The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival explores altered states of consciousness through cinema, music and visual media in New York City. Its selection includes short films and features, experimental work, animation, science fiction, horror and documentaries about psychedelics and transpersonal experience. The festival also welcomes live music, trance work and virtual-reality installations, connecting its film programme with other approaches to perception.
Directed by Daniel Abella, the festival combines international screenings with discussions of consciousness and psychedelic research. The dates for the 2026 edition are 17 October 2026, with screenings at the Producers Club Theaters and Cinema Village, including a documentary presentation and panel discussion.
Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Short, Virtual Reality, Screenplay
Awards and prizes
Winners receive help with promotion, marketing and professional contacts. Award categories cover psychedelic features and shorts, documentaries and transpersonal documentaries, experimental work, animation, science fiction and horror, music videos, psychedelic music, electronic and trance music, and screenplays.
Festival rules
Films and music must meet the requirements of the selected submission category. Submitters must provide truthful information, hold authorization and all necessary rights and permissions, and confirm that the work is not subject to actual or threatened litigation. Accepted works may be screened for the festival and non-commercial promotion, and clips may be extracted for publicity. The festival disclaims responsibility for loss of or damage to screening copies in transit or in its possession. Submitters indemnify the organizers against claims relating to their work.
Award recipients must be designated; an award may be forfeited without a designated recipient. If the designated person cannot attend, the credited director or producer may accept. Selected participants must supply television-ready media clips by the notified deadline. Critics may review films before the festival. Submitters pay shipping costs. Film names, supplied images and logos may be used on the website, in print and in publicity. Accepted works are used only for the submitted festival year, not other events or exhibitions. Accepted submissions may not be withdrawn, and screening materials must arrive at least one week before the festival.
