2025 Film Festivals in Westchester

With award-winning film centers, a Lionsgate Studios facility and filming locations, Westchester County, NY is a bustling magnet for filmmakers, production companies and movie lovers. Throughout the year, the County will be home to several film festivals, which include screenings, panel discussions, Q&As and more.

Spring Festivals in Westchester

April 26, 2025
As IFF: All Shorts Irvington Film Festival
Presented by Irvington Theater

All Shorts Irvington Film Festival, returning for its fifth year, is a one-night-only festival that presents screening selections from around the world. Audiences can expect animated, live-action and documentary shorts chosen from hundreds of submissions. Other highlights include an afterparty, during which audience members can discuss the films with actors and directors, as well as jury prizes and an audience-favorite award voted on at the end of the evening.

April 23-29, 2025
Jewish Film Festival
Presented by Jacob Burns Film Center

Jacob Burns Film Center hosts the 23^rd year of its Jewish Film Festival, which features a wide-range of fiction films and documentaries. The festival aims for the personal stories within these films to “lead to broader perspectives on history, culture, and society.” Many of the screenings feature Q&As with filmmakers, film professors and film historians. Programming to look forward to includes a screening of new documentary Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, which will open the festival, as well as classic titles Duck Soup and The Heartbreak Kid. Other films focus on documentary portraits of Janis Ian, Charles Grodin, and Israeli architect Ada Karmi-Melamede.

April 25-27, 2025
Westchester Italian Film Festival
Presented by The Picture House

The Westchester Italian Film Festival returns this year at both Picture House locations. The festival’s opening night will honor actor Chazz Palminteri and screen his new film A Bronx Tale One Man Show. Other highlights of the weekend include programming of new and classic Italian films, director Q&As and a class on the spaghetti western genre.

Summer Film Festivals in Westchester

June 27-28, 2025
Peekskill Film Festival
Presented by Hudson Valley Paramount Theater

Returning for its tenth year, Peekskill Film Festival presents a variety of films including features, shorts, animation and documentaries made by up-and-coming and indie filmmakers. The festival also includes workshops, parties, panel discussions, awards and an entire day dedicated to student films.

August 9 & 10
Mount Vernon Film Festival

This new event features short works by local filmmakers, with focus on those from Mount Vernon. Screened films have yet to be announced, but all are under 40 minutes in a broad range of genres, including animation, documentary, drama, horror and more. The weekend festival presents film screenings, workshops, panels and an awards ceremony, all at the Mount Vernon Public Library.

August 9, 2025
Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival
Presented by Katonah Classic Stage

Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival, which began as outdoor screenings during the pandemic to bring audiences together and cinema alive, is now in its sixth year, presenting films both outdoors and indoors at the Bedford Playhouse. The festival features short films from all around the world, each 25 minutes or less, in categories that include Narrative Drama, Narrative Comedy, Documentary, Animation, Made in Westchester County, NY, and Student (Under 18).

Fall Film Festivals

November 7-16, 2025
YoFiFest (Yonkers Film Festival)
Presented by YoFiFest

Every November, filmmakers and moviegoers flood downtown Yonkers for this film festival. Now in its 13^th year, YoFiFest screens films in nearly 15 categories, most in short formats, including animated, dramatic, dance and locally sourced shorts and more, as well as narrative and documentary features. The ten-day festival includes workshops, panels and networking opportunities couched between an opening night red carpet reception, and closing night party. Though known for its in-person parties, YoFiFest will also resume its virtual offerings, which were developed during the pandemic and continue in popularity, including virtual “Meet the Filmmaker” nights, networking events and mixers.

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For more arts news and updates, visit artsw.org/artsnews.