2025, we’ll celebrate our 29th Annual Summer Series, and we can’t wait to connect new films and filmmakers to our audiences once again!
Read more about our mission and the Rooftop Films Summer Series here.
Submission Rules & Guidelines
Please review these rules and guidelines below prior to submitting your film.
Submission Forms
There are two ways to submit to the Rooftop Films Summer Series. Please choose only one per film:
- FilmFreeway. If you are submitting via FilmFreeway, you do not need to complete an additional submission form.
- Directly to us (for feature submissions, click here; for shorts submissions, click here). All submissions not made through FilmFreeway must go through our submission form.
Categories, Genres, and Lengths
- The Rooftop Films Summer Series accepts Fiction, Documentary, Experimental, and Hybrid films
- The Rooftop Films Summer Series accepts feature-length films and short films.
- Feature Films are films that are 60 minutes and longer.
- Short Films are films under 60 minutes.
Rooftop Films shows films of all genres, formats, and lengths, as long as they’re daring, creative, and unique. We seek films that break down boundaries and feature innovative, personal, and eccentric or hilarious takes on old forms. We love animation, satire, comedies and dramas, experimental and abstract films, personal and political documentaries, and every other form of film, entertainment or video art. We want films that tell us about where and how you live. We seek independent movies with original ideas. We aim to showcase the voices of marginalized communities not typically found on screens. We are committed to providing a community for the wide array of short and feature length films that are under-served by traditional outlets.
Languages
- Submissions must be in English or have English subtitles.
Preview Files
- Your submission must include a preview.
- Rooftop Films accepts submissions via online secure links.
Screening Rights
- Should your work be selected to be part of the Rooftop Films Summer Series, Rooftop Films reserves the right to screen your film at any Rooftop Films screening throughout the summer, between the start and end dates of the Summer Series for which your film was submitted.
- After the Summer Series end date, Rooftop Films shall not screen any submitted films without the expressed consent of the filmmaker.
- If your film is accepted, Rooftop Films requires digital video files. Video specs will be provided.
Deadlines, Fees and Notifications
Early Bird: Friday, October 11, 2024 — $20 (shorts) or $25 (features)
Regular: Friday, December 13, 2024 — $25 (shorts) or $35 (features)
Late: Friday, February 7, 2025 — $35 (shorts) or $40 (features)
Extended Late: Friday, February 28, 2025 — $45 (shorts) or $60 (features)
Notification Date: No later than Friday, May 2, 2025
To ensure that your film will be considered for the Summer Series, your film must be submitted on or before 11:59 PM EST on the day of the applicable deadline. All films submitted late will be considered for the following year’s Summer Series.
- All submission fees must be paid in U.S. currency. If you are submitting a film from outside the U.S., please pay with a credit card online.
- The submission fee can be paid online via FilmFreeway or the Rooftop Films Submission Form.
- All filmmakers who submit a film to Rooftop Films will receive two tickets to the Summer Series. We couldn’t have our festival without filmmakers, and even though we can’t show all of your films, we hope you can participate in the festival even if your film isn’t accepted. The tickets are transferable (in case you don’t live in New York).
- We keep our fees affordable relative to other film festivals. If you are unable to pay the submission fee, email submit@rooftopfilms.com to request a fee waiver.
The Selection Process
We received over 3,500 submissions last year. Each film is watched and appraised by our tireless programming team.
We organize our film programming around themes, moods, regions, and genres and do our best to pair feature films and shorts programs with one of our exceptional New York venues. We strategically program complementary films to heighten the impact of the works and bring out resonances in even the most textured and accomplished films.
And our carefully curated events are more than just film screenings. They incorporate music, filmmaker Q&As, special activations, and afterparties, making for a memorable night! We believe it’s our responsibility to present works in exciting and innovative ways so we can reach the widest audiences possible and maximize the impact of each film.
Any Other Questions?
If you have more questions regarding the submission process, please email submit@rooftopfilms.com.
The Rooftop Filmmakers Fund
The Rooftop Filmmakers Fund is how we help our community of alumni filmmakers make their next movie and build sustainable careers in independent film.
Submission forms for the next Rooftop Filmmakers Fund will open soon.
Read more about The Rooftop Filmmakers Fund.