Twelve years is a long time to keep believing in an idea, particularly one centered on giving independent filmmakers a platform in an industry where visibility, recognition, and meaningful opportunities can be difficult to find. For Richard Oliver Jr., Founder and Creative Director of the ICP Entertainment Film Festival, that persistence has helped shape a New York City film celebration that continues to grow while holding onto its original purpose.
Founded alongside Co-Founder Veena Kondapalli, the ICP Entertainment Film Festival emerged from a firsthand understanding of the independent filmmaking experience. From the beginning, the goal was to create an inclusive space where storytellers from New York, across the United States, and around the world could have their work screened, celebrated, and connected with a wider creative community.
The 12th annual edition marks the festival’s largest expansion yet.
From October 23 to 27, 2026, the festival will expand into a full five-day New York City experience. The program includes three days of international film screenings, along with Opening and Closing Red Carpet Dinner Galas. The larger format reflects years of persistence and rebuilding, as well as a continuing commitment to keeping independent cinema at the heart of a community that has endured significant challenges.
Few corners of the arts escaped the disruption caused by COVID-19, and independent filmmakers were among those whose creative ecosystems were hit especially hard. Productions, screenings, festivals, networking opportunities, and live cultural gatherings were interrupted, postponed, or forced to adapt. For organizations whose purpose depends on bringing people together, the pandemic presented a challenge that could not be addressed simply by waiting for normality to return.
ICP Entertainment had to rebuild. That rebuilding effort makes the festival’s 12-year milestone especially significant. Reaching this point means maintaining a creative community through uncertainty and continuing to build opportunities for storytellers after a period that fundamentally changed the arts and entertainment landscape.
The Red Carpet Opening Night & Dinner Gala will be held at Saar Indian Bistro in Times Square, with a three-course menu from Michelin-starred Chef Hemant Mathur. The evening is planned as a celebration bringing together filmmakers, creatives, supporters, media, and guests in a setting that captures some of the ceremony associated with major cultural events such as Cannes, The Met Gala, and the Oscars, while staying grounded in the closer, community-driven atmosphere of independent film.
The setting places independent filmmakers inside a level of ceremony usually associated with much larger industry events. Independent storytellers will be celebrated in one of the world’s most recognizable cultural cities, with the scale of the occasion matched by the personal nature of the work being presented.
The festival’s programming also reaches into subjects carrying significant human and social weight. ICP Entertainment has continued to support films addressing important issues, including through its Mental Illness Filmmakers Challenge. Inspired by Richard Oliver Jr.’s own experience as a mental-health survivor, the initiative reflects his belief that cinema can confront stigma and create space for people whose experiences may otherwise remain unheard.
The initiative extends the festival’s work beyond screenings and red-carpet events. Independent filmmaking often creates room for stories that larger commercial systems may overlook, and ICP Entertainment has continued to position those voices within its broader sense of community.
After 12 years, the festival’s history is defined by determination. It has involved building a platform, navigating disruption, rebuilding after unprecedented circumstances, and continuing to expand while keeping sight of the filmmakers and supporters who made that journey possible.
In 2026, the anniversary arrives alongside the festival’s most ambitious format yet, bringing five days of screenings, gatherings, and community events to New York City.
BE PART OF THE 12TH ANNUAL ICP ENTERTAINMENT FILM FESTIVAL.
Filmmakers, film lovers, media, sponsors, community supporters, and groups are invited to take part in the five-day NYC celebration from October 23 to 27, 2026.
For group discounts on VIP tickets for the Opening and Closing Red Carpet Dinner Gala and all three days of screenings, please get in touch.
ATTEND • SUPPORT • SPONSOR • CONNECT
Festival Website: icpentfilmfestival.com
Press & Media Credentials Application: icpentfilmfestival.com
Official October 23rd Promo Video: https://youtu.be/8vEqhykUjp4?si=9c–RXgUpeVn9_Bt
Festival YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3HSGJKhsTK0TSRNJFLE7jDWtgHU1elWr&si=7lPulpKZ7wPGCTXZ
Subscribe to YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@therhymeimpersonatorshow
Instagram: #icpentfilmfestival
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icpentshortfilmseries
TikTok: @icpentfilmfestiva
Contact: icpentnyc@gmail.com
Text: 212-470-0871