The Sixth Borough Film Festival

• Important Dates

  September 3, 2025	Opening Date for Submissions
  November 20, 2025	Earlybird Deadline
  December 22, 2025	Regular Deadline
  January 12, 2026	Extended Deadline
  February 2, 2026	Notification
  April 10 – 12, 2026	Film Festival

• Honorary Jury Member - Enid Kent

  Biography

  Enid Kent was born in Los Angeles into a distinguished theatrical family. Margaret Hamilton — the iconic Wicked Witch of the West from the classic film The Wizard of Oz introduced her parents at a Hollywood bingo party. Her mother, Irene Tedrow, was a celebrated character actress, and her father, William Kent, was a dramatist and producer. Immersed in the performing arts from an early age, she made her stage debut at just ten-years-old, setting the foundation for a lifelong career in theatre and television.

  Kent graduated from Hollywood High School in 1962 and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University in 1967. Following her studies, she joined the American Conservatory Theatre, where she performed from 1967 to 1969 and further honed her professional craft.

  In 1969, she relocated to New York City, where, like many actresses, she juggled various jobs while pursuing stage opportunities. During this period, she appeared in three productions at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park—A Streetcar Named Desire, The Comedy of Errors, and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. She later performed on Broadway in two productions with Tony and Academy Award winners Henry Fonda, Our Town and The Time of Your Life, portraying the girlfriend of Richard Dreyfuss in the latter.

  Kent returned to California in 1973 and transitioned into a successful career in television. She is best known for her recurring role as Nurse Bigelow on the acclaimed series M*A*S*H, a performance that continues to resonate with audiences decades later. She still receives monthly autograph requests from fans who fondly recall her work on the series.

  In addition to her contributions to the performing arts, Kent has tirelessly dedicated fourteen years and counting of service to Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization providing essential nourishment to individuals affected by serious illness. In recognition of her thousands of hours of volunteer work, Kent was recently honored by the City of Los Angeles with a Certificate of Appreciation. Her commitment to those in need reflects a long-standing devotion to community care and advocacy.

  Kent’s career encompasses notable achievements across theatre, television, and humanitarian service. Her body of work and ongoing engagement with the public continue to honor the legacy of the artistic and philanthropic household in which she was raised.

• Faculty Judges

  Jeff Cherubini, Ph.D.  (Fiction, Documentary, Bronx Tales, Student Films)

  Dr. Cherubini is Professor of Kinesiology with an expertise in exercise and sport psychology, emphasizing an eco-developmental perspective to his work with physical activity motivation, health promotion, and sport performance.

  Carol Ciancutti, M.Ed., LMHC (Fiction, Documentary, Bronx Tales)

  Ciancutti is an Adjunct Professor of Mental Health Counseling. Her practice is grounded in a holistic, trauma-informed approach that integrates EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and narrative therapy. Ciancutti also is a filmmaker who has produced and directed Shaping the Future and Absolutely Safe.

  Thom Gencarelli, Ph.D. (Music Videos, Horror)

  Dr. Gencarelli is Professor of Communication and specializes in media literacy. He is a Past President of the Media Ecology Association, the New York State Communication Association, and the New Jersey Communication Association, Treasurer and member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of General Semantics, and Editor of the Institute's official journal, ETC: A Review of General Semantics. He is also guitarist and singer for the band bluerace.

  Margaret Groarke, Ph.D. (Documentary, Bronx Tales, Student Films)

  Dr. Groarke leads the Community Engaged Learning project with Manhattan University and The Bronx. She is involved in several Bronx-based community organizations and researches voter registration procedures and voter suppression activities and the political action of ordinary people, primarily through grassroots social movements and community organizations. She is a long-time leader of the Peace and Justice program at Manhattan University.

  Deirdre O'Leary, Ph.D. (Fiction, Documentary, Student Films)

  Dr. O’Leary is Associate Professor of English with specialties in Contemporary Women Dramatists, Political Theatre, and Contemporary Irish and British Theatre. Most recently, she interviewed the best-selling author James Patterson at a public event celebrating Manhattan University.

  Mark Pottinger, Ph.D. (Music Videos, Horror)

  Dr. Pottinger is Professor of Sound Studies and chair of the Communication, Sound, and Media Arts Department. As a musicologist, he regularly lectures for the Metropolitan Opera and their HD Live in Schools education program. He is currently serving as co-chief editor of Sound Studies Review, an international peer-reviewed music journal.

  Laura Redruello, Ph.D. (Documentary)

  Dr. Redruello is Professor of Modern Languages and Literature and specializes in Latin American Literature and the national and cultural identity within the literature, music and film of the Caribbean. She has published and lectured extensively about Cuban cultural production.

  Evelyn Scaramella, Ph.D. (Fiction, Documentary, Bronx Tales, Student Films)

  Dr. Scaramella is Chair of the Department of English, World Languages & Literature. Her current book project, Anti-fascist Archives: The Avant-Garde, Translation, and the Spanish Civil War, explores how translation forged transnational networks of antifascist solidarity and preserved literary legacies across Spain, the Americas, and Britain. She is also co-editing two volumes: Fabulous Leviathan: Visions of New York in Modern Iberian Culture, 1875–1975 and Translation and Cultural Mediation: New Critical Approaches to Women Intellectuals of Early 20th Century Spain. Dr. Scaramella teaches several courses on Spanish culture and film.

International Submissions by Region