Filmmaker Friday is a creative community that hosts monthly gatherings around the NYC area to foster a place for creatives to meet, connect, and grow together.
Schedule
See our upcoming events calendar below.
Date, 2025
Date, 2025
August 29, 2025
September 5, 2025
October 17, 2025
November 14, 2025
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We send monthly updates about upcoming events for you to attend.
Follow along on Instagram.
By the Numbers
Here’s a look at some key insights from our April survey, highlighting what makes Filmmaker Friday a growing hub for NYC's film community.
Unique attendees in 11 months.
Of attendees have attended five or more events in the last 10 months.
Brand Partner Inquiry
As we continue to grow, we're looking for brand partners who want to support and engage with filmmakers, storytellers, and industry professionals. If you're interested in sponsorship opportunities, let's connect.
Panelist Inquiry
We are always looking for industry leaders, with valuable insights to share. If you have experience that could benefit the community and would like to be considered for a future panel, we'd love to hear from you.
Insights from Our Guests
“The filmmaker hangout was like network central. There were so many filmmakers, actors, and so many more people that I was able to talk to and meet that I’m now working with!”
- Tumi A
“The recent Filmmaker Friday held at CineCity was an incredibly rewarding event to attend, from its informative and inspiring panel with LaRoyce Hawkins, Mickey O’Sullivan, and Jerod Haynes, to the camaraderie of the attendees, creating a space where creativity and connections could be cultivated.” - Alyx P
“Filmmaker Friday has been a monthly highlight for me and has recently helped me land an acting role through its networking opportunities! I have met so many wonderful people in this industry in the span of these past five months that would normally take years to develop close relationships with.” - Alvaro A
“I enjoyed the filmmaker networking event because it provided a great opportunity to connect with other industry professionals interested in collaboration and sharing insights about their work. The space cultivated a welcoming and creative atmosphere that encouraged meaningful conversations with newcomers and seasoned industry professionals alike.”
- Seeta M
Event Archives
Explore past events, featured guests, and the conversations that have shaped Filmmaker Friday.
Featured Guests - Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3
About Your Host
The roots of Filmmaker Friday NYC trace back to 2019, when Parker began hosting filmmaker events after moving to the city. At the time, there was a noticeable lack of consistent community events for creatives, and these gatherings helped fill that gap.
Although Parker’s original events paused during the pandemic, the mission remained clear.After the pandemic, Bram VanderMark started Filmmaker Friday NYC as a casual way for filmmakers to catch up over coffee. When Bram later moved away, Parker asked if he could continue the gatherings—and took over the name and concept, expanding it into something larger while building on the same spirit of connection.
All events are free by design. Parker believes that connecting with fellow creatives should never come at a cost.
Sign up for our newsletter and follow our Instagram page for updates and event announcements. Once you RSVP on Partiful for an event, your phone number is saved in our database, so you will receive SMS announcements when a new event is posted.
Events are typically announced as late as 6 days, and as early as 4 weeks from an event. We only publish RSVP links once the next upcoming event is the one we are actively promoting. This ensures there is no overlap between events and helps keep things organized. If you're looking for an RSVP link and don’t see one yet, it means the current event is still in focus—stay tuned, and we’ll share the link when the time is right!
Filmmaker Friday partners with various venues around NYC, including the McCarren Parkhouse. Each event announcement will specify the location.
We typically host at least one event per month.
Once an event is announced, we post our Partiful link, which will allow you to respond yes, no or maybe to attending an event. No matter what, you sign up with your name and phone number, and your information is saved in our database so you will receive future event announcements automatically.
Yes! Filmmaker Friday events are free to attend, but RSVPs are required as space is limited.
We host networking events and panel discussion events. Networking events are simple, you show up and network, with no structure. Panel discussion events are networking events, with a structured and moderated panel discussion in the middle. A panel discussion will normally run 60-75 minutes, with networking before and after. Most of our events run 6-9pm.
Panels will feature industry professionals covering relevant topics to our industry. Past panels have covered topics like: Navigating film festivals, The future of AI in filmmaking, Post-production workflows, On-screen talent and casting, and Documentary filmmaking.
Filmmaker Friday has featured industry professionals, including directors, producers, editors, and executives from platforms like Netflix, HBO, National Geographic, and more.
Each of our venues have different capabilities when it comes to beverage and food consumption. Some events will have a bar with drinks available for purchase, other venues will have alcohol-free beverages available.
Filmmakers, creatives, producers, directors, actors & actresses, production assistants, videographers, editors, voice over actors, camera operators, drone pilots, writers, VFX specialists, photographers, sound mixers, screenwriters, creative directors, agency producers, executive producers, production designers, art directors, assistant directors, gaffers, grips, boom operators, best boy's, key grips, costume designers, makeup artists, hair stylists, special effects supervisors, stunt coordinators, colorists, and anyone else! Let us know if we missed your title :)
That means our event is full. We have certain venues that have a hard limit with their capacities. Unless someone responds 'no' to an event, you have to wait until you get on the guest list for an event to attend. Guests lists change as people's availability changes. If you can't make it, make sure you sign up faster for the next event to ensure you have a spot!
Yes, there is an option to add a +1 when you RSVP on our Partiful site. If the event fills up and you revisit the Partiful site to add a +1 later, you won't be able to, as the event has reached capacity.
Filmmaker Friday is a growing community, and volunteers are always appreciated. Send us a message on Instagram, or send us an email!
Filmmaker Friday is always open to ideas! Suggestions can be submitted through the website’s contact form or by reaching out via Instagram DMs. We carefully curate each panel discussion to ensure a strong balance of perspectives, expertise, and relevance to the event’s theme. Our panelists are selected based on the specific topics we develop for each event to maintain the high-quality standard that makes Filmmaker Friday a valuable experience for our audience. Each panel is carefully curated by the host, Parker Foster.
Yes! Students are encouraged to come to our events to network, learn, and meet new people in the industry.