The Festival

NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth)
NFFTY is the largest and most influential film festival for young filmmakers (age 22 and under). NFFTY occurs each spring in Seattle, Washington and includes 100+ film screenings, filmmaking panels, concerts by youth bands, and opportunities for young filmmakers to network with industry professionals and each other. Young filmmakers from around the world submit feature-length and short films in narrative, documentary, animation, music video, experimental, and international categories.

NFFTY provides a framework within which young filmmakers can find their voice, be heard (and seen), and learn from one another.  Middle school, high school, and university media studies and video/film programs are obvious sources of submissions. There are also dozens of media arts programs working nationally with youth from all backgrounds, and from these come some of our most powerful submissions. There are many international organizations that use the power of video in the hands of youth to help communicate social injustices to the world at large.  And there are many young people who live where there are no formal film programs, yet they produce compelling work.

WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT
NFFTY is one of only a handful of multi-day film festivals dedicated exclusively to celebrating youth filmmaking. NFFTY has no minimum age requirements and brings a diverse grouping of elementary age to college age filmmakers together for cross mentoring.

We provide young filmmakers a "full feature" festival experience with screenings in state-of-the-art venues, exceptional access to industry professionals, and broad public exposure via enthusiastic theater audiences, internet streaming, and ongoing screening and distribution opportunities after the festival.

"Best of NFFTY" films are shown in school classrooms and screened before feature presentations at outdoor cinema and other community events in the Seattle area, as well as in other cities that are home to NFFTY alumni filmmakers and fans.

0% Carbon; 100% Entertainment
NFFTY is a carbon neutral event, certified by carbonfund.org.  NFFTY and all programs of The Talented Youth are operated in as sustainable manner as possible.