The 6th Annual NYC DOE/MOME Public School Film Festival (NYCPSFF) is open to all NYC Department of Education (DOE) middle and high school students. A panel of educators and media professionals will select approximately 25 films. Each film selected will receive a certificate of official selection.

The filmmakers will be invited to a special screening day and career development event tentatively scheduled for May 15, 2024*. Each selected film may also appear on the City’s television network, NYC Media, and the NYC Media Website, at a time determined by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).

Submissions will be accepted between January 31, 2024 and March 25, 2024. Films will be selected, and notification given by May 1, 2024.

*Date(s) subject to change and will be confirmed in early 2024.

Please review Rules carefully. Failure to comply will result in disqualification of your film.

Films must be 5 minutes or less in any of these categories:

Animation
Short Feature/Narrative
Documentary
Experimental
Public Service Announcement (P.S.A.)/Advocacy

TIMELINE/DEADLINE

Films will be accepted starting Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
The deadline to submit is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Notice of selected films will be made by email on May 1, 2024.

Selected films will be listed on the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment’s webpage (https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mome/industries/nyc-public-school-film-festival.page) by June 30, 2024.

REVIEW
DOE and MOME staff will review films for compliance with these Rules & Terms. Staff may ask filmmakers to edit their films in order to comply with the Rules & Terms, and for eligibility to appear on NYC Media’s television network and website.

RULES
Filmmakers must comply with all rules as follows:
1- Filmmakers must be presently enrolled in a New York City public school.
2- Student filmmakers must play the major creative role on the production of the submitted films—as directors, writers, and/or editors. Student work must account for 85% or more of the final product.
3- Films must be 5 minutes or less and in .mp4 or .mov format.
4- Films must have been completed after April 25, 2023 and have not been previously submitted to the NYC Public School Film Festival.
5- All scripts and stories must be original work made by the student.
6- If music is used, the filmmaker must submit a completed Music Use Form. All music must be either composed by the filmmaker, in the public domain, or from an NYCPSFF-approved source, listed on this website (https://sites.google.com/schools.nyc.gov/nycdoe-oasp/moving-image-dashboard). NO OTHER MUSIC CAN BE USED. Filmmakers must follow all rules listed on the website where they downloaded the music from about using another person’s music (for example, listing the composer’s name properly in the credits, i.e., Title, Author and Source). Any original music composed by the filmmaker cannot include sampling from outside the public domain or the NYCPSFF-approved source list.
7- If AI is used, in the submission question below, the filmmaker must notify the DOE exactly when and where in the Film that AI was used, and provide the website or program which was used.
8- Films may not contain nudity, sexual conduct, profanity/swear words, weapons, violence, drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.
9- Films may not promote or advertise any commercial product or service. Use of branding within a Film must be incidental, avoiding close-ups or frequent verbal mentions of any brands.
10- Non-English language films must have English subtitles at the time of submission.
11- Filmmakers must inform their NYCDOE class teacher or administrator and include that teacher/administrator’s name on their NYC Public School Film Festival application.
12- Filmmakers under the age of 18 must have an adult submit an NYC Public School Film Festival application.
13- Filmmakers must submit a filmmaker release and consent form and on-camera release forms for all persons appearing in their film. The filmmaker release and consent form and the on-camera release form must be completed by a parent/guardian if the person is under 18 (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16HkvPCJk_Msdl-xrS4-NAn2hW4bCX9tP?usp=sharing). All forms must be fully filled out. Incomplete forms may lead to disqualification of your film.
14- Employees of the City of New York, as well as any sponsor or judge of the NYCPSFF are not eligible to enter.

ENTRY MATERIALS

Entries must include all of the following:
1-Completed NYC Public School Film Festival application
2- The film (submit to filmfreeway.com)
3- Completed Filmmaker Release and Consent Form (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yvBPT6IGwxQUjnwdXVgRhbfcfuM50vKI/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=104958308337313270832&rtpof=true&sd=true) for the filmmaker
4- A parent/guardian must complete the form if the student is under 18
5- Completed On-Camera Release Forms (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qyzA0SJoJIO_FkIAyPl5NeiwKUoos5p5/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=104958308337313270832&rtpof=true&sd=true) for all persons appearing in the film
6- If a person appearing in the film is under 18, their parent/guardian must complete the form.
7- Completed music list (if music is used in the film) https://docs.google.com/document/d/15xgo3VBdwrzS6mB7yQgT22S9xwXr_5f9/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=104958308337313270832&rtpof=true&sd=true
8- If the teacher is submitting on behalf of a student under age 18, the teacher must certify that all persons participating in the film submitted a Release and Consent Form or an On-Camera Release Form, as applicable.
9- Films should be submitted without credits and include a written credit sheet in the Film Freeway form.
10- “Fair Use” allows for the use of someone else’s creative work without permission in certain circumstances. DOE and MOME will evaluate fair use on a case-by-case basis. Examples of circumstances where Fair Use may be acceptable include:
•Social, political or cultural critique: When reviewing a book, a quote is used from it to demonstrate a point. News clips may fail under this category but will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
•Length of use: The less used, the better. Don’t use more material than is necessary to make a point.
•Incidental use: Material that is incidentally captured in the background of an unstaged scene may be allowed, like a poster in the background of a shot.

ENTRY FEE

There is no entry fee.

ENTRY DISQUALIFICATION

An entry may be disqualified if the student:
1- Broke a festival rule;
2- Failed to submit all entry materials (Music Use Form, Release and Consent Form, and On-Camera Release Form(s)) by the deadline; or
3- Submitted incomplete or incorrect information.

TOOLKIT

Toolkit folder with all releases and forms, plus a checklist you may download, can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16HkvPCJk_Msdl-xrS4-NAn2hW4bCX9tP?usp=share_link

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Michael Bridenstine

    A great Festival that is still young, but getting better every year. As a parent, educator and storyteller myself, I know firsthand the potential this Film Festival has to establish itself as a premiere destination for top-notch up and coming young filmmakers. Proud to play a very small part in it!

    May 2021