SUBMIT
SHOW YOUR WORK AT NCFF
WE LOVE FILM HERE AT NCFF, AND WE LOVE FILMMAKERS TOO!
Submissions are now OPEN!
Reimagining the Film Festival Experience: Where Story, Innovation, and Imagination Meet
This June 26–28, the historic streets of downtown Nevada City, CA come alive as we launch a new kind of festival experience — part festival, part symposium, and part think tank. Our goal is to create a space where filmmakers, artists, and audiences come together not just to watch films, but to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and reimagine the future of cinema.
This year, we’re shining a special spotlight on animation and the artists who bring imagination to life. At a moment when technology — especially AI — is transforming the creative landscape, we believe it’s more important than ever to celebrate the human touch, the artistry, and the storytelling power that animators bring to the screen.
From screenings and panels to intimate dinners, hikes, and late-night gatherings under the stars, the festival will be a hub of creativity, conversation, and inspiration.
Who Should Submit
If you’re an animator or filmmaker who believes in the power of art to move, connect, and innovate — this is your invitation. Come share your work, your ideas, and your voice as we build a festival that doesn’t just showcase films, but helps shape the future of filmmaking itself.
Professional, student, and amateur filmmakers are invited to submit short films in a variety of genres including, but not limited to, documentaries, animation, narrative, comedy, multi-media, experimental, and music videos.
THE PROCESS
Nevada City Film Festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway.com, the world’s best online submission platform.
FilmFreeway offers free HD online screeners, unlimited video storage, digital press kits, and more.
IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED
If your film is selected, we offer 2-nights of lodging and a $200 travel stipend to help make for an overall great festival experience. We also offer participating filmmakers a 50% online revenue share, in addition to offering a screening fee of $100 per short film and $200 per feature length film.
Nevada City Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Fees collected through the Call for Entries process goes directly to our filmmaker awards, so please do not request a waiver, unless you meet one of the following requirements:
1. If you are an Applicant who identifies as LGBTQ, BIPOC, Arab-American, Latinx, AAPI or another disinvested identity group, then NCFF will provide a discount code for your submission fee upon request.
2. If you are an Applicant who lives in Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Sierra, Butte or Yuba Counties.
Contact jesse [at] nevadacityfilmfestival [dot] com for more information.
Prizes
In addition to the coveted NCFF Laurels winning films receive cash prizes as follows:
- Best of the Fest, Judges Award $1500
- Best Short Film Screenplay $1000
- Best Short Narrative $500
- Best Short Doc $500
- Best Short Animation $500
- Best Director $500
- Best Performance $500
- Best Cinematography $500
- Best Editing $500
- Best Musical Score $500
- Best Production Design $500
- Audience Award $500