The Festival of Cinema NYC is an international film festival held annually in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. It focuses on supporting independent cinema and providing a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work. The festival screens films from various countries and genres, offering networking opportunities for filmmakers.
Festival of Cinema NYC returns to the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills for the 9th edition of the popular Queens-based film festival, running from August 1-10. The festival opens with Oliver Kolker and Hernan Findling’s uplifting Argentinian music-filled drama I Had the Heart (Tuve el Corazon) and closes with the East Coast premiere of Scout and Doug Purdy’s festival hit Pilgrim.
North American premieres include Josh Mond’s It Doesn’t Matter, and Gregory Pellerito’s Moments of Youth. Chris De Pretis’ East Bay Confidential will make its world premiere at FOC NYC. The short films lineup adds an additional 11 world premieres and 3 North American premieres, as well.
Special Presentations include the 10th Anniversary of John Stuart Wildman’s critically-acclaimed thriller The Ladies of the House (2015), and a special “Conversation on Film” with writer/director Chris Kentis following a screening of his classic shark thriller Open Water. Members of the Los Angeles based organization, Kids in the Spotlight, featuring films from youth in foster care, will be in attendance for a special 2-day presentation and red carpet screening.
The 2025 Festival of Cinema NYC will also feature a special presentation by renowned indie filmmaker Tzvi and his organization Film Underground, where 10 randomly selected unscreened films will be shown to an unsuspecting audience.
Festival of Cinema NYC will once again celebrate the film festival’s attending filmmakers with a pre-launch party inside Resorts World NYC’s famous 360º Bar and Lounge (110-0 Rockaway Blvd) on Thursday, July 31.
Along with its presentation of more than 100 screenings, and FOC NYC’s multiple popular Red Carpet entrances at the Regal UA lobby flush with seemingly countless filmmakers, actors, documentary subjects, and below-the-line talent, the film festival will once again feature filmmaker-instructional presentations and script readings that will be free and open to the public at the Queens Library at Forest Hills.
The jam-packed week and a half of screenings and events will conclude with FOC NYC’s famous Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 10 at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens.
Festival of Cinema NYC Founder and Executive Director Jayson Simba, was quoted as saying, “This year’s edition of the film festival combines great world cinema, hit festival films making their way to NYC for the first time; panels for aspiring filmmakers and those looking to raise their game; youth in film presentations to put the next generation in the spotlight; and a look at a couple of critically-acclaimed thrillers that epitomize what can be achieved with true indie filmmaking.”
“It all goes to the heart of what FOC NYC is all about: highlighting why we love to come to the movie theater and celebrating the artistic accomplishments of our filmmakers who foster that connection between us.”
Oliver Kolker and Hernan Findling’s comedy-drama I Had the Heart (Tuve el Corazon) opens the film festival on Friday, August 1. The uplifting music-themed Argentinian film centers on a once-famous rock producer who is unexpectedly approached by his former record label and asked to find a tango singer for an upcoming city festival. The screening will be preceded by Kay Qiao’s short film, Elm.
Saturday, August 9 will feature the Closing Night presentation of Scout and Doug Purdy’s Pilgrim. The father and teenage daughter filmmaking team co-wrote, co-directed, co-produced, and co-star in the film which just played to two full houses at Dances With Films: LA. After a series of revelations, 15-year-old Joe devises a plan to cure her teen angst: A month-long pilgrimage filled with communication issues, terrible survival skills, and zero Wi-Fi—AKA a summer hiking trip with her father. Pilgrim is a funny, heartwarming story of connection and discovery. The screening will be preceded by Forest Hill local Lisa Milonaro’s short film, Incoming Call.
FOC NYC’s Special Presentations are led by a screening of Chris Kentis’ Open Water, followed by a “Conversation on Film” with Kentis. The 2004 Sundance hit is the quintessential indie survival horror thriller film and success story. The story concerns an American couple who go scuba diving while on vacation, only to find themselves stranded miles from shore in shark-filled waters when the crew of their boat accidentally leaves them behind. 
Another true indie, John Stuart Wildman’s The Ladies of the House was a critically-acclaimed horror thriller shot in a Dallas studio on a set that slavishly recreated the filmmaker’s house’s floor plan. The film follows the fate of three young men out on a birthday night at a burlesque club who follow one of the dancers home and get invited in for “dinner,” by the dancers who also happen to be cannibals with a fierce sense of home and family – and a savpory taste for men.
The film was described by Dread Central as “a confetti explosion of candy apple color, spinning vinyl records, rockabilly busty babes, blood spatter, and a whole lotta retro love.” Wildman and various cast members will be in attendance.
Gregory Pellerito’s Moments of Youth will make its North American premiere at FOC NYC. The heartfelt film follows a senior class participating in a scavenger hunt which features a massive grand prize. With their dreams on the horizon, they share one epic night of laughs and secrets before their futures begin. Making its world premiere will be Chris De Pretis’ East Bay Confidential which focuses on a disillusioned Iraq War veteran framed for a murder by a beautiful social media influencer.
He must track down the only person who can testify on his behalf: A former sex worker on the run from a murderous gangster. Also making its North American premiere is Josh Mond’s documentary/narrative hybrid, It Doesn’t Matter. The film follows the cross-country wanderings of a homeless man from Staten Island, and his fortuitous relationship with a young filmmaker who listens to his tales of narcotics, odd jobs and odder acquaintances.
This year ‘s Festival of Cinema NYC has increased its short films programming this edition, showcasing short films in thematic blocks that include: Love & Family, Comedy, Sci-Fi, NY Local Filmmakers, International Shorts, and FOC NYC’s popular Midnight Madness Horror Shorts.
Free programming at the Queens Library includes Anthony M. Laura, Artistic Director of Face to Face Films, leading the Writing the Personal Story presentation, as he speaks about how to write a story that resonates with the author personally, differentiating between biography and powerful personal storytelling in fiction. Cinematographer’s Creative Process will feature ASC panelists sharing their insight into the cinematographer’s creative process by deconstructing an excerpt from one of their feature films or TV series.
The ASC panel includes Fred Murphy, ASC (Evil, Good Wife, Good Fight, Anamorph, Secret Window, October Sky, Hoosiers, Trip to Bountiful, The Dead), Frank DeMarco, ASC (All is Lost, Rabbit Hole, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Adjustment Bureau, The Dutchman, Enemy Within, 1992), and Fred Elmes, ASC (The Night Of, The Dead Don’t Die, Paterson, Blue Velvet, Olive Kitteridge, A Late Quartet, Synecdoche, NY). The panel will be moderated by Dejan Georgevich, ASC (The Virtuoso, The Blacklist, Elementary, The Enemy Within, Gossip Girl, 3lbs. Mercy).
Additional special presentations and panels at the Forest Hills Library include readings from FOC NYC’s Top 10 Script Writer Competition featuring the work from the top 10 finalists who are up for the Best Unproduced Script Award. AI & Film: Lowering Barriers, Amplifying Creativity will attempt to cut through the hype and show how generative AI and modern film-tech let indie creators punch above their weight. From zero-budget previews to instant scheduling and marketing insights, the panel presentation, hosted by Melody D. Myers and Ian Grant, will explore the practical ways AI is reshaping every stage of the pipeline.
Festival of Cinema and esteemed Casting Director Amy Gossels heads Mastering The On-Camera Audition which will teach innovative on-camera audition technique and skills to that will elevate your auditions and gain coveted industry insight to boost your career in this transformative masterclass.
Tickets and Festival Passes for the 2025 Festival of Cinema NYC can be purchased by visiting https://festivalofcinemanyc.eventive.org/welcome. General admission tickets begin at $18 per screening block ($35 for opening and closing night films which include entry to the afte rparty), with discounts offered to seniors and individuals with disabilities. Tickets can also be purchased to the Closing Awards Dinner for $80.
Festival of Cinema NYC is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
In lieu of the NEA withdrawing their funding support of the 2025 Festival of Cinema NYC, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation jointly committed $10,000 in grant funding in support to lessen the burden of financial uncertainties. The Warhol Foundation recognizes the essential contributions that small arts organizations make to our cultural lifeblood by giving artists in every corner of the country a platform from which to be seen and heard,” said Joel Wachs, President of the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Sponsors to this year’s event include Forest Hills local law firm the Aminov Law Group P.C., Resorts World NYC, Forest Hills local eatery 5 Burro Café, the Mathis-Pfohl Foundation, Ponce Bank, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Yant Tattoo and Art Studio, Friends of Maple Grove, Regal Cinemas, the Queens Library, and Target Corp. Prize Sponsors include B&H, Moviemaker Magazine, Mongo Media Solutions, Silver Sound, Videomaker, InkTip, and Soundview Media Partners.
Part 2: Click here for Official Selections 2025