named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Education Sessions/Workshops
Free educational events and workshops open to the public, part of the festival programming to promote learning and artistic expression in filmmaking.
Q&A Sessions with Filmmakers
Post-screening question-and-answer sessions featuring filmmakers, integrated into screening blocks that run 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Winter Film Awards International Film Festival
Annual festival showcasing 80 independent films across genres including documentaries, narrative shorts, features, animation, and web series, with a focus on diversity and emerging voices.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Film Festival and Screening Programming 3 activities
- Hosts an annual international film festival showcasing independent filmsOrganizes the Winter Film Awards International Film Festival annually in New York City, featuring 70–90 independent films across multiple genres from emerging and first-time filmmakers globally. The festival includes daily screening blocks of 1.5 to 3 hours, each followed by filmmaker Q&A sessions, and spans 3 to 14 days depending on the year.
- Hosts film challenge events for emerging filmmakersOrganizes time-bound film challenge events, including 48-hour and 14-day challenges, to support emerging filmmakers in creating original content under constrained conditions. These events have been held annually since at least 2012, providing hands-on creative opportunities and community engagement.
- Organizes film screenings, panels, workshops, and networking eventsConducts structured screening blocks of 1.5 to 3 hours featuring curated mixes of short and feature-length films, followed by Q&A sessions with filmmakers. Complements screenings with discussion panels, educational workshops, receptions, and networking events to foster artistic exchange and professional connections within the filmmaking community.
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Event and Production Volunteer Coordination 1 activity
- Operates festival programming with volunteer support and logistical servicesRuns the Winter Film Festival using an all-volunteer team, including pre-festival volunteer meetings and shift assignments. Provides logistical support such as free shuttle bus service during the festival and hosts events at venues including Cinema Village, Blue Diamond Theater, and LOOK.
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Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
- Recognizes excellence and diversity in cinema through awards and programmingRecognizes cinematic excellence with a focus on diversity, consistently highlighting films by women and people of color—often comprising 40–50% of selections—and honoring winners across multiple award categories annually. The organization promotes inclusion by showcasing student films and first-time filmmakers, with over 25 such films featured in recent festivals.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$131K
Contributions & grants$118K90%
Program service revenue$13K10%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$136K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$2K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$2K
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -1.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 3
- Joseph Mauceri — Director
- Steffanie Finn — Executive Director
- Vaughn Murphy — Director
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- Azailia Pope Partner — Designed the official artwork for the 2023 Winter Film Awards International Film Festival.
- B&H Photo Partner — Provided sponsorship support for the 2014 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival
- B&H Photo & Video Partner — Supported the WFA 2015 festival
- Club 230Fifth Partner — Hosted the 2015 WFA Awards Ceremony and after-party
- FilmFreeway Network — Member of FilmFreeway platform and ranked among its Top 10 Best Reviewed Festivals.
- FilmFreeway Network — Member of FilmFreeway platform and ranked among top reviewed festivals on the site.
- FilmFreeway Network — Member of a film festival network recognized as one of the Top 50 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway.
- Flickr Partner — Hosted photo documentation from the festival and awards ceremony
- Google Hangouts Partner — Used for hosting the virtual volunteers meeting.
- Grady Health System Partner — Integrated food prescriptions into primary care
- Gray Line New York Partner — Collaborated with WFA for the 2015 festival
- Johana Kroft Partner — Designer of the official 2024 festival artwork
- Kervin Brisseaux Partner — Designed the official artwork for the 2025 Winter Film Festival.
- Liberty Coca-Cola Partner — Provided complimentary products for all screenings during the 2023 festival.
- Liberty Coca-Cola Partner — Provided free Coca-Cola Coffee samples at all screenings during the 2021 festival.
- NY State Governor’s Office Government — Hosted a roundtable with the NY State Governor’s Office during the festival.
- NYC Mayor's Office Government — Hosted a discussion panel with the NYC Mayor's Office during the festival.
- New York City Department Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funds to support Winter Film Festival programs in partnership with the City Council.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Enables Winter Film Festival programs with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
- PayPal Partner — Platform used to process online donations to the Winter Film Festival.
- Ride of Fame Partner — Collaborated with WFA for the 2015 festival
- Rooftop Films Partner — Provided sponsorship support for the 2014 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival
- The Village Voice Partner — Provided sponsorship support for the 2014 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival
- The Village Voice Partner — Supported the WFA 2015 festival
- Viktor Koen Partner — Designed the official artwork for the 2014 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival
- Worldcast Inc Partner — Livestreamed the 2015 WFA Awards Ceremony globally
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Amplification of Underrepresented Voices through Inclusive Curationmethodology: inclusive_curationBy prioritizing women, people of color, and emerging global filmmakers in festival programming, the organization increases visibility and access for underrepresented creators in cinema, because systemic exclusion in Hollywood limits opportunities for these groups and intentional curation can counteract structural bias.
- Emerging Filmmaker Support through Recognition and Showcasemethodology: artist-support-through-recognitionBy showcasing and recognizing cinematic work from emerging filmmakers globally, the organization fosters artistic development and career advancement, because early-career visibility and validation are critical for sustained engagement in a competitive industry.
- Time-Constrained and Extended Creative Formats to Stimulate Participationmethodology: time-constrained-film-challengeBy offering both 48-hour and 14-day film challenges, the organization accommodates different creative rhythms and levels of availability, thereby broadening participation across diverse filmmakers, because flexible timeframes reduce barriers to entry and encourage experimentation.
- Volunteer-Driven Model for Community Engagement and Operational Efficiencymethodology: volunteer-run modelBy relying entirely on volunteer labor to produce the festival, the organization strengthens community ownership and maximizes resource allocation toward artistic programming, because a participatory model reduces overhead and deepens local investment in the arts.