FootageFest Expands to Brooklyn for First East Coast Edition, October 1–3
This fall, the world’s premier gathering for archival storytelling and third-party content arrives on the East Coast for the first time. FootageFest will take place October 1–3 at the BRIC Arts Center in Brooklyn, bringing together filmmakers, archivists, producers, and rights experts for three days of insight, access, and collaboration.
After several successful years in Los Angeles—where over 400 members of the archival still, film and video community have gathered annually—FootageFest now brings its uniquely hands-on, solutions-driven experience to New York.
WHO'S WHO OF FFEST 26
Leading this year’s lineup is legendary archivist Rick Prelinger, whose archives are one of the most influential collections of films in the United States, now housed at the Library of Congress. FootageFest will be inducting this pioneer into their hall-of-fame for his longtime advocacy for media preservation, and his dedication to making historical footage freely available for creative reuse.
Also appearing will be filmmaker Jenn Nelson, along with her attorney Mark Rifkin, whose landmark federal court victory helped return the iconic “Happy Birthday” song to the public domain.
Fox Archives is returning as lead sponsor, and our two-day exhibit hall continues to grow with over two dozen archives already confirmed—including first-timers AFP News, Amazing Aerials and Third World Newsreel—offering attendees direct access to the people and collections that can help bring projects to life.
THIS YEAR'S PANELS
The conference program features a dynamic slate of panels and case studies, including:
- The “Happy Birthday” Case: One Filmmaker’s Successful Fight to Reclaim a Public Anthem
- Feeding the Machine: Should Archives License Footage to AI?
- The Fair Use Conundrum: The Rights of Storytellers vs. the Vanishing License Fee
- Best Practices: Working with an Archive Producer; Working with an Archivist
- The Public Domain Primer: Clearing the Confusion
- Show & Tell: Public Domain
- Show & Tell: The Evolution of the Photographic Image
- Case Study: From Ruins to Renewal…Capturing the Rebuild Post-9/11
- Introducing “Orphans”: Footage No One Owns—But Everyone Should See
WELCOME TO BRIC HOUSE
This Fall 2026, our venue is BRIC HOUSE in Brooklyn. That’s right, we’re bringing our annual celebration of the archival community to a whole new city. Same deep industry conversations, same footage-packed expo, same finger on the pulse, in an all new backdrop of NYC.
BRIC House gives FootageFest a new kind of exhibition floor. Our home this year will be in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, a new energy from our usual beachy LA and a whole new network to explore. The space exudes warehouse cool – it’s open, design led and built for flow.
As for our panels, the contemporary space has a state-of-the-art performance in the centre of it all. Add in a central café and plenty of seating and you have an exhibitor’s footraffic dream.
In New York, we’re expanding to the still image community. Photo licensers, publishers, and advertising agencies are invited to join us for a dedicated panel on today’s still licensing industry — its challenges, opportunities, and future.
NEW TO FOOTAGEFEST?
Founded in 2018, FootageFest is the global gathering place for professionals working with third-party visual content—including stock footage, archival film, photography, and stills collections.
