New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival

NewFest: New York LGBT Film Festival
StatusActive
GenreFilm festival
BeginsOctober 15, 2026 (2026-10-15)
EndsOctober 25, 2026 (2026-10-25)
FrequencyAnnually
VenueVarious locations, including, BAM Rose Cinemas, LGBT Community Center, Nitehawk Prospect Park, SVA Theatre
LocationNew York City, New York
CountryU.S.
Founded1988 (38 years ago) (1988)
Leader
David Hatkoff, Executive Director (since 2019)
SponsorThe New Festival, Inc.
Websitenewfest.org

NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, put on by NewFest (legal name The New Festival, Inc.), is the largest LGBTQ film festival in the United States and one of the most comprehensive forums of national and international LGBT film/video in the world.

History and operations

David Hatkoff has been the executive director of NewFest since 2019.

Founded in 1988, The New Festival, Inc is a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to showcasing the newest and best LGBT media for the greater New York metropolitan area.

NewFest strives to encourage and foster environments for LGBTQ and allied filmmakers and viewers to represent the diversity and complexity of voices in the LGBTQ community, and to amplify those voices across the nation.

List of events

The largest and most popular program from NewFest is the twelve-day New York LGBT Film Festival. Additionally, year-round events include: the five-day Queering the Canon, the five-day NewFest Pride, and many advance screenings with various studios and streamers.

NewFest also has three artist development programs: The New Voices Filmmaker Grant, supported by Netflix; Sound & Scene, in partnership with Concord Originals; and the Black Filmmakers Initiative.

NewFest works with the NYC Department of Education on programs for high school students.

NewFest has partnered with the LGBT Center in NYC to screen films on a monthly basis at the center, screenings to include discussions with the filmmakers.

In 2020, the festival was one of the key partners, alongside Outfest Los Angeles, the Frameline Film Festival and the Inside Out Film and Video Festival, in the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.

Awards

Grand Jury Award winners

Sources:

Audience Award winners

Sources:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "At NYC's largest LGBTQ film festival, the future of cinema is bright". NBC News. October 12, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  2. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 23, 2019). "NewFest LGBTQ Film Festival Sets David Hatkoff As Executive Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ "NewFest". Outfest. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ "NewFest at The Center". NewFest. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  5. ↑ Ewing, Jeff (June 17, 2020). "Major LGBTQ Film Festivals Partner to Create the ‘North American Queer Festival Alliance’ (NAQFA)". Forbes. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "NewFest36 Jury & Awards". NewFest. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "NewFest37 Jury & Awards". NewFest. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  8. ↑ "NewFest35 Jury & Awards". NewFest. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ "AwardsWatch - 'Swallowed,' 'The Blue Caftan' win top NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival awards". AwardsWatch. October 22, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  10. ↑ admin (January 1, 1970). "'Passing' and 'Miguel's War' Win Top Prizes at LGBTQ Film Festival NewFest". Entertainment News Boom. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  11. ↑ "NEWFEST34 SHORTS: Award Encore". NewFest. Retrieved June 3, 2026.