Downtown Festival Accepting Submissions for Fall Festival!

The Downtown Festival is now accepting submissions for its film program, presenting World and New York premieres of narrative and documentary features and shorts, alongside rare and anniversary screenings, at Tribeca’s iconic Roxy Cinema New York. This year’s film program will run from October 10—18. Stay tuned for details on the music and special events programming.

For more information and submission details, please visit thedowntownfestival.com

THE DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL is a celebration of emerging and established independent artists across film, music, art, and culture in New York City. In the spirit of “downtown”, the programming reflects a distinctive convergence of creative disciplines. The Festival showcases up-and-coming talent alongside visionary icons through dynamic and exciting film screenings, music performances, panel discussions, and special events. Taking place across various venues in Lower Manhattan, The Downtown Festival is a melting pot of ideas, inspiration, and collaboration. Attendees are invited to experience a diverse array of voices and unique perspectives on the forefront of artistic expression.

Last year’s debut festival featured three weeks of sold-out screenings at Roxy Cinema New York, live performances, and immersive events, across a wide variety of both established institutions and off-the-beaten-path DIY venues. The festival brought a vibrant mix to the cinema with the New York premiere of ’70s-style NYC comedy romp Messy by Alexi Wasser (including a hilarious Q&A moderated by Chloë Sevigny), the New York premiere of Pet Shop Days by Olmo Schnabel (executive produced by Martin Scorsese), the world premiere of a walk-and-talk rom-com starring Kareem Rahma and Mary Neely with a Q&A moderated by Jeremy O. Harris, a unique selection of rare archival films from The Film-Makers’ Co-Op presented by Stephanie LaCava, Daniel Arnold and Alex Ross Perry, Alonso Ruizpalacios’ supercharged NYC restaurant drama La Cocina, Sam’s World by Lily Lady, sci-fi drama WWW.RACHELORMONT.COM by Peter Vack, the New York premiere of Light Falls by well-known cinematographer/director Phedon Papamichael (Q&A moderated by Beach Fossils), and more. Attendees included Abel Ferrara, Laurie Anderson, F. Murray Abraham, Sean Price Williams, Rowan Blanchard, to name a few. The Downtown Festival’s music weekend kicked off in a historic Lower East Side vaudeville theater, where Liam Benzvi, Quiet Luke, Scarlet Rae, Pleasure Systems, and Jordan Raf lit up the stage. The energy carried into a Chinatown loft, where the festival—partnering with The Hancock—hosted a raw, electric rock show featuring Malice K, Arsun Sorrenti, voyeur, Amiture, and Headless.

PAPER Magazine called The Downtown Festival “a fever-dream of artistic celebration,” that has “quickly positioned itself as a pivotal player in the resurgence of New York’s indie arts culture, with everyone from emerging talents to industry veterans buzzing about its future.” The FADER heralded it as “the who’s who of the city,” praising how “none are doing it quite like the newest kid on the block.”

The Downtown Festival was founded by filmmaker Rebekah Sherman-Myntti, a driving force and stalwart supporter of New York’s creative communities. Through her production company, Simone Films, Sherman-Myntti provides a platform for new voices and emerging talent across film and music. Her directing as well as her producing work with New York artists and filmmakers highlights her commitment to uplifting new voices and uniting artists across disciplines.

Building on the momentum of its acclaimed inaugural edition, the second year of The Downtown Festival will offer an expanded program of screenings, live performances, and special events—promising an unforgettable celebration of independent film, music, art and culture. Stay tuned for official selection and programming announcements.