In 2023, we celebrated our 27th Annual Summer Series—our signature program of new, independent films! We are already looking forward to bringing incredible films to our audiences again next year!

Submission Forms

There are two ways to submit to the Rooftop Films Summer Series: via FilmFreeway or directly to us. Please choose only one per film. If you are submitting via FilmFreeway, you do not need to complete an additional submission form. Please review our rules and guidelines below prior to submitting.

If you have any questions regarding submissions or to request fee or deadline waivers, please email submit@rooftopfilms.com.

Submitting to Rooftop

At Rooftop we believe that the role of a festival is to help filmmakers bring their work to engaged and enthusiastic audiences. Rooftop Films is committed to helping filmmakers get their films seen Therefore, we aim to make it as easy as possible for filmmakers to submit to our festival.

If you submit a work to Rooftop Films you automatically get two free tickets to any Summer Series show, whether or not we screen your film

We strive to keep our fees affordable, but if you are unable to pay the submission fee for any reason email submit@rooftopfilms.com to request a fee waiver.

Rules and Guidelines

Rooftop Films is committed to providing a community for the wide array of short and feature length films that are under-served by traditional outlets.. 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 show films of all genres, formats, and lengths, as long as they’re daring, creative, and unique. We always search for films that break down boundaries or 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 screen hundreds of short and feature length films each summer and work tirelessly year round to bring these films to new audiences.

If you have any questions regarding submissions, please email submit@rooftopfilms.com.

Previews & Entry Form

All submissions not made through FilmFreeway must go through our Submission Form.
Submissions must be in English or have English subtitles and there must be a preview
Rooftop 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 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 generally screens digital files.

Deadlines, Fees and Notification

Early Bird: $15, November 17th, 2023
Regular: $20, December 15th, 2023
Late: $30, January 30th, 2024
Extended Late: $35, February 16th, 2024
Notification Date: No later than May 3rd, 2024

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 the Rooftop Submission Form or FilmFreeway.
The submission fee need only be paid once per filmmaker or curator. You may submit as many films as you like without paying an additional fee.
All filmmakers who submit a film to Rooftop 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).
All on-time submissions will be notified of their status before May 3rd. All filmmakers will receive notification, whether or not their film is chosen to screen as part of the summer series.

No film will ever be turned away due to lack of funds. If you are unable to pay the submission fee for any reason email submit@rooftopfilms.com to request a fee waiver.

The Festival

The Summer Series runs annually from May through August and features daring new films, all screened outdoors, in front of big, loyal audiences in parks, on boats, and on rooftops overlooking the greatest city in the world. Tens of thousands of people attend Rooftop screenings every summer, making it one of the most popular festivals in New York City and one of the biggest festivals for independent films in the world.The Summer Series runs annually from May through August and features daring new films, all screened outdoors, in front of wonderful audiences in parks, piersand on rooftops overlooking the greatest city in the world. Tens of thousands of people attend Rooftop screenings every summer, making it one of the most popular festivals in New York City and one of the biggest festivals for independent films in the world.

In 2021, we celebrated our 25th annual Summer Series—our signature program of new, independent films—and we have every intention of hosting in-person screenings again in 2022! We are looking forward to bringing films to live, in-person audiences again this summer!

Curating Our Programs

We received over 3,500 submissions in 2023, and every single one was watched and appraised by our tireless screening committee! We believe that 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.

At Rooftop, we organize our film programming around themes, moods, regions, and genres and do our best to pair feature films or shorts programs with one of our exceptional New York venues. Our events are more than just film screenings, they incorporate music, filmmaker Q&As, special activations, and after-parties at select locations, making for a memorable night!

If you have any questions regarding submissions, please email submit@rooftopfilms.com.

Rooftop Filmmakers Fund

The Rooftop Filmmakers Fund is an opportunity to help our community of alumni filmmakers make their next movie. Rooftop Films sets aside $1 from every ticket sold and $1 from every submission fee received and grants those funds to alumni filmmakers for their future films. We’ve been screening films since 1997, and every filmmaker who has ever shown a film with Rooftop is eligible for our grants. Only filmmakers who have screened a movie at Rooftop Films’ Summer Series are eligible.

Rooftop Films has eleven grants available —seven for feature length films and four for short films. Each year, Rooftop Films will give away over $300,000 in cash, equipment and service grants. Our equipment and service grants come courtesy of our sponsors at Eastern Effects, NYCEDC, Edgeworx Studios, ARRI Rental, Kodak Film, Parabolic, , The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, elkind Lighting & Camera, and DCTV.

Past grantees include Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, Laura Moss’ birth/rebirth, Eliza Hittman’s Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, Gillian Robespierre’s Obvious Child, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, and many more.

Submit

Rules and Guidelines | Deadlines and Fees | About The Festival