NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL

Film submissions are NOW OPEN for the 36th New Orleans Film Festival (October 23-28th, 2025). The late deadline is April 25, 2025. Read more about submissions here.

Submit your film now

The New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF), organized by the New Orleans Film Society, is a renowned celebration of independent filmmaking that has been championing diverse voices and groundbreaking stories for over 36 years. As an Academy Award®-qualifying festival in the categories of Documentary Short, Narrative Short, and Animated Short, NOFF serves as a vital platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their work to global audiences.

Recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” the festival highlights a rich blend of local, national, and international talent, fostering connections within the film industry while embracing New Orleans’ unique cultural vibrancy. During the New Orleans Film Festival, New Orleans shines even brighter as an epicenter of culture and creativity, with 250+ filmmakers from every corner of the world in attendance at 150+ films. We see our greatest impact in the exchange of ideas that occurs when over 12,000 people gather in person over the course of six days to champion film in New Orleans and engage with visionary films, directors, and other film lovers.

“Both filmmaker-focused and audience friendly, NOFF aims to be an incubator for future projects and collaborations. It manages a mentorship program for filmmakers of color that pairs emerging talents with established ones and has been supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Golden Globe Foundation, HBO, and the National Endowment for the Arts.” Read more here.

“The coolest of cool festivals. I’m always in awe of the curation and quality of films here. Some words I’d use to describe them: poetry, transcendent, heartfelt, impactful, and evocative. The magical spirit of New Orleans permeates the festival in every way. The festival has phenomenal parties, sumptuous cuisine, beautiful event spaces, and the best pitch showcases.” —Katherine Propper. Read more here.

Diversity + Discovery:

Paste Magazine praised the festival for offering “a platform to voices that still fight to be heard.” We honor three vital commitments to filmmakers and to audiences hungry for fresh work with perspectives less often represented on the silver screen:

  • 90% of the films in the festival will come from submissions, ensuring New Orleans Film Festival is a place of discovery where all voices have an opportunity to be heard
  • 50% or more of the films will be helmed by women and gender non-conforming filmmakers
  • 50% or more will be helmed by filmmakers of color

Community + Connectivity:

New Orleans’ unique sense of place informs the festival experience– filmmakers, industry players, and cinephiles experience films and events at pop-up and passionately preserved historic venues, and rub elbows in Hollywood South amidst the strong undercurrent of revelry native to the Crescent City. From the Second Line parade following the opening night film to late-night cocktails, live music in historic mansions, and cinematic Mississippi River views, we hope all leave inspired, with an enduring story to tell and deeper connections to each other and to the art of film.

We believe inspiration isn’t exclusive; New Orleans Film Society works with 50+ partnering non-profit organizations to distribute free tickets and promote free screenings to ensure more New Orleanians of all ages access transformative films during the festival.

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