Film Festival of the Day: Winter Film Awards

Winter Film Awards has long been a welcome fixture on the indie calendar, and the organization keeps the focus squarely on discovery and access for new voices. The volunteer-run, women- and minority-owned 501(c)3 nonprofit continues its mission to celebrate a broad range of cinema while giving emerging filmmakers meaningful exposure and industry contacts.

New York City’s Winter Film Awards (WFA) is a volunteer-run and -operated celebration of the diversity of local and international filmmaking. Their mission is to recognize excellence in cinema and promote learning and artistic expression for people at all stages of their artistic careers with a focus on nurturing emerging filmmakers, helping them gain recognition & contacts to break into this difficult industry.

The festival remains an IMDb-qualifying event that screens work of every genre, length, and format at a central Manhattan venue. Its programming model stays consistent: bias-free review, a wide mix of narratives, documentaries, shorts, animation, music videos, horror, and web series, and deliberate attention to first-time and student filmmakers.

Recent Festival Highlights and Scale

The 2026 edition screened 103 films from 27 countries, a noticeable step up from the 87 films from 20 countries shown in 2025. Both years kept the festival’s signature mix of student work and first-time filmmaker projects in the lineup. The steady international reach and consistent inclusion of emerging creators show how the event has grown without shifting its core priorities.

2026 Festival Schedule and Venues

The 14th annual Winter Film Festival runs February 18-22 2026 at Regal Union Square. The five-day program features daily screenings and Q&As, six dedicated workshop sessions, networking events, and a closing red-carpet awards gala on February 22. The streamlined schedule keeps the focus on screenings and direct filmmaker-audience interaction while still delivering the professional development and social components that have long defined the festival.

Ongoing Commitment to Diversity and Emerging Talent

Half the films selected for 2026 were created by women, with 20 student films and 34 first-time filmmaker projects included in the program. The organization continues its long-standing practice of bias-free review and active outreach to underrepresented voices, a commitment that has remained constant from its earliest editions through the most recent cycle.

Submission Opportunities for 2026

Submissions opened in June 2025, with an early-bird deadline of October 17 2025 and a regular deadline of November 14 2025. The call remains open to all genres, lengths, and experience levels, giving new and returning filmmakers a clear window to get their work in front of programmers and audiences.

Here’s what people are saying about the festival:

“An exquisite selection of films, lovingly composed, very well organized with excellent web presence, communication & networking -thank you @Winter Film Awards for a wonderful experience !!” —Bettina d’Mello “One of the best film festivals I’ve been a part of. The parties were awesome, the screenings were well attended. They also did an excellent job with social media. And my film looked and sounded great!! Their swag bag was full of cool stuff. I will definitely continue to apply in the future!” —Stacey Larkins “Wonderful festival with a lot of opportunities to network, learn and watch wonderful films, friendly staff and well organized.” —Vivian Rivas “Great venues! And the atmosphere of the parties and awards presentations was top-notch. All of the folks on the team at the festival treated filmmakers with love and respect. We really felt special! And they work extremely hard to promote the selected films and help you build an audience. Overall Winter Film Awards is a great NYC festival that offers amazing exposure for your film.” —Joshua Wick “Our film screened in 7 festivals in 2015/2016 and this festival was by far the best festival we attended when taking in the quality of the venue, the caliber of the films and the attention to the filmmakers with opportunities for networking. “This is a real festival with a real intention to showcase emerging talent and pay homage to independent film – Bravo Winter Film Awards Team – I hope we have the chance to attend again with our upcoming feature!” —Kylie Garcelon — Submissions are now open and close on November 15th, 2019. The events will be happening between Feb 20 – 29, 2020. Enter your newest project now. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The Winter Film Awards continues to balance growth with the same steady focus on access, variety, and support for new filmmakers that has defined it from the start. For anyone tracking the indie circuit, the festival remains a reliable stop for discovery and connection in the heart of New York.