Follow Your Heart Film Festival is an international film festival founded in 2022. Based in Miami, the festival is now taking place in New York for the third time — continuing to expand its global presence and bring together filmmakers and creative voices from over 100 countries worldwide.
Through screenings, red carpets, educational programs, and cross-industry collaborations at the intersection of cinema, fashion, and art, the festival creates a platform for new voices — shaping the future of contemporary cinema and supporting film professionals around the world.
Submissions
There is no participation fee. All participants are selected through a competitive application and review process. Filmmakers can apply via FilmFreeway or reach out directly for programming inquiries.
What happens at the festival
Official selection screenings across narrative, documentary, and short-form categories. Red carpet premieres. Educational panels with working filmmakers, producers, and industry leaders. Cross-pollination events with partners in fashion and visual art. Awards recognizing outstanding work across multiple categories.
Sponsor support opportunities
Sponsor support makes our public film programming possible. The opportunities below describe how we will recognize sponsors at the festival. Recognition is intended as acknowledgment of your support, not promotional advertising. Please review the Sponsor Recognition Guidelines and Deductibility & Fair Market Value Disclosure at the bottom of this section for important terms.
Our audience. Follow Your Heart Film Festival is a curated cultural platform at the intersection of cinema, fashion, and art, bringing together an international audience. Guests include filmmakers, producers, actors, designers, stylists, creative professionals, media, and cultural tastemakers — a core age range of 25–45 with an additional 45+ segment of industry professionals and cultural patrons. We cultivate a carefully curated community that supports meaningful partnerships and substantive audience engagement.
Logo Connection
- Sponsor name and logo displayed on the FYH Film Festival press wall and event invitations.
- Sponsor identification slide (name, logo, and a one-line neutral description of products or services) included in the pre-show sponsor acknowledgment reel shown before festival screenings.
- Fifteen (15) complimentary event admissions for sponsor's guests, clients, and colleagues. Estimated fair market value applies — see Deductibility note.
Official Partner — Exhibition / Pop-Up
- Sponsor name and logo on the press wall and event invitations.
- Sponsor identification slide in the pre-show sponsor acknowledgment reel.
- One (1) acknowledgment post on the FYH Film Festival official Instagram account recognizing the sponsor's support — name, logo, and neutral identifying information.
- Fifteen (15) complimentary event admissions. Estimated fair market value applies.
- Photo report (minimum 10 photos) and event video report provided to the sponsor.
- Display / sampling presence in the event welcome area: the sponsor may display its name, logo, and actual products, and may distribute product samples to attendees. Rails and furniture are provided by the festival. On-site retail sales are handled under a separate booth license — see On-Site Sales below.
Executive Partner
- Sponsor name and logo on the press wall and event invitations.
- Sponsor identification slide in the pre-show sponsor acknowledgment reel.
- Sponsor acknowledgment in select partner publications covering the festival — limited to name, logo, and neutral identifying information.
- Two (2) acknowledgment posts on the FYH Film Festival official Instagram account — name, logo, and neutral identifying information.
- Product gifting opportunity: the sponsor may provide its own product(s) for inclusion in VIP guest gift bags distributed by the festival.
- Display / sampling presence in the event welcome area (as in the Official Partner tier).
- Fifteen (15) complimentary event admissions. Estimated fair market value applies.
- Photo report (minimum 10 photos) and event video report provided to the sponsor.
Title Partner
- All elements of the Executive Partner tier, plus:
- Prominent "Title Partner" designation in festival acknowledgments — name and logo in the largest sponsor tier on signage, program, press wall, and acknowledgment reel.
- 3.5 × 3.5 ft display stand in the guest reception area for sponsor-provided product samples, neutral product displays, and informational literature consistent with the Sponsor Recognition Guidelines.
- Inclusion of the sponsor's product or branded materials in festival behind-the-scenes photography and video, as a neutral display (not a scripted product endorsement).
- Thirty (30) complimentary event admissions. Estimated fair market value applies.
Sponsor Recognition Guidelines (applies to all tiers)
As a 501(c)(3) public charity, VUGA Foundation Inc. recognizes sponsors through acknowledgment rather than paid advertising. All sponsor-supplied materials used in festival channels — acknowledgment reels, social posts, signage, publications, on-site displays, gift-bag items, and literature — must be limited to: the sponsor's name, logo, and established trade or brand names; general contact information (address, phone, website, social handles); a neutral, factual description or listing of the sponsor's products or services; and display or distribution of the sponsor's actual products or samples.
Sponsor-supplied materials may not contain: qualitative or comparative claims (e.g., "best," "#1," "superior"); pricing, discount, or savings information; calls to action or inducements to purchase (e.g., "buy now," "visit our store," "order today"); endorsements of the sponsor's products or services by the Festival or the Foundation; or messages whose primary purpose is to induce sales. The Foundation reviews and approves all sponsor-supplied materials before use and may request edits or substitutions.
On-Site Sales (handled by the event producer, not by VUGA Foundation Inc.)
Sponsors who wish to sell products on-site during the festival must arrange that directly with the event producer under a separate Vendor Booth License Agreement at fair market value. VUGA Foundation Inc. does not sell or license booth space. Booth fees are commercial transactions between the sponsor and the producer — they are not part of any sponsorship contribution to VUGA Foundation Inc., are not a charitable contribution, and are not tax-deductible through the Foundation. For booth availability and rates, please contact the event producer directly.
Deductibility & Fair Market Value Disclosure
VUGA Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity; contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Under IRS rules, the deductible portion of a sponsorship payment is the amount that exceeds the fair market value (FMV) of any goods or services the sponsor receives in return. For each tier, complimentary admissions, display / sampling space, and any other quantifiable benefits have an estimated FMV which is not deductible; the remainder of the payment is the tax-deductible charitable contribution.
VUGA Foundation Inc. will provide each sponsor with a written acknowledgment stating the payment amount, a description and good-faith FMV estimate of the return benefits, and the resulting deductible amount — as required by IRC §§ 170(f)(8) and 6115. VUGA Foundation Inc. does not provide tax advice; sponsors should consult their own advisors regarding deductibility.