order your fest pass
Experience all of CSIFF26
(Pass includes pre-fest workshops & fest panels, opening reception, screenings, and the CSIFF26 Award Ceremony)
Three-day pass: $150
Get your fest pass and save!
csiff26 industry panels Oct 9th AT HB PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER
Panel #1: Translation, Memory & Migration: Who Gets Lost Between Cultures On Screen?
Filmmakers and cultural storytellers explore how stories travel across cultures and audiences, and what can be gained or lost along the way. From migration and diaspora to subtitles, accessibility, and adaptation, this conversation asks how filmmakers can reach wider audiences without losing the specificity and au
Panel #2: Got a Film Idea? Here's How To Build The Business Behind It
You’ve got the story. Now build the business behind it. Learn the essential first steps—from LLCs and contracts to insurance, taxes, and legal support—that can help you protect your film, your collaborators, and your future as a filmmaker.
TIME: 12:30PM
LOCATION: 124 BANK STREET, NYC
Panel #3: How Playwrights Break Into Film & Television
Playwrights already possess many of the skills film and television producers are looking for but how do you turn those skills into screen opportunities?
Through candid case studies from their own careers, working playwrights and screenwriters unpack how theatre-trained writers can translate their strengths in character, dialogue, structure and c
Panel #4: Video On Demand Is Shutting Down! Now What?
An Indie Filmmaker’s Guide to Distribution, Audiences & Revenue
Vimeo On Demand is shutting down. So what happens to indie filmmakers who still need a way to get their work in front of audiences and generate revenue from it? This practical CSIFF industry panel explores what independent filmmakers need to know about today’s changing distribution l
Panel #5: Film & AI
Future or Failure?
Miriam Shamelashvili and Anita Walker, co-founders of The AI Play Lab, a collaborative storytelling collective, engage in a timely conversation with filmmaker Sekiyah Dorsett about the evolving role of artificial intelligence in media and storytelling. Together, they will examine how AI is reshaping creative labor, disrupting the industry, and creating new poss
Filmmaker Conversation: Short Film. Bigger Screen: How A Festival Short Becomes A Feature
Your short made the festival circuit. Audiences responded. Now what?
Stefon Bristol sits down with Sundance Award winning filmmaker Rashad Frett to unpack the real journey from festival short to feature film, from recognizing that a short has a bigger story inside it to developing, financing, expanding, and ult
CSiff26 screenings at regal cinema Oct 10-11
csiff26 post-screening q&A moderators
Tanya Perez
Tanya Perez is an award‑winning actor, writer, filmmaker, and unapologetic clown whose work blends comedy and social inquiry. A New York–born Latina creator, she’s appeared on major TV series, toured internationally, and continues making bold, boundary‑pushing work across stage and screen.
Sarah Marable
Sarah Marable is a NYC-born actress, singer, and dancer whose screen credits include The Equalizer and Gossip Girl. A dynamic multidisciplinary performer, she brings her passion for storytelling, performance, and creative expression to both stage and screen.
Csiff26 Award ceremony & afterparty
Mss. Francois - Award Ceremony MC
Mss Francois is an award-winning TV host, humorous keynote speaker, bestselling author, and creator of Caribbean Brilliance. Through humor, heart, and authentic conversations, she amplifies Caribbean-American voices, celebrates their achievements, and inspires future generations to embrace their brilliance.
DJ Wise - Award Ceremony Musician
DJWise is a Brooklyn-based international Caribbean DJ and producer of Guyanese heritage. Performing across the Caribbean, Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, he brings infectious energy, global musical influences, and an instinct for reading the room to festivals, concerts, and special events. https://dot.cards/djwise718
the celebration continues
