Updated Oct. 8, 2026. The Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival, announced in September as the Dewey Film Festival, has its FilmFreeway window open now through December 1, 2026 for Florida-based filmmakers with shorts 3 to 15 minutes (up to three films). The city’s festival page lists filmmakers 17 and older (18 and older for student categories), but the FilmFreeway listing says student submissions are open at 17 and older and regular submissions at 18 and older. Confirm your category on FilmFreeway before you submit. Festival day remains Saturday, February 6, 2027; selected filmmakers are notified on or before January 3, 2027, and final materials from selected filmmakers are due January 20, 2027. As of Oct. 8, 2026, the FilmFreeway listing shows no fee for either the Student or Regular category. The city page and the FilmFreeway listing are now the official sources; the Boca Raton Tribune release from September 7, 2026 first announced the festival.
Why the December 1 clock matters for Florida-only shorts
The Boca Raton Tribune announcement (published September 7, 2026) confirms that the Boca Raton Public Library’s first-ever film festival, announced as the Dewey Film Festival and now called the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival, began accepting short-film submissions Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and that the window runs through December 1, 2026. The festival day itself is Saturday, February 6, 2027. Selected filmmakers are notified on or before January 3, 2027.
That is an owner action calendar, not a vague “sometime this fall” rumor. If you run a Palm Beach County or broader South Florida indie shop (a one- or two-person production company, a post bay that also directs, a branded-content studio with a narrative short in the vault, a student-to-pro pipeline crew that still bills as Florida-based), now is the time to put FilmFreeway on the morning list and start ranking which cuts are actually ready.
The Library’s public site at myboca.us/2828/Boca-Raton-Public-Library is live for hours, branches, and general contact. When we first mapped this festival it did not carry a dedicated rules page. The city has since posted one at myboca.us/3024/Film-Festival, which uses the new name, lists filmmakers 17 and older (18 and older for student categories) and links the festival’s FilmFreeway listing. The listing says student submissions are open at 17 and older and regular submissions at 18 and older, so confirm your category there. Where the official pages and the Tribune differ, follow the official pages.
Eligibility and deadlines (do not invent beyond this)
Primary public sources: the city festival page and the FilmFreeway listing. Secondary source: the Boca Raton Tribune, September 7, 2026, which first announced the festival.
| Rule | What the official sources state |
|---|---|
| Who | Florida-based filmmakers. The city festival page lists 17 and older (18 and older for student categories), but the FilmFreeway listing says student submissions are open at 17 and older and regular submissions at 18 and older. Confirm your category on FilmFreeway before you submit. The listing counts independent filmmakers based in Florida, students at a Florida institution and Florida natives. |
| Runtime | Shorts 3 to 15 minutes |
| Volume | Up to three different films per filmmaker |
| Portal | FilmFreeway |
| Fee | As of Oct. 8, 2026, the FilmFreeway listing shows no fee for either the Student or Regular category |
| Cover letter | Strongly encouraged: introduce yourself and share the story behind the film |
| Genre | All genres of short film are welcome; standout genres include Florida Identity, Student, Animation, Experimental, Drama, Documentary, Comedy and Horror (see the Categories and genre list on the FilmFreeway listing) |
| Opens | Tuesday, September 15, 2026 |
| Closes | December 1, 2026 |
| Notification | On or before January 3, 2027 |
| Final materials | Due January 20, 2027 from selected filmmakers |
| Premiere | Premiere status is not required but will be highlighted if relevant |
| Festival | Saturday, February 6, 2027 |
Status check Oct. 8, 2026: the window is open through Dec. 1 per the city festival page and the FilmFreeway listing, and the listing shows no fee for either category.
The official pages do not list a screening room, start times or ticket prices. If those appear in Library materials, check the source before you budget or promise a client a seat. The festival says premiere status is not required but will be highlighted if relevant, so do not sell a client a “local premiere” as a condition of entry.
FilmFreeway path: search Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival
Submissions are accepted through FilmFreeway. When we first mapped this festival on September 14, 2026, a public Dewey Film Festival submit page was not found at likely FilmFreeway addresses. The listing is now live as the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival on FilmFreeway, linked from the city festival page, with the Boca Raton Public Library as organizer and venue.
Owner instruction:
- Open the FilmFreeway listing from the city’s festival page, or search filmfreeway.com for “Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival” (the festival was announced as the “Dewey Film Festival”).
- Confirm the organizer is the Boca Raton Public Library, as described on the city festival page.
- Read the Dates & Deadlines, Eligibility, and Categories & Fees sections, and pick Student or Regular before you submit.
- Do not trust an invented link from a blog, Slack, or group chat until you see the same festival name, Florida-based / student 17+ or regular 18+ / 3 to 15 minute / no-fee language on the listing itself.
Fees: as of Oct. 8, 2026, the FilmFreeway listing shows no fee for either the Student or Regular category. Recheck the Categories & Fees section at checkout, and do not copy fee ladders from other Boca or SoFlo festivals onto this one.
Cover letter as the owner differentiator
The Tribune notes filmmakers are strongly encouraged to include a cover letter introducing themselves and sharing the story behind their film. For indie shops, that is not optional fluff. Treat it as a one-page owner brief:
- Who you are in Florida (city/county, shop name if you have one, role on the film).
- Why this short exists now: the problem, community, or creative question it answers.
- What the viewer should feel in the first ninety seconds.
- How selection would help your crew, clients, or next Florida project, without begging.
Keep it human. Programmers read dozens of synopses; a clear letter that sounds like a real Florida filmmaker beats a recycled festival template. If you submit up to three films, write a distinct letter (or a clearly labeled section) for each. Do not paste the same paragraph three times and hope volume wins.
Who is in the room on February 6: networking path, not name-dropping
The same Tribune release names the people shaping the inaugural edition. For Palm Beach / SoFlo owners, this is the networking map: show up prepared, not extractive.
Keynote: Professor JoAnne Adams, UCF School of Visual Arts and Design. The Tribune identifies her as a former 2D animator in Disney’s Ink and Paint Department. Owner takeaway: animation, craft history, and professional pipeline insight are part of the day’s design. Bring questions about craft and career paths, not only “how do I get distribution.”
Film selection panel: Alex Korp, Professor of Film at the UCF Nicholson School of Communication and Media; and Caitlin Hart, Graduate Student at the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design. Owner takeaway: selection is framed around academic and emerging-practice eyes alongside the Library’s community mission. Your cut should communicate clearly to both a professor and a graduate peer: clean story beats, honest credits, and a submission that does not hide technical shortcuts.
Festival facilitator: Liyah Francois, Library Assistant II (listed as Jaliyah Francois on the city festival page and the FilmFreeway listing). The Tribune quotes her on why she created the festival: seeing work onscreen puts years of making into perspective; she wants to give filmmakers chances to grow, form community, and become more experienced artists. Owner takeaway: this is a community-building premiere lane. Lead with gratitude and curiosity if you get in the room. Connect with other selected filmmakers and local audiences. Do not treat Library staff as a shortcut to UCF introductions.
What the Library says the festival is for
Per the Tribune, the festival is about giving local storytellers a place to be seen, heard, and celebrated. It is dedicated to showcasing diverse perspectives from Florida’s student and independent filmmaking community while fostering connections between filmmakers and audiences. The Library hopes artistic expression, technical skill, experimentation, and storytelling can share a big screen.
For shop owners, translate that into practical selection:
- Student thesis shorts and indie passion projects are in-scope language, not only commercial brand films.
- Experimentation is welcomed in the published framing: if your piece is formally bold, say so in the cover letter without overselling.
- Audience connection matters as much as craft flex. A Boca library Saturday is a public room, not a private industry screening.
Note: the FilmFreeway listing gives the venue as the Boca Raton Public Library at 400 NW 2nd Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33432, the Downtown Library address, and does not name a room. Spanish River Library is at 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (Library page). Confirm venue, time, and public ticketing with the Library after selection materials post. Do not invent a room.
Library contact published on the city site: brpl@myboca.us; general Library phone line 561-393-7852; Downtown 561-367-7019; Spanish River 561-393-7920. Use those for Library-side questions; use FilmFreeway’s festival contact for submission-tech issues.
Palm Beach / SoFlo indie owner map: local premiere plus calendar stacking
Think like a shop owner with a Florida catalog, not only like a director hunting laurels.
Local premiere path. A Saturday Library festival in Boca is a Palm Beach County public premiere opportunity for Florida shorts that may never get a downtown Miami night. If selected, plan cast/crew invites, a simple post-screening hospitality plan near the confirmed venue, and a stills/trailer kit ready before January notifications. Also note: the festival says premiere status is not required but will be highlighted if relevant, so read the FilmFreeway rules before you promise a client a “Florida premiere.”
Catalog triage now. You may submit up to three films. Rank by: (1) runtime inside 3 to 15 minutes, (2) rights cleared for festival exhibition, (3) story that fits a public library audience and student/indie framing, (4) submission readiness (synopsis, stills, letter). Do not burn all three slots on unfinished exports.
Client and sponsor proof. Official Selection language tied to Boca Raton Public Library is third-party validation you can put on a case-study page and leave-behind PDF. Pair it with stills once promotional rights are clarified in any selection agreement. Do not oversell outcomes the Library never promised: no invented distribution, grants, or industry meetings.
Calendar stack without collapsing programs. The festival’s December 1, 2026 close and February 6, 2027 fest sit on a crowded SoFlo shorts calendar. Related Gazette guides cover festivals with different rules, different fees and different rooms:
- FLIFFShorts / Made in Broward / Savor Cinema: Broward shorts corridor.
- Miami Media Festival Art Week deadline map: Miami Art Week / O Cinema submit path.
- 48 Hour Film Project Miami / Savor premiere: timed challenge + premiere logistics.
Owner move: put the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival on the same wall calendar as those lanes, then submit only where eligibility truly matches. Florida-only + library community framing is its lane.
Owner action map through December 1
Now (window open since September 15). Open the FilmFreeway listing for the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival. Save the rules, category list and dates. Pick Student or Regular: the city page lists 17 and older (18 and older for student categories), while the listing opens student submissions at 17 and older and regular submissions at 18 and older.
Next (through mid-October). Lock your shortlist of up to three cuts. Time each with credits. Start cover letters. Confirm music, likeness, and location clearances for a public Library screening. Email rights holders now if a client master agreement is silent on festivals.
October. Use the month for picture lock, English subtitles if needed, and clean FilmFreeway project pages (synopsis, stills, credits). The listing shows no fee as of Oct. 8, 2026, so put the budget into exports, subtitles and stills. Soft-hold February 6 on crew calendars.
November. Prefer submitting before Thanksgiving chaos. Upload early enough for file-processing latency. If you are holding a stronger cut that finishes mid-November, that can still work (the published close is December 1), but do not wait for the last hour.
December 1, 2026. Final submission day. Treat end-of-day FilmFreeway timestamps as unforgiving. Save confirmation emails for each film.
January 3, 2027. Notification deadline for selected filmmakers. Have press kits ready either way. If selected, reply fast to any Library delivery specs and participation forms.
January 20, 2027. Final materials are due from selected filmmakers, according to the city festival page and the FilmFreeway listing.
Saturday, February 6, 2027. Festival day. Arrive as a guest of a community room: watch other Florida shorts, thank facilitators, exchange contacts with peer filmmakers, and bring clients only if the public program and any guest policy allow it. Confirm logistics with the Library after selection. Do not invent call times.
Rights, honesty, and what not to promise
- Confirm you can exhibit the film publicly before you submit.
- Check genre eligibility on the FilmFreeway listing: all genres of short film are welcome.
- In client emails, link the listing itself (filmfreeway.com/BRPLFilmFestival) and say “submissions run September 15 through December 1 on FilmFreeway.”
- Do not promise clients a premiere: the festival says premiere status is not required but will be highlighted if relevant.
- Films primarily created through AI-generated content and without meaningful human creative direction, storytelling and authorship are not eligible, according to the city festival page and the FilmFreeway listing. Disclose any significant AI use.
- Do not treat selection as a job offer, grant, or distribution deal. Sell the room, the community, and the proof.
Related Sundaze maps
- South Florida film festival deadlines hub
- The Louies 2026 Miami documentary grants owner map
- Florida film incentives (what exists / who to call)
Where to Check Each Detail
- Boca Raton Tribune: Library announces first Dewey Film Festival: the September 7, 2026 announcement (secondary source) for the keynote speaker, the selection panel and the facilitator. It said 18 and older for all filmmakers; follow the official pages.
- Boca Raton Public Library (city site): hours, Downtown and Spanish River addresses, brpl@myboca.us and phone numbers.
- Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival (city festival page): the current festival name, the age rule (17 and older; 18 and older for student categories), key dates including final materials due Jan. 20, 2027, the AI rule and submission guidelines.
- Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival on FilmFreeway: the submission listing (open since Sept. 15, 2026), with the Student category at 17 and older and the Regular category at 18 and older, no fee for either as of Oct. 8, 2026, and the premiere and AI rules.
- Other South Florida shorts calls run on their own rules and dates. See the South Florida film festival deadlines hub for what is still open.
The Florida-only shorts window is open through December 1. Rank your cuts, draft the cover letters and open the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival listing on FilmFreeway, then confirm your category and every rule before you submit or promise a premiere.
Key Facts for Owners and Search
What is the Dewey Film Festival submission deadline?
The festival, now called the Boca Raton Public Library Film Festival, opened its FilmFreeway submission window Sept. 15, 2026, and it closes Dec. 1, 2026. Selected filmmakers are notified on or before Jan. 3, 2027, and festival day is Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027. As of Oct. 8, 2026, the window remains open on the published dates.
Who can submit to the Dewey Film Festival?
Florida-based filmmakers can submit short films of 3 to 15 minutes, up to three films each, through FilmFreeway. The city’s festival page lists filmmakers 17 and older (18 and older for student categories), but the FilmFreeway listing says student submissions are open at 17 and older and regular submissions at 18 and older. Confirm your category on FilmFreeway before you submit.
How much does it cost to submit to the Dewey Film Festival?
As of Oct. 8, 2026, the FilmFreeway listing shows no fee for either the Student or Regular category. The festival says premiere status is not required but will be highlighted if relevant. Recheck the Categories & Fees section on the listing before you submit, and do not copy fee ladders from other South Florida festivals onto this one.
Who is behind the Dewey Film Festival?
Boca Raton Public Library hosts the festival, now named for the library. Per the Boca Raton Tribune, the keynote speaker is Professor JoAnne Adams of the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design, the film selection panel is Alex Korp of the UCF Nicholson School of Communication and Media and graduate student Caitlin Hart, and Library Assistant II Liyah Francois is the festival facilitator.
Where is the Dewey Film Festival held and who do I contact?
The FilmFreeway listing gives the venue as the Boca Raton Public Library at 400 NW 2nd Ave, Boca Raton, the Downtown Library address, and does not name a room. Spanish River Library is at 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd. Library questions go to brpl@myboca.us or 561-393-7852. Confirm the room, time and ticketing with the Library after selection materials post.
