All screenings and the majority of festival events take place at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Times Square (234 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036). This is our central hub for the weekend, where attendees can enjoy films, panels, workshops, and our technology showcase—right in the heart of Manhattan.

Select events are also hosted at our partner venues:

• Hilton Midtown Hotel – Located at 1335 6th Ave, Manhattan, the Hilton Midtown serves as the site for our 2025 NYC Film Invitational prior to the festival weekend, and is conveniently located close to the AMC Empire 25. Book your room via our discounted hotel room block at hsfilmfest.com/hotels.

• Opening Night Hudson River Dinner Cruise (Friday 10/17) – Departing from Pier 15 at South Street Seaport, this special event offers breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline and a memorable evening of networking and celebration on the water with an included buffet dinner for all attendees!

• Kings Theatre (Sunday 10/19) – A historic and stunning venue in Brooklyn (1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226), Kings Theatre is home to our Teen Indie Awards Show, the grand finale of the festival weekend and where over $500,000 in scholarships and prizes will be handed out to the best of student filmmaking!

For travel tips, lodging suggestions, and budget breakdowns to help you plan your trip, visit our Budgeting & Planning Guides.

Both the All Access Pass and the Elite All Access Pass give you admission to all festival events at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square, including screenings, workshops, the College Fair, and the Teen Indie Awards Red Carpet & Award Show at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

The key difference is that the Elite All Access Pass includes admission to our unforgettable kickoff event, the Opening Night Dinner & Dance Cruise. Enjoy a buffet dinner with breathtaking views of New York City, accompanied by music, networking, and the opportunity to celebrate with filmmakers from around the world.

If you’re looking for the full festival experience and the best opportunity to network and connect with peers, colleges, and industry reps from day one, the Elite All Access Pass is the way to go.

No. Round-trip coach bus transportation to and from the Teen Indie Awards is sold separately at hsfilmfest.com/tickets. Bus tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each rider must have their own bus ticket.

Item descriAll ticket sales for the All American High School Film Festival are final. Tickets are non-refundable except in the case of event cancellation by the festival.

If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your ticket to another individual at no additional cost. All transfer requests must be submitted in writing to info@hsfilmfest.com no later than 7 days prior to the event.

The festival is not responsible for unused tickets, scheduling conflicts, or travel interruptions, and no partial refunds will be issued for missed portions of the event.

In the unlikely event that the festival is postponed, all tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates. If you are unable to attend the new dates, you may request a credit equal to the full value of your ticket toward the following year’s festival.

If you purchase the Ticket Protection add-on via FilmFreeway, it allows for a full refund of your ticket fee if:

• You cancel within 2 days of ordering

• The event is canceled or does not take place

• You cannot attend due to specific unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, jury duty, or court subpoena

Important: Documentation is required for all unforeseen circumstances (e.g., a doctor’s letter or official court notice). The Ticket Protection fee itself is non-refundable.ption

Award nominations are announced live at the Teen Indie Awards, our closing night awards ceremony on Sunday evening of the festival weekend. We do not announce nominations in advance.

Best of Fest is a curated showcase of standout films from the festival, hand-selected by our judging panel. This special program highlights exceptional work and screens during the festival weekend. The official Best of Fest lineups will be announced on-site at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters and posted to our social media channels at 7:30 PM EST on October 18th—30 minutes before the screenings begin.

Tickets can be purchased via hsfilmfest.com/tickets. Admission to the Best of Fest screening is available complimentary to all Elite All-Access and All-Access Passholders.

If your film is an Official Selection, we recommend purchasing an Elite All Access Pass to experience the full weekend of screenings, panels, workshops, and special events. Individual screening tickets are also available if you only plan to attend your film’s showing. All festivals attendees are required to purchase a ticket via www.hsfilmfest.com/tickets.

Attendance is not required to win awards or scholarships, but it is highly recommended for the full experience, networking, and the opportunity to accept your award live on stage.

At this time, the festival is not able to provide direct financial assistance or travel funding. While this is something we hope to be able to offer in the future, we encourage students and families to explore fundraising opportunities, seek support from their schools, and connect with community sponsors to help make the trip possible.

The full screening schedule is now available at hsfilmfest.com/2025-screening-schedule.

On Saturday, we will have screenings playing from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM in Theaters 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25.

On Sunday, we will have screenings playing from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM in Theaters 12 (NYC Film Invitational Screenings), 19, 20, 21, and 22.

On the screening schedule, you’ll find the full lineup of screenings organized by time and theater. We encourage you to use Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac) to search for your film title and quickly locate your screening block, date, and time.

Use the page to find your film, confirm your screening block, and plan your weekend at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Times Square. Tickets are available at hsfilmfest.com/tickets.

Absolutely! Family members can purchase individual screening tickets if they only wish to attend your screening, or an All Access/Elite Pass for the full weekend.

2025 NYC Film Invitational films will premiere Sunday beginning at 9:30AM in Theater 12 on Level 4 of the AMC Empire 25 Theaters. Admission is part of the general registration fee. Seating is available first-come, first-served on the day of.