The Socially Relevant ™ Film Festival (SRFF) is proud to announce it is now officially a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions donated to SRFF are fully tax-deductible.

Following its highly successful 2017 Festival, the fifth edition of the annual event is scheduled for March 16 to 22, 2018 at Cinema Village and neighboring venues. For a taste of what is coming, check out the 2018 submission trailers here.

"Obtaining the non-profit status opens many new doors to expand fundraising and to seek new foundation and government grants to more fully realize SRFF goals as a cultural organization," said Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani (ratedsrfilms@gmail.com). "It reinforces our position as the pre-eminent venue for raising awareness of social issues through the powerful medium of cinema," she added.

The festival has screened more than 200 films from 35 countries by a diverse range of established and emerging filmmakers, including several previous nominees for Oscars, Emmy's and other awards. Submissions are still open (https://filmfreeway.com/SRFF18) through December 14.

Over the years, SRFF has enjoyed support from activists and personalities such as Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Erin Brockovich, Martin Sheen, Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning writer Robert Schenkkan, prolific and best-selling French novelist Marc Levy, Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winner Guy Davidi, French activist and documentary filmmaker Rokhaya Diallo, American TV commentator and author Gretchen Carlson, and Liaison Officer of Tibet and the Dalai Lama, Kunga Tashi.

"We are running ahead of last year's pace with more than 400 films already entered for 2018," Armani said. "We are also seeing tremendous interest from sponsors from our previous festival editions as well as newcomers."

Sponsorship inquiries can be sent to ratedsrfilms@gmail.com.

About SRFF: SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival New York is a premier catalyst in supporting the production of Socially Relevant™ content in narrative feature, documentary and VR/360º films through:

● Showcasing filmmakers and helping them develop new films that address socially relevant topics in an entertaining manner designed to reach a wider audience.

● Offering educational sessions in the form of workshops, industry panels, and consultancies.

● Fostering industry professionals and tastemakers to effect change by showing that SR films can be entertaining, funny, enlightening, uplifting, appealing and when made well commercially viable.

● Identifying socially relevant content and reaching new audiences by using online social media and other marketing strategies.

● Assisting sales and distribution companies in selecting and distributing socially relevant content.

● Establishing international partnerships (with film festivals, film commissions, industry partners) in order to support a currently underserved style of motion pictures in the marketplace