New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/18/2016 --Manhattan Film Festival has officially announced the dates for the 2017 edition. The festival will take place April 19th through April 30th and will once again offer a fierce alternative to mainstream fare. This alternative became decisively clear last season after MFF stood strongly on the side of freedom of expression. The festival is firmly against the suppression of filmmaker views and will not cave to political or corporate pressure. As a truly independent festival in the media capital of the world it is a responsibility they take very seriously.

While they will not shy away from controversial selections they work very hard to program a very diverse film lineup. MFF will program about 150 films featuring the work of well-established industry veterans, emerging talent, and student filmmakers. It will be a well-balanced lineup of all traditional genres. In addition to both feature and short films, the festival will also be programing pilots for both scripted and reality television. They introduced this format during the 2016 edition and want to build on that success.

Since their inception MFF has continuously worked to develop new and creatives programs to help filmmakers pursue a career in filmmaking. This includes their widely popular profit sharing program. In 2017 they will be introducing filmmaker advisory services. This program will give selected filmmakers an opportunity to schedule advisory sessions with industry professionals such as entertainment lawyers, marketing agencies, and distributors. Unlike any time in history filmmaking is both an art and a business.

In addition to this new program they will also be working with Independent Features to allow filmmakers to post job opportunities. This service will allow filmmakers to receive bids from industry professionals. They will have the opportunity to post either paid or volunteer positions. Unlike job boards, filmmakers will be able to view the applicants profile and their portfolios or reels.

With these new programs MFF hopes to connect filmmakers and industry professionals before, during, and after the festival in April. They hope these programs help build the community and foster professional relationships. The Manhattan film festival will officially open their submission season on September 6th. A complete list of deadlines and other information can be found on their website.