NewFilmmakers LA

We're thrilled to support @LALIFF 2026, kicking off May 27th! 🎬 This year's festival features an incredible lineup spanning Female Directors, Immigration, Indigenous Latino, Human Rights, Horror, LGBTQ+, Afro Latino, Documentary, and so much more. A huge congratulations to our alumni on their selections! Gabriela Ortega Fiorella Vescovi Vanessa Sandre Karina Lomelin Ripper Daniel Barosa Guillermo Casarin Marcos Nieves Kristian Mercado Alessandra Pasquino Anna Salinas William D. Caballero Grab your tickets here: laliff.org/festival-2026/…

NFMLA is proud to partner with @AWD_Directors on the 2025 BACK TO SET: Working Directors Intensive—a two-day in-person event focused on empowering directors to lead with clarity, confidence, and creative vision. Join us in Burbank on June 12+13 for workshops, panels, and community that will reignite your purpose behind the camera. 🎬 🎟️ Tickets available now at backtosetla.com #BackToSet2026 #AWDDirectors #WorkingDirectors #FilmmakingCommunity

🎬 Celebrate Pride and FIFA with NewFilmmakers LA! ⚽ Join us on June 20th for NFMLA’s Monthly Film Festival, a powerful day dedicated to its celebration of its annual InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema program. ✨ The day kicks off with June Shorts | FIFA Edition, spotlighting short films made in and by filmmakers from FIFA World Cup 26™ participating countries including Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, USA, Uzbekistan, and more! #FIFAWorldCup Next, InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program I – In Search of Welcome, a collection of stories that tackle the vulnerability of seeking acceptance and understanding The celebration continues with the Los Angeles premiere of writer-director Honey Lauren’s first feature film, Mistake, a period piece about an intersex child growing up in the 1940’s that is unflinching, honest and told with so much love for its protagonist. The evening concludes with InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program II – Self-Expression, a selection that highlights self-expression through finding and choosing authenticity, feeling one’s feelings, navigating messiness, meeting with curiosity and embracing queer joy. ✨ A full day of films that push boundaries, spark conversation, and elevate new voices. 📅 Mark your calendars – June 20, 2026 12:00pm PDT - 10:15pm PDT Program #1 – June Shorts | FIFA Edition 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM – Pre-Reception 12:30 PM – 2:15 PM – Program 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM – Audience Q&A Program #2 – InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program I – In Search of Welcome 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Pre-Reception 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM – Program 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM – Audience Q&A Program #3 – Feature Narrative | Mistake 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Pre-Reception 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Program 7:30 PM – 7:45 PM – Audience Q&A Program #4 – InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program II – Self-Expression 7:45 PM – 8:15 PM – Pre-Reception 8:15 PM – 10:00 PM – Program 10:00 PM – 10:15 PM – Audience Q&A 🎟️ Learn more about our festivals and other programs at newfilmmakersla.com

Christopher Slager, President of Film at FIFTH SEASON, on bringing a "California story" to life.⁠ ⁠ California Day at the American Pavilion Presented by the California Film Commission (@filmca) with Marina del Rey Tourism Board, Film Santa Monica, Chula Vista Entertainment Company (CVEC), Film Liaisons in California Statewide (FLICS) and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (@NFMLA)

NFMLA is thrilled to invite you all to the 9th Annual @WIEntertainment Summit, taking place at the iconic Skirball Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 9th! ✅ Our members can use code WIE26PARTNER for 10% off: zeffy.com/en-US/ticketin…

💣 Some threats aren’t buried as deep as we think. Klaus Muller is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: In the heart of the Arizona wilderness, park ranger Tommy Dolan stumbles upon a chilling discovery: a long-lost nuclear bomb hidden among the trees. Desperate, he calls in federal bomb expert Klaus Muller to defuse the situation, but as tensions rise, it becomes clear that one of them is not who he says he is. Klaus Muller ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Zach Tolchinsky 🎥 Producers: Sven Gey, Will Martinez, Chinyere Nywodim 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

☢️ Some legacies never stop echoing. Born Secret is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: A filmmaker returns to his hometown Oak Ridge, the secret city that built the atomic bomb. There he meets the workers who created humanity's greatest weapon, while their grandchildren inherit a world on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Born Secret 🎥 Director: Riley Fitchpatrick ✍️ Co-Writers: Riley Fitchpatrick, Grant Conversano, Adam Conversano 🎥 Producers: Grant Conversano, Adam Conversano 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🎙️ Some stories hit differently when they become personal. Never Hike Alone is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: In her true crime podcast “Never Hike Alone,” Liz investigates and reports on women who have gone missing on solo hikes. When her own brother, Kit, falls out of touch, she knows she must find him herself. In searching for Kit, she meets an avid listener, Judith, who believes in the mission of Liz’s podcast. Judith wants to help, but when Liz and Judith uncover some troubling information about Kit, they both must decide what to do. Never Hike Alone 🎥 Co-Directors: Beth Gallagher and Alison Kertz ✍️ Writer: Alison Kertz 🎥 Producers: Mary Kertz, Alison Kertz, Beth Gallagher 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🕯️ Some fears are passed down like stories. Koko Suzan is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: Based on true events, a young girl's life is turned upside down when her grandmother's strange behavior sparks fears of witchcraft. Koko Suzanne 🎥 Director: Zach Bandler ✍️ Co-Writers: Emmanuel Epenge and Zach Bandler 🎥 Producers: Victor Mazzone, Emmanuel Lupia 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🎻 Find out how the human spirit can endure. SŪNNA rounds out our May 2026 Film Festival lineup! Synopsis: When sudden hearing loss shatters her identity, a young Indian musician is left in silence until the echoes of memory, touch, and culture help her reclaim music and herself. ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: @radhamehta 🎥 Producer: @pallavisastry 🎬Cast & Crew: Anisha Nagarajan Aaliya Mehta Isue Shin Joseph Murphy 🎟️ Get your tickets now at: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🏛️ Some secrets are too dangerous to keep hidden. The Guilted Age is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: In 1890, inside a grand Texas mansion, Louisa, a young maid, is visibly unwell. Her brief moment of solitude is interrupted by Lady Annabelle, a sophisticated socialite from New York, who is also seeking refuge from the lively household. Louisa fails to hide her discomfort, and Lady Annabelle insists she seeks medical help. When Louisa refuses, the two women get into a heated argument. In a desperate move to avoid seeing the doctor, Louisa whispers something to Annabelle, and the story takes some unexpected turns.…. The Guilted Age ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Stine Hole Mankovsky 🎥 Producers: Pete Chambers, Sophia Ogilvie, and Francesco Loy Bell 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🐾 What do we lose when we become something else? Moti is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: One day a dog named Moti turns into a boy. Shocked and confused, Moti’s human masters take him to the hospital to find out what is wrong. Science intervenes: Moti starts to evolve. But in becoming fully human Moti loses something vital along the way: his doggy sense of smell, his canine way of navigating the world. Moti ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Yash Saraf 🎥 Producers: Karan Shah and Yash Saraf 🎬 Crew: Priyankar Patra and Rusha Bose 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🛤️ Some journeys remain unseen… even when thousands take them every day. The Long Spring is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the May Shorts program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: One of the most dangerous journeys on the planet, taken every day by tens of thousands, is also one of the least documented. Until now. The Long Spring ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Olly Ginelli 🎥 Producers: Francesca Fogg 🎬 Crew: Warren Mendy Gomes Assiba Acts 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

Just announced by @IndieWire - the one and only @diegoluna_ will join @NFMLA and the @FilmCalifornia during the 2026 @Festival_Cannes at The @AmPavPrograms with @akstanwyck, @FilmSantaMonica, @MarinaDelRey_CA, @42West, @TheKnife, @cofalt, @GoldHouseCo, @Gathr, @sundancefest, and more! See the full line-up at indiewire.com/news/events/am…

💘 Some journeys of self-discovery begin with a single question: what does love actually feel like? Eros is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the InFocus: Disabilities program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: Autistic perpetual university student Max realises she’s never experienced romantic love and decides she’s going to get it somehow... She’ll figure out the how later. Eros 🎥 Co-Directors: Spike Hogan and Zoe McDonagh ✍️ Writer: Zoe McDonagh 🎥 Producers: Spike Hogan and Zoe McDonagh 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🩸 Some cravings are harder to control than others. Blood Sugar is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the InFocus: Disabilities program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: When an HMO-insured, Gen Z vampire is suddenly diagnosed with diabetes, she has to make lifestyle changes– beginning with breaking into a weight loss clinic, and bleeding them of their stash of “O.” Blood Sugar ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Marissa Díaz 🎥 Producer: Austin Sepulveda 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

☀️ Some journeys lead to more than what you set out to find. Chasing the Sun is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the InFocus: Disability program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: When DJ, a young man with Down syndrome, travels solo through regional WA in search for the best udon shop, he doesn’t just find noodles, he finds connection. A gentle, cross-cultural story about friendship, identity, and the quiet joy of making food together. Chasing The Sun 🎥 Director: Tak Nakano ✍️ Writer: Alli Parker 🎥 Producers: Dianna La Grassa @BusStopFilms 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

🌙 Survival means everything when the world turns uncertain. Day 21 is part of the lineup for NFMLA’s May Monthly Film Festival, featured in the MiFilm x NFMLA | Seen in Full: Disabilities in Focus program. 🎬✨ Synopsis: People with Trisomy 21/Down syndrome find themselves alone in the world but support each other. When a menacing threat appears, Dashiell must choose between food and his safety. Day 21 ✍️🎥 Writer & Director: Dashiell Meier 🎬 Crew: Dashiell Meier Sofia Sanchez Zack Gottsagen Hamza Ghazy Fisher Anderson 🎟️ Learn more: newfilmmakersla.com/events/

The @CountyofLA Department of Arts and Culture is partnering with @BloombergDotOrg to launch the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI)! This opportunity connects rising public high school seniors with paid summer internships at arts and cultural organizations. In addition to paid summer internships, LA County BAI provides intensive college-readiness preparation and professional development. 🎉 NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is proud to serve as the Regional Hub for BAI in LA County SPA 4, also known as Metro LA which serves the communities of Boyle Heights, Central City, Downtown LA, Echo Park, El Sereno, Hollywood, Mid-City Wilshire, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, Silverlake, @WeHoCity Hollywood, and Westlake. 🎯 Share the information and encourage an LA County based rising public high school senior to apply now: lacountyarts.org/BAI-students

Amazing alumni news! Some of our alumni will screen their films at the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at @AmPav, presenting in partnership with @IndieWire, sponsored by @GoldHouseCo. • "QUEERBAIT" Directed and Written by Nate Gualtieri • "ZARI" Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Shruti Parekh • "LAWYERED UP" Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Tatiana Blackington James Congratulations to all the filmmakers and to our alumni! 🙌 🔗 Read the full article by Christian Zilko: indiewire.com/news/events/am…