FOLCS

International Short Film Competition

ISFC 2026 finalists have been announced. We look forward to our 13th Annual Awards Night on May 5, 2026 at Symphony Space “Thalia Theater.”

This year, we were thrilled to have received over 200 submissions from filmmakers representing more than 40 countries, showcasing a diverse range of powerful stories and perspectives.

Thank you to all the filmmakers who shared their work with us this season—we are inspired by your dedication to illuminating justice, human rights, and societal change through film.

Don’t miss the 13th Annual Awards Night on May 5th 2026!

The FOLCS International Short Film Competition (ISFC) invites independent filmmakers worldwide to submit bold, original short films that challenge, inspire, and spark dialogue on justice, culture, and society.

In 2026, ISFC received submissions from over 40 countries and will recognize twelve films across all continents. For 2026, we’re evaluating films that push boundaries—whether your lens captures resistance, resilience, or a reimagination of the future, we want to see it.

 Why Submit?

You have the change to screen your film in New York City, one of the world’s most dynamic cultural hubs.

You get to join a global community of filmmakers committed to storytelling with impact.

You get to compete for awards in these categories: Best Short Film (1st, 2nd & 3rd), Best Screenplay, Best Young Filmmaker (21 & under), and more.

Eligibility

Films must be 20 minutes or fewer. Films of all genres welcome—animation, documentary, comedy, drama, sci-fi, musical, experimental, and more. We encourage a broad interpretation of social justice—from human rights and identity to climate, migration, technology, and beyond.

About the ISFC

The FOLCS International Short Film Competition (ISFC) was created in 2011 to encourage the creation of short films exploring themes of law and justice. Expanding in reach each year, independent and aspiring filmmakers from around the globe are invited to submit their original shorts. Entrants have the chance to have their work screened before a New York audience and their shorts viewed by distinguished professionals from the legal and entertainment fields. Each year, ISFC features renowned filmmakers, actors, writers, journalists, public intellectuals, and members of the legal profession. ISFC also attracts overflowing and diverse crowds of film enthusiasts, which provides a great platform for showcasing your winning work!

Annual Awards Night

The FOLCS Awards Night plays host to emerging filmmakers, screening a diverse set of legal, social justice, and human rights-themed shorts from around the world. This FREE event is the closing night of the competition and includes a red carpet and an awards presentation. Additionally, audience members can vote on which short will receive the Audience Favorite Award. In keeping with the FOLCS Film Series tradition, the finalist filmmakers participated in a post-screening discussion about their films at this red carpet event.

Awards:

Best Short, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, Best Screenplay, Best Young Filmmaker (18 years and younger), and Audience Favorite Awards are announced each year after a series of rigorous evaluations by jury members. Award Winners will receive a certificate and FOLCS’ unique glass-made trophy, FOLCS-Y.

Past Jury

William Fichtner, Actor (Contact with Jodie Foster; The Perfect Storm with George Clooney; Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down); Margarita Levieva, Actress (The Deuce, In From The Cold, Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Sleeping With Other People); Isaiah Sheffer, co-founder of Symphony Space; Annette Insdorf, film historian and director of undergraduate film studies at Columbia University; Daniel Anker, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker; Miguel Cruz, Director, producer, and writer (Emmy nominated Disney show Bunk’d, the #1 Spanish Sitcom Aida); Ali Fakhrmousavi, Award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer; Federico Torrado, Award-winning director and producer; Neo Li, Award-winning screenwriter and director; Herschel Faber, Chair of Filmmaking Department, New York Film Academy (South Beach Campus); Crickett Rumely, Director, Film Festival Department, New York Film Academy (LA Campus); Henry Bean, director/screenwriter; Piero Basso, Chair of Cinematography, NYFA; Randall Dottin, Chair of Screenwriting Department, NYFA; Andrea Swift, Chair of Documentary Filmmaking, NYFA; Jonathan Whittaker, Chair of Short-Term Intensive Programs, NYFA; Ronald Guttman, film and TV actor; Nikzad Nodjoumi, art critic and fine art painter; Mark Ethan, actor and film professor; Sandy Gotham Meehan, Producer/Director/Writer; Larry Gross, producer/screenwriter; Dahlia Lithwick, Slate senior editor, and legal correspondent; Veleka Gray, director/actress/Emmy judge; Sara Nodjoumi, producer/screenwriter.