FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC to Return to Forest Hills for 10th Anniversary Edition
The Queens-based festival will present over 100 independent films at Regal UA Midway, opening with JUDGE NO BOOK.
FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC is set to return to the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills, Queens for its 10th anniversary edition, running August 7 through 16. The festival is to open with the world premiere of Christopher Mormando's crime drama JUDGE NO BOOK and close with Kristina Klebe's dramatic thriller NOXTURNE. This year's programming places particular emphasis on first-time feature filmmakers, with more than 100 independent films across genres including comedy, drama, horror, documentary, animation, and episodic projects. Free film workshops and seminars are to be held throughout the week at the Queens Library in Forest Hills, and special $10 matinee screenings of past Audience Choice Award winners are planned for the first time in the festival's history. Forest Hills native and director Todd Strauss-Schulson is scheduled to attend a 15th anniversary screening of A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR CHRISTMAS, and the Film Underground program returns with ten short films to be seen for the first time by both audiences and festival staff at the screening.
This year the festival is putting a strong focus on 1st time feature filmmakers who are just launching their careers. Attendees can expect over 100 independent films, both feature length and short length, of all genres and topics including comedies, dramas, horror thrillers, documentaries, music videos, web & TV episodic projects, and animation films. In addition, the festival will once again be offering free film related workshops and seminars all week long at the Queens Library in Forest Hills, including a work in progress preview screening of the film JEWFACE written and directed by past festival winner and current Board Member Melissa Center.
The 10th Annual celebration is packed with special presentations. For the first time ever the festival is holding special $10 matinee screenings throughout the week from past Audience Choice Award winners followed by an in-depth Q&A with the filmmakers, while a presentation of past Audience Choice Short films will include live commentary by the filmmakers during their screening.
Festival of Cinema NYC Founder and Executive Director Jayson Simba said, 'This year's 10th Anniversary edition of FOC NYC strikes a balance between looking back at some of the film festival's most popular films from past editions, while platforming exciting new work by filmmakers at the beginning of their careers. I feel this year's programming truly spotlights the next generation of filmmakers. Along with our free seminars for those that are looking to raise their game, it all goes to the heart of what FOC NYC has been about over the past decade: highlighting why we love to come to the movie theater and celebrating the artistic accomplishments of our filmmakers who foster that connection between us.'
Opening Night
The world premiere of Christopher Mormando's crime drama JUDGE NO BOOK opens the film festival on Friday, August 7. In the film, a man struggles to protect his mother and daughter as his past resurfaces in deadly ways. When old ties come calling, he is forced to confront what he is willing to sacrifice for a different future. The screening will be preceded by the world premiere of Tarik Rashaan Davis and Laura K. Nicoll's short film, WE'RE NOT IN HARLEM ANYMORE.
Closing Night
Saturday, August 15 will feature the Closing Night presentation of Kristina Klebe's dramatic thriller NOXTURNE. The film follows a famed concert pianist who suffers a freak accident which causes a critical spinal injury. While struggling to heal, her boyfriend's star begins to shine. Desperately waiting to regain feeling in her legs, Mia's physical wounds begin to creep more than skin-deep as she questions whether the man she loved is slowly taking everything that once was hers. Drawing from Klebe's own recovery following a life-altering spinal injury, NOXTURNE blends psychological suspense with dreamlike surrealism, exploring themes of bodily vulnerability, control, desire, and identity through a distinctly female lens. The screening will be preceded by Jason Hyun Kim's short film, SELFLESS.
Special Presentation
This year's FOC NYC Special Presentation will feature Todd Strauss-Schulson's A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR CHRISTMAS (2011). The holiday sequel in the popular Harold And Kumar franchise begins when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand. However, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find a tree to replace it before anyone finds out. Strauss-Schulson will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A.
Audience Choice Retrospective Screenings
Celebrating the best of FOC NYC's first ten years, 4 winners of the Audience Choice feature films will be screened and followed by a Q&A with the cast and crews from those films. Those films include Charles Caracciolo's WE WERE ALL NOBODY'S (2019), Samuel Tressler IV's LEDA (2021), Casey Nelson and Marchelle Thurman's BLACK WHITE AND THE GREYS (2022), and Derek Shane Garcia's A/WAY (2024). 5 winners of past Audience Choice short film winners will screen with cast and crew delivering live commentary while the film plays, following a non-commentary screening. Those films include Bec Fordyce's THE KARENING (2021), Daniel Merino Villavicencio's SWEET PEA & GLASS (2022), Melissa Rodriguez's HELADO (2023), Priscilla Zanni's WRONG MOVE (2024), and Richie Ellis' LOOSE CHANGE (2025).
Documentaries
On the documentary front, Brett Buescher's DRIVEN BY ANGELS follows 62-year-old stuntman and dragboard pioneer Vaughn Shafer as he attempts to reclaim a world speed record 25 years after setting it for one final shot at history in this inspiring story of perseverance, friendship, and purpose. Francesco Saviano's ON THE LINE examines the world of New York City boxing and the long-shot nature of becoming a champion in one of the most unforgiving of all sports.
Short Film Programs
Festival of Cinema NYC has been known for its short film programs since its inception, and this year's slate of programs will feature the following themes: 'Romance and Coming of Age,' 'Midnight Madness Horror Shorts,' 'NYC Local Shorts,' 'Queens Local Shorts,' 'International short films,' 'Web & TV Serial Episodics,' and 'Animation/Experimental.'
Queens Library Events
Programming and events at the Queens Library in Forest Hills will include, in addition to the work-in-progress screening of Melissa Center's latest film JEWFACE, staged readings from the Top 10 entries to this year's script competition, panels and talks featuring 'Getting Your Film Off the Ground with Intrinsic Value Films,' 'A Town Hall on AI hosted by Marmalaide AI,' 'Casting Workshop with Bob Luke,' 'The Future of Film Distribution with Hayden Films,' a RiseFlix presentation, 'Pitching and Packaging Your Film presented by the Gotham Film & Media Institute,' and 'Reaching Audiences with VIMooz Cinema.'
Tickets
Tickets to Opening and Closing night are $35 and include entry and free drinks to a festival sponsored afterparty. Tickets to all other regular screenings are $20. Weekday Matinee screenings are $10. All library presentations are free to the general public.
The festival, founded and led by Executive Director Jayson Simba, has been held annually in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens since its launch a decade ago, positioning itself as a platform for emerging independent filmmakers in the New York area.
