Submissions

Submissions are now Open‍ for the 2027 festival

Heading into its third year, REEL WILD invites filmmakers from around the world to submit their films to the festival’s juried competition. Every eligible submission will be considered for inclusion in the festival and, if selected for inclusion, evaluated by a jury for the opportunity to win a REEL WILD award (see below). The festival accepts documentary and narrative films as they pertain to wildlife and wild places, particularly in connection with pertinent issues surrounding conservation, threats to habitats and species, and affected frontline communities.

TIMELINE

July 1 - Entries open
July 16 - Earlybird Submission Deadline
August 6 - Regular Submission Deadline
August 27 - Late Submission Deadline
September 17 - Final Submission Deadline

Awards and Prizes

Every eligible submission will be considered for inclusion in the festival and, if selected for inclusion, evaluated by the jury for the opportunity to win one of the following REEL WILD awards*:
Best Conservation Film
Best Wildlife Film
Best Exploration Film
Best Environmental Film
Best People & Nature Film
Best Short Film
Best Super Short Film
Best Student Film
Emerging Filmmaker Award

‍*The awards listed are subject to change in advance of the 2027 festival.

Submission Fee waiver

REEL WILD New York Film Festival is presented by the Wildlife Conservation Society, a not-for-profit charitable organization that has been recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Although funding for the festival is limited, the festival expects to be able to offer a limited number of need-based submission fee waivers to submitters for whom the submission fee presents a barrier to submission. The festival’s ability to offer submission-fee waivers is not guaranteed and will be based on the availability of funding and objective criteria to be established by the festival and applied to all requests for submission-fee waivers. For those who wish to request a submission fee waiver due to economic hardship, please email the REEL WILD team at reelwild@wcs.org by October 30, 2026 with:
(1) A detailed description of the reason for the request for a submission fee waiver.
(2) A 250-word (or longer) description of how the film connects with the mission of the REEL WILD New York Film Festival.
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Any request for a submission fee waiver that does not include the aforementioned items will not be considered.

LEGAL TERMS

By submitting a film for consideration for inclusion in REEL WILD, the submitter unconditionally accepts all of these Rules & Terms. The submitter understands and acknowledges that, if its film is accepted for inclusion in REEL WILD, a separate written participation agreement between the submitter and WCS will be required. The submitter represents, warrants and covenants to WCS that: (a) The submitter has all rights, power and authority necessary: (i) to submit the film for consideration for inclusion in REEL WILD; (ii) for public exhibition of the film and use of related publicity materials in connection with REEL WILD if the film is selected; and (iii) to agree to these Rules & Terms;
(b) The film is an original work, and its exhibition in the festival will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity;
(c) The exhibition of the film in the festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the film does not and will not constitute or include any defamation of any person or entity;
(d) For avoidance of doubt, the submitter has obtained, and can substantiate that it has obtained, all necessary rights, permissions and authorizations, knowingly and voluntarily granted, from any individual (or, where applicable, the parent or legal guardian of any such individual) whose image, likeness, voice, name or other characteristic recognizably appears or is used in the film;
(e) All license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the film in or in connection with the festival have been and will be timely paid in full;
(f) The film is not the subject of any current or threatened legal dispute, litigation, arbitration or other adversarial claim or proceeding;
(g) There are no agreements, and submitter shall not make any agreements subsequent to submitting the film, that would or could impair its ability to provide the film for inclusion in the festival or that would otherwise conflict with any provision of these Rules & Terms; and,
(h) All of the information included in its submission is accurate to the best of submitter’s knowledge after diligent inquiry. If the film is selected for inclusion in the festival, submitter agrees to participate in promoting the festival, and the film’s inclusion therein, including making available key personnel involved in the film to participate, the full terms of which will be set forth in a separate participation agreement at such time.WCS reserves the right in its sole discretion to accept or reject any submission; to modify or cancel the festival in whole or in part; and to rescind any festival acceptance given to the submitter in the event that the aforementioned participation agreement is not accepted by the submitter, or if the submitter or any person or entity associated with the film engages in conduct that brings or is likely to bring the festival or WCS into disrepute or notoriety. These Rules & Terms are binding upon and will inure to the benefit of submitter’s successors, heirs, executors, administrators, and legal representatives, as applicable. These Rules & Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to New York’s choice-of-law rules.