A Brooklyn festival will screen your AI-assisted short film at The Tiger Room if it works as a film first
NYC Indie Cinema and AI 2027 takes independent shorts of 40 minutes or under, with seven award categories and a live Brooklyn screening. Submissions close 2 June 2027.
Most festivals that mention AI in their name end up judging the software. This one says it will not. NYC Indie Cinema and AI, a Brooklyn festival for independent filmmakers, describes its judging as "films first and tech demos never", which is a useful signal if your short film leans on generative tools but stands or falls on its story.
The brief is broad on method and narrow on funding. AI has to have done real work somewhere in the making of the film, but the festival allows any tool and any genre. What it does not allow is studio money. Entries must be independent, run to 40 minutes or under, and carry English subtitles if the dialogue is in another language. Submissions opened on 25 September 2026, and the festival itself takes place on 16 June 2027 in Brooklyn.
The official contest page is a listing maintained by AI Film Contests, a tracker that says it checks organisers' pages daily. The page was last verified on 3 October 2026. Entries go through FilmFreeway, so confirm the final details on the festival's own FilmFreeway page before you pay or upload anything.
What you submit
A finished short film in any genre, running 40 minutes or under. The film must be independently financed, meaning no studio backing. AI can be used anywhere in production: writing, previsualisation, image or video generation, sound, editing or finishing. The listing does not restrict which tools you use.
If your film is not in English, include English subtitles. The listing gives no other technical specifications, such as file format or resolution, so check the FilmFreeway page for those requirements.
The listing categorises the contest as short film. It does not mention feature-length work, and the 40-minute cap rules those out.
Prize structure
The prize is laurels and a live screening at The Tiger Room in Brooklyn. No cash, credits or funding is listed. The festival awards seven categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Use of AI, Best Visual Craft, Best Editing and Audience Choice.
The listing does not explain whether winners and screened films are the same group, or how films are selected for the programme. Treat the screening as the main reward and the laurels as festival credit for your film's profile.
The Best Use of AI category sits alongside the craft awards, which fits the festival's stated aim of judging the film itself. A film can compete on direction, screenplay or editing without being entered as a technology showcase.
Terms worth reading
The entry fee is not stated on the listing. It points to FilmFreeway for pricing, so assume entry may cost money until you see the fee schedule there. FilmFreeway fees often change by submission window, so check the current tier before you commit.
The listing says nothing about rights, licences or how your film may be used beyond the screening. Read the festival's terms on FilmFreeway before submitting, particularly any clauses on public screening, promotion or the use of clips.
The tracker's deadline of 2 June 2027 is the date the page gives. No cutoff time or timezone is published, so submit with a day in hand rather than aiming for the final evening.
Submissions are open now and close on 2 June 2027. Enter through the FilmFreeway page.