About | The NYU Sports Film Festival (NYUSFF) was created to showcase and celebrate the powerful intersection of sports and film. The festival is student-run and co-produced by the NYU Production Lab, NYU Athletics, and the NYU Tisch Institute of Global Sport, with support from NYU Tisch Undergraduate Film and Television and SNY.

“From Raging Bull to He Got Game to The Rider, NYU filmmakers have brought powerful sports stories to the screen. The NYU Sports Film Festival celebrates that great tradition.” – John Tintori, director, screenwriter, and Oscar-winning film editor

4th Annual Festival | The 4th Annual NYUSFF will take place April 26-27, 2024! Events will include screenings of selected short films, honoree Q&As, sports media industry panels, a pitch contest, a networking reception, and an awards ceremony. More details TBA.

History | NYUSFF began virtually in 2021, partnering with SportsNet New York (SNY) on a television special.

In 2022, the 2nd Annual Special was broadcast multiple times, featuring award-winning films and event highlights from the festival. Creators of the Religion of Sports Final Four were awarded with cash prizes and an additional screening at the Catalyst Content Festival. The festival featured speakers from executives at HBOSports, NFLFilms, ESPN, and Religion of Sports, as well as acclaimed guests such as Billy Crudup (Actor: The Morning Show, Almost Famous, Without Limits), Reinaldo Marcus Green (Director: 6x Academy Award nominated film King Richard, Monsters and Men), and Spencer Paysinger (inspiration for the hit show All American).

In 2023, the 3rd Annual Festival featured 12 official selections from around the world screened at the Village East by Angelika, where honoree Q&As were held with Laurie Hernandez (Olympic medal-winning gymnast) and Jeremiah Zagar (Director: Hustle, We the Animals). The events also included speaker panels featuring WME Agents Carlos Fleming and Benjamin Simone, as well as award-winning producers Carolyn Hepburn, George Veras, and Andrew Mayz. After the convention of the jury, which included representatives from media companies such as Point Road Productions and Cinetic Media, the festival also hosted a networking reception and awards ceremony. The 3rd Annual SNY Special featured four award-winning films, festival event highlights, and director interviews. The show broadcast eight times over August and September of 2023, and four official selections re-screened at the Catalyst Content Festival and Lake Placid Film Festival.

Awards & Prizes

The 2024 NYUSFF prizes include screenings, $2k+ in monetary awards, professional mentorship, and TV broadcast opportunities.

| NYUSFF Grand Jury Prize |
Our jury of industry professionals will select one film that best embodies the spirit of the festival.

| NYUSFF Audience Award |
The audience award will be voted on live by all NYUSFF attendees.

| SNY Final Four |
Four films selected by our jury will broadcast on an SNY television special.

There will also be awards for each category, including NYU and Open Doc as well as NYU and Open Narrative. Our new Action Sports category in partnership with Red Bull and our NYU Pitch Contest category will also feature exclusive prizes offered by our partners.

Rules & Terms

Submission Guidelines:
1) All films submitted into NYU-designated categories must be created and entered by NYU students or alumni. In contrast, anyone, regardless of age or background, is eligible to enter into the Open (non-NYU) categories.
2) Only short films (defined as under 30 minutes) will be considered for our screening and awards.
3) Sport must be a central aspect of the film. (What qualifies as sports? Just about anything. Really. Whatever you think it means, we’re 99.9% sure we agree.)
4) All projects must have been completed within the past few years (submissions from before 2020 will not be eligible).
5) Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway along with a link to an accessible version of the video, and additional information and materials must be provided as requested to remain in consideration for the screenings and awards.
6) Projects submitted to the festival in previous years are NOT eligible.

Terms of Submission:
All entrants must be authorized (have the legal right) to submit the film to the NYU Sports Film Festival. All visual and audio content of the film must be owned or licensed by the entrant for the film to remain in consideration for inclusion in the SNY television special. Through submitting your film, you agree to grant NYUSFF the rights to present the film at the festival and in related media, including our website, Instagram, and broadcasts of the television special. Related inquiries can be sent to nyusportsfilmfestival@nyu.edu.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Robert Daniel Martin

    Good people. Well organized. Quality films.

    May 2023
    Helpful
  • Safiya Songhai

    This festival is incredibly well organized and has tremendous reach in the national Sports Film industry. The guest speakers, the agents, the industry professionals bring you into the heart of sports production.

    The films are stunning, well crafted, innovative projects that are inspiring to behold.

    The entire team of organizers are ready to make all filmmakers feel appreciate and celebrated.

    Wonderful experience.

    May 2023
    Helpful