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October 2nd & 3rd, 2026

Welcome to the Nine Central Film Festival!

What started as an excuse to make movies with friends and show them in our backyard has evolved into… pretty much the same thing, but in a theater!

For the past four years, Nine Central has been proud to spotlight original shorts from across New England and beyond to a sold-out crowd at the historic Jane Pickens Theater in downtown Newport, RI. In keeping with our DIY, friends creating with friends ethos, we encourage filmmakers of all levels to submit. From the professional with the Alexa to the kid with an iPhone, everyone is encouraged to create something and submit.

See you on the red carpet!

9 Central - Film Freeway Banner_edited.jpg

About You

Jane Pickens Theater

Each night, the festival presents a different selection of 10-15 short films from any genre. The standard entry is between 2 and 10 minutes. The event runs from 7:30 - 10 pm each night. Chat with the cast and crew of the films you liked after the show. The filmmakers who are selected have been chosen based on their availability to attend the screening.

Categories include:

Live action

Documentary

Music Video

Experimental

Animation

and more!

Selected films fall into one of our three pillars:

Comedy, Inspiring, or New England-focused