BELOW THE LINE FILM FESTIVAL to Return to Manhattan with Cash Prizes

Chill Bucket Productions has announced the official film selections, jury awards, and ticket availability for the 5th Annual Below the Line Film Festival, returning to Manhattan on October 2–3, 2026. Screenings will take place live at 7:30 PM EST at the Episcopal Actors Guild Hall (1 E 29th St, New York, NY), accompanied by an extended Global Digital Streaming window running October 2–11, 2026.

For five years, the Below the Line Film Festival has championed the entire filmmaking ecosystem. While conventional festivals keep the spotlight strictly on above-the-line talent, Below the Line intentionally honors both leading storytellers and the vital technical craftspeople—cinematographers, gaffers, editors, sound mixers, set decorators, and crew members—who bring cinematic visions to life.

Cash Prizes & Competition Awards

With opening night just two weeks away, festival organizers have announced this year's major prizes, designed to directly support independent cinema:

$300 Judges Award: Bestowed upon the festival's overall highest-rated film, evaluated across technical mastery and storytelling by an esteemed panel of industry judges.

$200 Iannelli Jewelers Audience Choice Award: Sponsored by premier fine jeweler Iannelli Jewelers, this cash award invites both in-person attendees and global virtual viewers to cast their ballots for the fan-favorite film of each screening night.

Genre Category Awards: Distinct honors recognizing outstanding achievement across narrative categories with critical-mass representation, including Drama, Comedy, Horror/Thriller, Documentary, Dance, and Student showcases.

The Official Season 5 Lineup

This year's program bridges veteran independent creators, collegiate breakthroughs, high-school prodigies, and international voices:

Eleven:Eleven (USA | Drama) — Dir. Katherine Mary Jane Quinn. Center stage on a young waitress navigating fleeting human connections, vulnerability, and early adulthood.

He's Not Alone (USA | LGBTQIA) — WORLD PREMIERE — Dir. Andrew Glener. A haunting psychological queer drama exploring the fractured line between grief, memory, and love.

Killer Instincts (USA | Thriller / Dark Comedy) — PREMIERE — Dir. Julie McDonald. An awkward teenage horror fan sets out to become a serial killer, only to discover his intended victims are far deadlier than he is.

The Company We Keep (USA | Horror) — PREMIERE — Dir. Jason T. Silva. A solitary college student faces terrifying, hallucinatory confrontations with his deepest fears of abandonment.

Tarik (Serbia | Drama) — Dir. Adem Tutić. Following expulsion from school, a resilient youth must navigate estrangement and familial reconciliation in Novi Pazar.

Mammon (USA | Dance) — Dir. Lucas Ruderman. A visceral, choreography-driven morality tale on power and corporate greed inspired by Charlie Chaplin's iconic address in The Great Dictator.

Stall Buddies (USA | Comedy) — Dir. Glenn McBride Jr. An unconventional, hilarious camaraderie blooms between two corporate professionals across adjacent restroom stalls.

The Bag (USA | Comedy / Satire) — Dir. Robert M. Snyder. A dark, environmental satire documenting one man's battle against an apocalypse driven by runaway plastic bags.

Still Here (USA | Drama) — Dir. Talya Dayan. A nuanced, atmospheric study of domestic routine unraveling as quiet fractures emerge within a marriage.

The Kendama Club (USA) — Dir. Kassia Fundoukos. Reeling from heartbreak, a sharp-edged college freshman finds community and catharsis through a campus kendama circle.

More Than Life Itself (USA) — Dir. J.J. Vogt. Impending graduation celebrations take an unexpected turn when a personal crisis erupts back home.

Gold Hearts (USA | Comedy) — Dir. Ryan Gross. An ambitious film student screens his dramatic magnum opus, hilariously unaware the audience is treating it as a riotous comedy.

St. Vincent Health Sciences Center (USA | Documentary) — Dir. Elijah Croom. An investigative look inside the origins, neighborhood impact, and educational frontier of a cutting-edge $106-million academic facility.

Development Hell II (USA) — Dir. Roman Espinosa. A sharp meta-commentary following an artist suffocating beneath commercial red tape.

Xavier Monster (USA) — Dir. Sebastian Gomez. High school rebels form an underground alliance in the wake of an authoritarian campus energy drink ban.

Ticketing & Global Streaming Access

Passes are on sale now via FilmFreeway with options tailored for local theatergoers, industry teams, and international viewers:

VIP Festival Pass $45 — Full admission to both Oct 2 & Oct 3 live screenings, reserved front-row seating, and official Season 5 gift bag

Individual Screening Ticket $27 — Single-night admission for either Friday, October 2 or Saturday, October 3

'Bring Your Crew' Pass $105 — Group admission for five attendees ($30 total savings for production teams)

Global Streaming Pass $35 — Full on-demand access worldwide from October 2 through October 11, 2026

Sponsor a Filmmaker $35 — Direct community funding initiative covering entry fee waivers for emerging and underrepresented talent

To reserve tickets, purchase streaming access, or learn more about the 5th Annual Below the Line Film Festival, visit FilmFreeway.

About Below the Line Film Festival

Produced by Chill Bucket Productions, the Below the Line Film Festival is an annual international celebration of short-form cinema based in New York City. Committed to equity across all production disciplines, the festival honors both on-screen visionaries and the behind-the-scenes artisans whose technical brilliance shapes the visual language of film.