I AM A BIG BALL OF SADNESS
CHRIS TYLER, CHASE VOORHEES
“We were honored to participate in this gem of a festival.
We appreciate the work you do to highlight unique and powerful films.”
– CYNTHIA WHITE, FILMMAKER
ILLUMINATING THEATRE ARTISTS WITH FILM
The NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival presents work from independent theatre artists defying labels and branching out into film, TV, and digital media. Each year we screen narratives, documentaries, shorts, features, films with dance, experimental films, webisodes, and everything in-between.
OUR STORY
We started in 2017 as a program of New Ohio Theatre, the legendary downtown theatre supporting bold work by adventurous theatre artists. We saw our artists branching out into films and web series, and we imagined a forum where they could gather as a community and where audiences could find their work. Thus, the NYCITFF was born.
Since then we have screened the work of hundreds of theatre artists all over the world who are making funny, thoughtful, scary, moving, and outrageous films. We also host insightful panels on the state of the industry, as well as workshops and networking events.
Sadly, the New Ohio closed for good in 2023, after 30 years as a pillar of the downtown NYC theatre scene. Fortunately, the NYCITFF split off as an independent organization, and we are ecstatic that we have a new home and a new life in 2024!
IN BETWEEN ANABELLA LENZU
“It was an inspiring experience all around, with sold out audiences, and the festival got us some lovely press!”
– KAROLINE XU, FILMMAKER
WHY
?
CREATORS
Why screen with us? We want you to – literally – feel seen at our festival. Seen by a community of fellow artists solving similar problems, trying new ideas, and new ways of story-telling. And, of course, seen on a big screen, with great audio, in front of a curious and enthusiastic audience.
If you'd like to submit to NYCITFF, please visit us on FilmFreeway.
AUDIENCES
Above all, you come to us to see really good films. But maybe you're the kind of audience that likes to be in the know and wants to uncover something funky. To discover something illuminating and special – a hidden gem. Or maybe you want to see what your favorite theatre artist is doing in another format. Artists in our past festivals have gone on to have bright futures in TV and film – and Broadway.
BILLIARDS NILE PRICE, BRYANT STAFF JR.
“We had such an amazing time playing our feature film at the NYCITFF. Marc and Allyson were awesome and the Q+A was top notch.”
– TWISTED BAG FILMS
WHO'S RUNNING THIS FESTIVAL?
MARC STUART WEITZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & PROGRAMMER
Marc served as Producing Director for the award-winning New Ohio Theatre for 9 years, where he founded the NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival. In addition to leading day-to-day operations, at the New Ohio he expanded programming to serve more artists and create more opportunities to develop new work. Marc is also an independent producer and director of theatre, including plays by Paula Vogel, Deb Margolin, Moby Pomerance, and his own original work. With his partner Constance Zaytoun, he is the creator of Constance Cooks, a culinary comedy web series.
ALLYSON MORGAN PRODUCER & PROGRAMMER
Allyson Morgan is a writer, producer, performer, and the founder and Executive Director of the award-winning film and theatre collective F*It Club. Additionally, she has worked with film festivals all over the country, including Brooklyn Film Festival, DCEFF, DOC NYC, Hamptons International Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, and SFFILM, as well as Indie Street Film Festival, where she has served eight years as Artistic Director. Her first short film Need For Speed (Dating) premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, while her next short, Sitting, made its world premiere at SCAD Savannah Film Festival and won "Outstanding Narrative Short" at Tallgrass Film Festival. First Date, her newest short film produced by 20th Digital Studio, is currently airing on Hulu in their "Bite Size Halloween" series. Allyson adapted First Date into a feature film for Hulu, titled Jagged Mind, which the LA Times called “edgy” and “powerful.” She has also been selected for the New York Stage and Film Filmmakers’ Workshop, been awarded “Best Teleplay” at Omaha Film Festival, twice been a top ten Finalist for Cinequest, a Finalist at Stowe Story Labs, and a Semi-Finalist at Austin Film Festival. Additionally, she has been awarded an Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Commission, an NG Art Creative Residency in France, a Monson Arts Residency in Maine, a Wassaic Project “Haunted Mill” residency, and multiple Juno Leadership Residencies through the Omega Institute. More: allysonm.com
PAULINA KOWALCZYK PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR
Paulina Kowalczyk has been involved in many capacities on the film festival circuit, including programming exhibitions for Glasgow Film Festival, East London Film Festival, and Warsaw Film Festival, among others. She graduated with a BA in Cultural Studies and received her MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation from the University of Edinburgh. Paulina has worked on the various exhibitions at the Film Department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York as well as Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw and National Museum in Warsaw. She also collaborated with Art in Odd Places and Indie Street Film Festival. Paulina works mainly in the area of art and film production and curation.
JENNA PICCOTTI MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Jenna is a recent graduate from Monmouth University with a BA in Communications. Whether it was creating graphics, editing, or helping with social media and marketing distribution, Jenna spent her time during her years at MU working in the post-production realm for a number of documentaries and projects through MU Production Services. With professional experience in social media management and marketing, Jenna is excited to bring her skill set to the table and be a part of the NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival team.
2024 FESTIVAL SPONSORS
