2025 Festival Submissions Overview

Two ways to submit - your choice! Submit directly to us via the Tribeca Festival Extranet; or submit via FilmFreeway. Tribeca Games and Audio Storytelling are only available through the Tribeca Extranet.

Deadlines & Entry Fees

All fees are in USD. We will inform submitters of their status mid-April 2024. If you are interested in submitting after submissions for a category have closed, please email us at entries@tribecafilm.com

  Tribeca X Feature Films
(film length ≥ 40 minutes)
Short Films
(film length < 40 minutes)
Tribeca NOW Tribeca Games Audio Storytelling
Open

Sept 26, 2024
11am ET

Sept 26, 2024
11am ET

Sept 26, 2024
11am ET

Sept 26, 2024
11am ET

Sept 26, 2024
11am ET

Oct 16, 2024
11am ET

Early Deadline

Nov 12, 2024
6pm ET

$425

Oct 23, 2024
6pm ET

$65

Oct 30, 2024
6pm ET

$50

Oct 23, 2024
6pm ET

$40

Nov 26, 2024
6pm ET

$40

Dec 4, 2024
6pm ET

$20

Official Deadline

Jan 14, 2025
6pm ET

$525

Dec 4, 2024
6pm ET

$85

Dec 18, 2024
6pm ET

$60**

Dec 4, 2024
6pm ET

$60

Jan 15, 2025
6pm ET

$60

Jan 15, 2025
6pm ET

$30

Extended Deadline

Feb 25, 2025
6pm ET

$575

Jan 15, 2025
6pm ET

$110*

Feb 5, 2025
6pm EST

$75**

Jan 15, 2025
6pm ET

$80

Feb 12, 2025
6pm ET

$80

Feb 12, 2025
6pm ET

$40

*The feature film Extended Deadline is only open for World Premiere submissions or films that have not premiered at the time of submission.

** Music videos have a fixed submission fee of $50 for the official and extended deadlines, and should submit under the shorts category.

  Works in Progress
Submissions Open

Feb 3, 2025
11am ET

Official Deadline

March 3, 2025
6pm ET

$50

Submission Categories

Feature and Short Films

Tribeca showcases short and feature films from emerging talent and established filmmakers with distinct voices and bold new ideas. Films invited to participate in the 2025 Tribeca Festival will be shown in the section determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, in their sole discretion.

Eligible projects include feature films (runtime > 40 minutes), short films (runtime < 40 minutes); including documentaries, narratives, animation, experimental films, and music videos.

Tribeca NOW

Tribeca NOW is a platform that discovers, highlights, and celebrates independent episodic work, including short and long form pilots/series, of both narrative and documentary genres. Eligible projects include episodic projects created for broadcast television and/or streaming, and web series. Submitted projects must show the potential for serial growth; standalone short films will not be considered.

Additional to consideration as an Official Selection of TF25, filmmakers submitting to Tribeca NOW will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, private industry market held during TF25 that brings together emerging feature film, episodic, immersive, audio, and games storytellers to pitch new projects to and network with a wide range of industry members, including distributors, producers, networks, funders, and more. Interested participants must have prepared pitch materials (i.e. scripts, look books, etc.) in advance of the event for Market staff to review. All filmmakers chosen as Official Selections of the Tribeca NOW section will receive an automatic invitation to the Tribeca Creators Market.

Eligible projects include long form episodics and short form episodics, inclusive of web series.

Tribeca Games

Tribeca will feature video game projects throughout TF25 to highlight this important medium as a form of storytelling, art, and innovation. Story is defined in the broadest sense including narrative, world building, and/or artistic excellence. Cross-medium projects and unique use of technology that challenge our current understanding of games is embraced. Submissions will be considered for the Tribeca Games section and, if selected, will be considered Official Selections and will be featured during TF25.

Project creators will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, private industry market that brings together leading online and immersive storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry members, including distributors, agencies, funders, and more.

Eligible projects include but are not limited to all U.S. and internationally produced games that are created for web, console, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mobile games. Tabletop games are not accepted at this time.

Audio Storytelling

Recognizing the importance of audio storytelling, the Festival will curate an Official Selection of podcasts and audio stories, with an emphasis on discovering, highlighting, and celebrating independent work. Projects selected for the 2025 Tribeca Festival will be reviewed by a diverse jury of storytellers. Each selection will receive Tribeca laurels and be eligible to win a Tribeca Festival Award for Audio Storytelling. Independent creators of official selections will have the opportunity to be part of a live event showcasing a sample of their work for our Tribeca audiences.

Independent creators will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, daylong, private industry market that brings together leading storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry decision-makers, including distributors, community groups, agencies, brands, and more.

Budgets and resources in the audio industry vary widely, and this year Tribeca will offer more opportunities for both established and independent creators by way of four separate categories: 1) Independent Fiction 2) Independent Nonfiction, 3) Fiction, and 4) Nonfiction.

In your submission form you will apply to one of these four categories. You will also be asked to provide a rough estimate of the production budget of the specific material submitted. We will contact you if we feel you are not in the appropriate category. We will take many factors into consideration on a case by case basis when determining that decision including but not limited to: genre, length, budget, production resources, and the level of marketing and distribution power behind your project. There will be a place for all projects!

Eligible Audio Projects

Independent Creator Competition:
In the past, projects from independent creators (1 & 2) cannot have been made publicly available prior to the start of the Festival. This year, independent projects can be made publicly available anytime between May 10th and July 30th, 2025. Works-in-progress are eligible for submission. Projects must still be submitted by the Extended Deadline.

There is no limit to the number that any one creator or creative team can submit. If you have questions about submission fees please contact us at audiopremeires@tribecafilm.com. For information on year-round Tribeca opportunities, follow us @TribecaAudio.

Each category will accept the following:

  • The first episode of any narrative-driven podcast (6 minutes - 60 minutes in length)
  • One stand-alone audio piece (6 minutes - 75 minutes in length)
  • The first chapter of an audiobook (6 minutes - 30 minutes in length)

Other Requirements:

  • English-language only
  • Only one (1) episode per series may be submitted
  • You may submit the first episode of a new season of a podcast
    • However, judging will be based solely on the material submitted

Established Creators Competition
Projects from established creators (3 & 4) cannot have been made publicly available prior to the Tribeca Festival. Official Selections are not necessarily guaranteed a live event at the Tribeca Festival. (Live event information below). Projects must still be submitted by the Extended Deadline. There is no limit to the number that any one creator or creative team can submit.

Each category will accept the following:

  • The first episode of any narrative-driven podcast (6 minutes - 60 minutes in length)
  • One stand-alone audio piece (6 minutes - 75 minutes in length)
  • The first chapter of an audiobook (6 minutes - 30 minutes in length)

Other Requirements:

  • English-language only
  • Only 1 episode per series may be submitted
  • You may submit the first episode of a new season of a podcast
    • However, judging will be based solely on the material submitted

Live Tribeca Audio Events

The Tribeca Festival’s live events foster community in the audio space and honor contributions to the world of audio storytelling. Apart from our Emerging Audio Artists Panel which celebrates independent Official Selection creators, the Tribeca Festival’s live events are by invitation only.

For further inquiries, contact audiopremieres@tribecafilm.com and we will get back to you as soon as we are able.

Tribeca X Award

Tribeca X is a program that celebrates the intersection of advertising and entertainment through a multi-day live event and juried competition. The Tribeca X Awards recognize excellence in storytelling supported by a brand. The Tribeca X Award is open to all work premiered after January 1, 2024, created with support of a brand in collaboration with artists, creators or filmmakers. The competition awards best-in-class projects in multiple categories as determined by a panel of industry jurors. Finalists will be recognized by the Festival, and a jury will award the winning selection at the Festival.

Categories & Special Juried Awards
For the 2025 Tribeca X Awards, winners will be recognized in the following categories and special juried awards:

  • Feature
  • Short
  • Episodic Series
  • Games & Immersive
  • Audio Storytelling
  • Creator | Influencer Collaboration
  • Movie or Series Trailer
  • Commercial Spots

This year, Tribeca is continuing two special juried awards which will recognize projects across all Tribeca X categories:

Tribeca X Social Impact Award
Recognizing a project which best uses the unique power of storytelling to inspire change and shine a light on today’s most vital social issues.

Tribeca X Environmental Impact Award
Recognizing a project which best tackles today's most pressing environmental issues through the lens of storytelling.

Tribeca X - Specific Category Detials

Creator / Influencer Collaboration
This new category celebrates the collaboration between brands and creators that have helped creators turn their passions into careers, and brands to reach audiences through original storytelling.

Commercial Spots
Showcasing the best in the shortest form storytelling, these new categories will recognize craft and filmmaking achievement in short-form commercials.

Eligible Projects
Eligible projects include but are not limited to all U.S and international scripted and unscripted, animation, documentary, and original work for film, TV, commercials, movie trailers, social media, digital video sharing platforms, podcasts, video games and XR projects, in varying lengths. Projects must have been produced in collaboration with or with support or funding by a brand. Projects must have a storytelling element.

Eligibility Details

  • Creator/Influencer Collaboration
    • Celebrating storytelling by a brand through, alongside, or featuring an influential content creator(s). The storytelling could be short-form as in a single post or longer like a livestream or a series of related posts spanning many months (that fall within the eligibility period).

Works in Progress

Tribeca Creators Market features a highly curated selection of 40 creators pitching new feature, episodic and audio projects to an array of companies and influential industry leaders. A pillar of Tribeca’s commitment to supporting storytellers in all stages of their careers, the Creators Market puts a strong emphasis on diversity and forms of storytelling, providing industry with a group of fresh and provocative voices.

The Creators Market kicks off with a Works in Progress showcase, offering a group of 8-10 Creators Market storytellers whose projects are in post-production the opportunity to present a ‘sneak-peek’ of their forthcoming feature or episodic project to an audience of accredited industry professionals. Submitters to the Works in Progress event who are selected for the showcase will have the additional opportunity to participate in the Market’s two days of one-on-one meetings (in person and online) with industry representatives.

Eligible Projects include: A Feature Project (Fiction or Documentary) or Episodic Project (Fiction or Documentary), currently in the post-production stage

Other application requirements:

  • LOI (Letter of Intent / Interest) or one-sheet – describing the scope, vision & intent of the current Feature (fiction or documentary) or Episodic (fiction or documentary) project
    • Must be 1 page long and include: a logline, a brief synopsis, and a current / projected timeline of the team’s vision for the festival / exhibition circuit.
  • Sample footage (no longer than 20 minutes long)
    • Sample footage can include a trailer or sizzle reel, but all samples must include stand-alone scene selects to determine the viability of the projects for Works In Progress consideration
    • Sample must be as representative as possible, of the final version of the feature film or episodic/series

Questions regarding submissions may be directed to entries@tribecafilm.com