Events » Film Festivals » Tribeca Festival
For more than two decades, Tribeca Festival has been a destination for new, groundbreaking storytelling from established and emerging artists. The 2025 Tribeca Festival will take place from June 4-15, 2025 in New York City. Next June, Tribeca will continue to explore creative innovation across film, TV, immersive, games, audio storytelling, talks, and more.
STUDENT SHORT DIRECTORS: Submit via our website for the discounted rate ($35 USD): https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/submissions
MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTORS: Submit via our website for the early deadline rate ($50) across all deadlines.
https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/submissions
GAMES and AUDIO STORYTELLING: submission forms can be found on our website: https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/submissions
Please see our full Entry Rules & Regulations: https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/media/1198/2025-tribeca-festival-rules-and-regulations-v3-pdf.pdf
As well as our Submissions FAQ: https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/media/1197/submission-faq-2025-v-2.pdf
• In 2024, awards totaled an equivalent of over $80,000 in artwork. Awards for TF25 may be modified.
• Unless otherwise agreed by the Festival in writing, awards will be given to the winning film director (as identified in the Festival Information Form) on behalf of the film (except for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Editing) and will be fulfilled approximately 12-16 weeks after the closing date of TF25.
• Award eligibility is subject to any restrictions or conditions imposed by applicable laws and regulations (international, federal, state or otherwise), and the award recipient is responsible for all applicable taxes, customs, tariffs, insurance and similar charges or costs (if any).
• By invitation, Features by first time directors having their World Premieres at TF25 (except those only shown in the “Gala” section or as a “Special Screening” or “Special Event&rdquoare eligible for the Best New Documentary Award or Best New Narrative Award. The Festival in its sole discretion may also consider North American or International Premieres for the Best New Narrative or Best New Documentary Awards.
• All new Features (except those only shown in the “Gala”, "Tribeca Talks" or “Retrospectives&rdquoare eligible for the “Audience Award,” regardless of section.
• By invitation, Features written and/or directed by women having at least their North American Premieres at TF25 (except those only shown in the “Gala”, "Tribeca Talks" or “Retrospectives&rdquoare eligible for the Nora Ephron Award.
• All selected projects that are exhibited as part of Tribeca Immersive competition programs during TF25 are eligible for any award(s) that may be given in connection with the Tribeca Immersive competition programs at TF25 (awards are not guaranteed and are determined from year to year in the Festival’s sole discretion).
*The above listed awards are from the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and are subject to change for TF25 by the Festival in its sole discretion.
Since submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these Entry Rules & Regulations (by you and your agents), please review this document carefully.
Please see our full Entry Rules & Regulations: https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/media/1198/2025-tribeca-festival-rules-and-regulations-v3-pdf.pdf
As well as our Submissions FAQ: https://extranet.tribecafilm.com/media/1197/submission-faq-2025-v-2.pdf
SUBMISSION CATEGORIES - TRIBECA FESTIVAL:
Selected projects from all categories will be presented to the public at the 24th Annual Tribeca Festival currently scheduled to take place on June 4 – June 15, 2025 (“TF25”). Since submission of a project constitutes acceptance of these Entry Rules & Regulations (by you and your agents), please review this document carefully. Submitted projects must not:
• have screened or exhibited publicly in the New York region*
• have had ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or exhibition before January 1, 2024.**
*Not applicable to Tribeca X or Shorts
**Not applicable to Tribeca Games submissions.
Feature and Short Films:
Tribeca showcases short and feature films from emerging talent and established filmmakers with distinct voices and bold new ideas. Films invited to participate in the 2025 Tribeca Festival will be shown in the section determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, in their sole discretion.
Eligible projects include feature films (runtime ≥ 40 minutes), short films (runtime < 40 minutes); including documentaries, narratives, animation, experimental films, and music videos.
Tribeca NOW:
Tribeca NOW is a platform that discovers, highlights, and celebrates independent episodic work, including short and long form pilots/series, of both narrative and documentary genres. Eligible projects include episodic projects created for broadcast television and/or streaming, and web series. Submitted projects must show the potential for serial growth; standalone short films will not be considered.
Additional to consideration as an Official Selection of TF25, filmmakers submitting to Tribeca NOW will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, private industry market held during TF25 that brings together emerging feature film, episodic, immersive, podcast, and games storytellers to pitch new projects to and network with a wide range of industry members, including distributors, producers, networks, funders, and more. Interested participants must have prepared pitch materials (i.e. scripts, look books, etc.) in advance of the event for Market staff to review. All filmmakers chosen as Official Selections of the Tribeca NOW section will receive an automatic invitation to the Tribeca Creators Market.
Eligible projects include
Long form episodics and short form episodics, inclusive of web series.
Tribeca Games (tribecafilm.com only):
Tribeca will feature video game projects throughout TF25 to highlight this important medium as a form of storytelling, art, and innovation. Story is defined in the broadest sense including narrative, world building, and/or artistic excellence. Cross-medium projects and unique use of technology that challenge our current understanding games is embraced. Submissions will be considered for the Tribeca Games section and, if selected, will be considered Official Selections and will be featured during TF25.
Project creators will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, private industry market that brings together leading online and immersive storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry members, including distributors, agencies, funders, and more.
Eligible projects include but are not limited to all U.S. and internationally produced games that are created for web, console, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mobile games. Tabletop games are not accepted at this time.
Tribeca Audio Storytelling (tribecafilm.com only):
Recognizing the importance of audio storytelling, the Festival will curate an Official Selection of podcasts and audio stories, with an emphasis on discovering, highlighting, and celebrating independent work. Projects selected for the 2025 Tribeca Festival will be reviewed by a diverse jury of storytellers. Each selection will receive Tribeca laurels and be eligible to win a Tribeca Festival Award for Audio Storytelling. Independent creators of official selections will have the opportunity to be part of a live event showcasing a sample of their work for our Tribeca audiences.
Independent creators will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, daylong, private industry market that brings together leading storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry decision-makers, including distributors, community groups, agencies, brands, and more.
Budgets and resources in the audio industry vary widely, and this year Tribeca will offer more opportunities for both established and independent creators by way of four separate categories: 1) Independent Fiction 2) Independent Nonfiction, 3) Fiction, and 4) Nonfiction.
In your submission form you will apply to one of these four categories. You will also be asked to provide a rough estimate of the production budget of the specific material submitted. We will contact you if we feel you are not in the appropriate category. We will take many factors into consideration on a case by case basis when determining that decision including but not limited to: genre, length, budget, production resources, and the level of marketing and distribution power behind your project. There will be a place for all projects!
Tribeca X Award:
Tribeca X is a program that celebrates the intersection of advertising and entertainment through a multi-day live event and juried competition. The Tribeca X Awards recognize excellence in storytelling supported by a brand. The Tribeca X Award is open to all work premiered after January 1, 2024, created with support of a brand in collaboration with artists, creators or filmmakers. The competition awards best-in-class projects in multiple categories as determined by a panel of industry jurors. Finalists will be recognized by the Festival, and a jury will award the winning selection at the Festival.
CATEGORIES & SPECIAL JURIED AWARDS
For the 2025 Tribeca X Awards, winners will be recognized in the following categories and special juried awards:
• Feature
• Short
• Episodic Series
• Games & Immersive
• Audio Storytelling
• Creator | Influencer Collaboration
• Commercial Spots
This year, Tribeca is continuing two special juried awards which will recognize projects across all Tribeca X categories:
Tribeca X Social Impact Award
Recognizing a project which best uses the unique power of storytelling to inspire change and shine a light on today’s most vital social issues.
Tribeca X Environmental Impact Award
Recognizing a project which best tackles today's most pressing environmental issues through the lens of storytelling
TRIBECA X-SPECIFIC CATEGORY DETAILS
Creator / Influencer Collaboration
This new category celebrates the collaboration between brands and creators that have helped creators turn their passions into careers, and brands to reach audiences through original storytelling.
Commercial Spots
Showcasing the best in the shortest form storytelling, these new categories will recognize craft and filmmaking achievement in short-form commercials.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
Eligible projects include but are not limited to all U.S and international scripted and unscripted, animation, documentary, and original work for film, TV, commercials, movie trailers, social media, digital video sharing platforms, podcasts, video games and XR projects, in varying lengths. Projects must have been produced in collaboration with or with support or funding by a brand. Projects must have a storytelling element.
Eligibility Details
Creator/Influencer Collaboration
o Celebrating storytelling by a brand through, alongside, or featuring an influential content creator(s). The storytelling could be short-form as in a single post or longer like a livestream or a series of related posts spanning many months (that fall within the eligibility period).
Tribeca Works in Progress:
Tribeca Creators Market features a highly curated selection of 40 creators pitching new feature, episodic and audio projects to an array of companies and influential industry leaders. A pillar of Tribeca’s commitment to supporting storytellers in all stages of their careers, the Creators Market puts a strong emphasis on diversity and forms of storytelling, providing industry with a group of fresh and provocative voices.
The Creators Market kicks off with a Works in Progress showcase, offering a group of 8-10 Creators Market storytellers whose projects are in post-production the opportunity to present a ‘sneak-peek’ of their forthcoming feature or episodic project to an audience of accredited industry professionals. Submitters to the Works in Progress event who are selected for the showcase will have the additional opportunity to participate in the Market’s two days of one-on-one meetings (in person and online) with industry representatives.
Eligible Projects include: A Feature Project (Fiction or Documentary) or Episodic Project (Fiction or Documentary), currently in the post-production stage
Other application requirements:
LOI (Letter of Intent / Interest) or one-sheet – describing the scope, vision & intent of the current Feature (fiction or documentary) or Episodic (fiction or documentary) project
- Must be 1 page long and include:
a logline, a brief synopsis, and a current / projected timeline of the team’s vision for the festival / exhibition circuit
Sample footage (no longer than 20 minutes long)
- Sample footage can include a trailer or sizzle reel, but all samples must include stand-alone scene selects to determine the viability of the projects for Works In Progress consideration
- Sample must be as representative as possible, of the final version of the feature film or episodic/series
Questions regarding submissions may be directed to entries@tribecafilm.com.
By Maura Nicolaita
Nov 30
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