Stony Brook Film Festival will be held in July.
The Stony Brook Film Festival 2026 is a premier showcase of independent cinema held at the iconic Staller Center for the Arts in Long Island, New York. Celebrating its 31st edition, this 10-day festival is renowned for its curated selection of world-class independent features, thought-provoking documentaries, and innovative short films. Unlike massive multi-screen festivals, Stony Brook offers a unique, single-screen experience where filmmakers and audiences connect in a grand, cinematic setting, making it one of the most prestigious festivals on the East Coast for emerging and established creators.
Where?
Tickets
Festival Details
The Stony Brook Film Festival is produced by the Staller Center for the Arts on the campus of Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY. The festival in 2019 will be the 24th year of this very competitive and highly selective ten-day festival. All films are shown on our 40 foot screen in the Staller Center’s Main Stage Theater which seats over a 1000. Filmmakers who attend may be provided with travel assistance, lodging, and access to all our parties and events..
The festival works very hard to make sure that all films selected get seen by as many people as possible, including film industry insiders, distributors and other festival programmers. We also work very hard to insure that each screening has as close to a sold out house as possible. In 2018 we had over 14,000 attendees which included passholders and single ticket buyers.
Over the past 24 years the Stony Brook Film Festival has shown numerous New York, East Coast, US and World Premieres from over 74 different countries, and more than 245 of them have been directed by women..
Attendees have included Alan Alda, Thora Birch, Celine Bonnier, Steve Buscemi, Brian Cox, Dana Delany, Stephen Dorff, Matthew Glave, Karoline Herfurth, Sylvia Hoeks, Brent Huff, Nathan Lane, Ralph Macchio, Jena Malone, Mary Stuart Masterson, Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, Christopher Plummer, John Putch, Missi Pyle, Eran Riklis, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Campbell Scott, Leelee Sobieski, Meg Steedle, David Strathairn, Tilda Swinton, Martin Talbot, Christine Vachon, Valerie Weiss and many others.
Key Highlights
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The “One Screen” Experience: Every attendee watches the same film at the same time in the grand 1,000-seat theater, creating a unique collective energy and discussion for every screening.
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Global Selection: The festival is known for its strong international program, often bringing hidden cinematic gems from Europe, Asia, and beyond to New York audiences.
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Audience Choice Awards: Fans play a crucial role, as audience ballots determine some of the festival’s most coveted awards, bridging the gap between creators and viewers.
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Filmmaker Friendly: Stony Brook is highly regarded in the industry for how it treats its visiting artists, fostering a supportive environment for networking and new projects.
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The Cultural Hub of Long Island: It serves as a major summer destination, attracting film enthusiasts from NYC and beyond for a week of high-quality storytelling.
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Independent Film Festivals Short Film Festivals Stony Brook Film Festival
