Empire State Film Festival

New York is one of the pioneering states of American cinema. From Edison Studios in Manhattan and the Bronx to Wharton Studios in Ithaca, Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester to the Vitascope Theater in Buffalo, New York State has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone of cinematic achievements. Empire State Film Festival celebrates new works created by filmmakers in The Empire State.

Empire State Film Festival celebrates New York’s finest contemporary narrative films, live action and animated, from today's independent filmmakers. Official Selections screen at the acclaimed Cinemapolis theater in downtown Ithaca, one of our state's most artistic and fun cities. Only films produced in NYS are eligible for consideration.

Founding festival director Gregory Lamberson has run Amazing Fantasy Fest in Buffalo for 16 years, and festival organizer Tamar Lamberson and their daughter Kaelin Lamberson have run Valkyrie International Film Festival, showcasing films directed by women, for five. They are committed to celebrating independent cinema, and with this festival, films created in their home state.

Empire State Film Festival screen New York’s finest films: Micro Shorts (under 7 mins), Shorts ( 7 - 39 mins) and Features (40+ minutes) of all genres: Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction and Thrillers. Ithaca is a college town, and we will not shy away from edgy fare! We love Experimental Films and will consider them but recommend filmmakers first consider submitting to Ithaca Experimental Film Festival, also held at Cinemapolis.

Our goal is to showcase the best films made in NYS to Ithacans; to attract filmmakers from across the state to Ithaca; and to provide networking opportunities for all attending filmmakers, including students from Ithaca College and Cornell University. We intend to grow this event into a destination festival. Buses run hourly from New York City.

Awards

Film is art, not a competition, but celebrating film also means recognizing superior work. We plan to present an assortment of plaques an certificates for the following awards:

New York's Finest

Outstanding Feature

Outstanding Feature Director

Outstanding Feature Screenwriter

Outstanding Short

Outstanding Short Director (Short or Micro Short)

Outstanding Short Screenwriter (Short or Micro Short)

Outstanding Micro Short

Outstanding Student Film

Outstanding Ithaca Student Film

Outstanding Ithaca Film (any length)

Outstanding Animated Film (any length)

Outstanding Horror Film (any length)

ESFF reserves the right to combine or alter awards as its discretion.

We will consider any NYS film completed after June 1, 2025, so long as it is not available commercially or for free online. We do not require premieres, which is why we decided to run late in the year: hold your premiere at a more established festival if you wish, then submit to ESFF. We really do want the best films produced in our state, and don’t want premiere status to prevent filmmakers from submitting to us.

It is not necessary to attend ESFF in person, but we hope you’ll consider doing so. We want to organize a gathering of statewide talent for a fun and inspiring weekend of independent cinema, to celebrate New York’s rich tapestry of diverse filmmakers, and to show you what a great city Ithaca is.

RULES:

1. We do not pay screening fees.

2. Only films produced in New York State will be considered.

3. Only films completed after June 1st, 2025 are eligible.

4. All submissions must be made through FilmFreeway.

5. Absolutely no waivers.

6. If selected, we require a high-quality MP4 file, which Cinemapolis will convert to DCP. The theater will accept DCP files, but request a backup MP4 file. All files will be uploaded to a link provided by Cinemapolis; Empire State Film Festival is happily removed from this process! Please do not email the festival or theater a folder with various assets; you must upload your file yourself.

7. Each accepted Micro Short, Short or Feature Film will receive two free festival passes.

8. By submitting your work to Empire State Film Festival for consideration, you grant us permission to screen it during our 2027 festival.

9. You grant us the right to excerpt your film or trailer for promotional purposes. We really need key art and trailers to promote films. Key art should be a standard, vertical rectangle just like any movie poster, and not a square or horizontal image.

10. All films must be in English, or subtitled in English, with the subtitles burned in.

11. To qualify for either of our student film categories, the director of the film must be a student at the time of submission.

12. No refunds. If you decide to withdraw for any reason, the cost is on you.

13. Award recipients who wish to have their plaques mailed to them must pay $15 to cover the cost of shipping.