New York Film Festivals

Get your tickets now! Each year, thousands of fans walk down the red carpet at film festivals across New York State. Special events include a series of screenings, award shows, and panel discussions with authors, actors, and directors.

In New York City, more than 20 major film festivals celebrate the big screen—including the Tribeca Film Festival and the Brooklyn Film Festival. Both events feature next-wave works and star-studded premieres. The New York City International Film Festival highlights new and established filmmakers from around the world.

The Lake Placid Film Forum—co-founded by author Russell Banks, former New York Daily News critic Kathleen Carroll and artist Naj Wikoff—presents an intimate film festival secluded in the Adirondack Mountains. Often the filmmakers and cast members attend the screenings and discussions, which are held in a forum atmosphere unfettered by paparazzi.

The annual Long Island International Film Expo, in Bellmore, hosts panel discussions with filmmakers and up to 150 short and feature-length independent films.

There’s a buzz of activity when the annual Hamptons International Film Festival, a fall fixture on the east end for more than 20 years, draws fans and celebrities with more than 100 films, premieres, red carpets, panels, and parties.

The annual Woodstock Film Festival is one of the best independent film festivals in the nation, attracting emerging and established filmmakers. A-List talent who have participated include Ellen Barkin, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, Ethan Hawke, Timothy Hutton, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ang Lee, Laura Linney, and Keanu Reeves.

ImageOut in Rochester holds a week-long festival featuring LGBTQ themed films, showcasing work that ranges from narrative to documentary to experimental from across the US and around the world.

Glimmerglass Film Days, held in Cooperstown, offer a curated slate of independent films and shorts, filmmaker talks, parties with local food and drink, art exhibits, restaurant specials, and guided walks to enjoy the region's natural beauty. Films are shown at Cooperstown landmark venues, such as the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fenimore Art Museum, and the Otesaga Hotel.