National Film Festival for Talented Youth

The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY- pronounced nifty), held annually in Seattle, Washington, showcases work by filmmakers 24 and under from across the U.S. and the world.

Founded in 2007, it has since become the most influential youth-oriented film festival in North America, featuring early work by several notable filmmakers, including Gigi Saul Guerrero, Ben Proudfoot, Matthew Puccini and Rayka Zehtabchi.

The festival includes film screenings, filmmaking workshops and panels, concerts by youth bands, and a gala opening night.

Harris wrote and directed the feature film "Living Life" when he was 17, which obtained theatrical and television distribution.

This resulted in young filmmakers around the globe seeking his advice including R.C., who expressed her interest in helping to form a creative youth organization.

NFFTY Earth, a campaign to promote the power of film to bring positive changes to the environment and support social justice and encourage peace and partnership with other countries, was added to festival programming.

The organization agreed to add an additional day to the festival schedule, due to the higher than expected volume of entries.

Once again Nike sponsored a 48-hour student filmmaking competition, and presented a keynote panel with "Social Network" Producer Dana Brunetti, Web series pioneer Hayden Black, Studio marketing leader Valerie van Galder, Microsoft head of Global Community Affairs Tim Dubel, and documentary filmmaker Stan Emert.

"In an industry where only 9% of directors and 25% of producers are women, NFFTY wants to provide opportunities where emerging female filmmakers can feel supported to pursue their passions," Stefanie Malone said, upon launching this initiative.

And NFFTY took its first steps into VR/360 filmmaking with a panel discussion and product demos at its 10th festival, as well as a continuing commitment to Works-In-Progress and our Young Women in Film initiative and once again took home "One of the 50 Best Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" by MovieMaker Magazine[12][13] NFFTY 2017, the 11th anniversary, will be held April 27 – April 30 in Seattle, WA.

NFFTY welcomes special guest speakers this year, including Chris Moore (producer, Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Manchester by the Sea) and Danish writer/directors Wikke & Rasmussen.