How many free movies can you watch in one day?
In response to Covid-19, NYWIFT member and film festival creator/founder Lukia Costello decided to take advantage of social-distancing by taking her film festival online. “It made perfect sense to enter the field of streaming content choices at a time when homebound viewers were searching for the next thing to binge. One of the biggest challenges in independent filmmaking lies in getting people outside of your family to see your work.” MicroMania Film Festival was created to be more than a one-off event and actively participates in amplifying quality independent short films
If you watched Super Bowl LIV you saw an ad for Quibi, a new subscription content platform featuring shows up to 10 min long. Powered by $1 billion in seed investment, it proves the potential of extra short content.
The difference between Quibi and MicroMania Film Fest, other than Quibi’s huge bankroll, resides in their missions. While Quibi focuses more on the producers, directors and talent we already know and love, MicroMania Film Fest was created to celebrate the artistry of micro-short storytelling by independent creators and to inspire fresh and innovative filmmaking voices.
“Content under five minutes costs less to produce creating access for diverse perspectives interested in storytelling,” Costello said. “I’m working to make micro-short filmmaking both a means of revenue generation and a point of access into an industry with high barriers for those without connections or funding.”
The catalog boasts 116 films and growing.
Submissions for the MicroMania Film Festival are open through June 1 on FilmFreeway: www.filmfreeway.com/micromaniafilmfestival
View the films for free at: https://vimeo.com/showcase/micromaniafilmfest
For tax deductible advertising/sponsorship opportunities, contact Lukia Costello at lcostello@tnhmi.org.
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Bella Rieth
Bella Rieth is a first-generation Brazilian-German, NYC-based director and producer, and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts who also studied at the Atlantic Acting School Conservatory. Before film, she trained at the New England Conservatory and performed in theatre internationally, building a life of storytelling that eventually pulled her behind the camera. Her recent shorts, including Lottie, Poor Creature, Ebba, and Icaro, have played at festivals from Tokyo to Santa Cruz to Florence. Alongside her own films, Bella produces and field produces across narrative, commercial, music video, and documentary projects throughout New York and beyond.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Christine Oliva-Castillo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Christine Oliva-Castillo! Christine is a licensed clinician and award-winning screenwriter with over two decades of experience in substance abuse disorder treatment and public health. Drawing on lived experience and clinical expertise, she writes stories that challenge how we see addiction, recovery, and the systems people navigate to survive both. Her feature screenplay Worthy has earned recognition at the Toronto Female Film Festival, Love Wins Film Festival, Page Turner Awards, LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival, and the Script Hall of Fame, among others. She is currently producing YTHROW, a short film set over one night in a county jail holding cell — a story of hope that honestly confronts the barriers standing between people and the care they deserve.
READ MOREJulianne Moore Shines in Jesse Eisenberg’s Dark Comedy The Debut at TIFF 2026
The Toronto International Film Festival is always filled with memorable moments, from the excitement of the red carpet to the conversations that continue long after the credits roll. This year, one of those moments came on Sunday, September 13, when Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut made its International Premiere at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre. NYWIFT members LaKisa Renee and Tammy Reese were invited to attend the premiere, and had the opportunity to watch Eisenberg and Academy Award winner (and 2005 NYWIFT Muse Honoree) Julianne Moore walk the red carpet before entering the theatre to introduce audiences to this smart, darkly funny story about finding purpose in an unexpected place.
READ MOREWomen Behind the Lens: A Defining Presence at the 2026 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival
Oak Bluff’s in Martha’s Vineyard in the summer is historically culturally rich and enlightening, so when combined with the African American Film Festival it is truly something to experience. While enjoying Inkwell Beach this summer and celebrating the Polar Bears' 80th anniversary, in anticipation of the film festival, NYWIFT Member Penni Malloy-Harper thought about who is shaping the stories and who is behind the camera these days. The 2026 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival certainly answered the question of who is shaping the stories behind the camera and who is building the platform that allows the stories to be seen. Penni shares the inside scoop.
READ MORE
Comments are closed