Christian Media Beat: Hard Faith Fest Returns to New York With Two Days of Independent Christian Film

Hard Faith Fest is heading back to New York City this December, bringing independent filmmakers, actors and audiences together for two days of films, discussions and workshops.

The second annual Hard Faith Fest NYC takes place December 4–5 at E91 in Manhattan. The event will include film screenings, filmmaker conversations, panels, workshops and an awards show, with this year's theme being “He Shall Reign,” inspired by Handel's Messiah.

The festival grew out of filmmaker Spencer Folmar's feeling that Christian media was overlooking people dealing with difficult circumstances and complicated lives, and he wanted to create space for films that could deal with those subjects honestly while still exploring faith and redemption.

That's still the thinking behind Hard Faith, too - Folmar has made it clear that Christian films don't need to wrap everything up with a neat ending or turn the final scene into a sermon. The aim is to tell honest stories about people and the world they live in, without losing sight of hope.

There's more to the event than simply watching films, too. Co-organizer McKenna Folmar says the festival is also about bringing people together, and previous attendees have gone on to meet collaborators and work on projects together.

One of the main attractions is Friday's Pitch Fest, where filmmakers and writers can present their projects to judges and an audience and receive feedback - Saturday will include the awards show, with a red carpet and interviews celebrating the filmmakers involved.

Hard Faith Fest NYC takes place December 4–5, 2026. More information, tickets and event details are available through the official Hard Faith Fest website. The organizers also spoke about the festival's approach to filmmaking and what attendees can expect in an interview with Family Media News.

Hard Faith Fest Returns to New York With Two Days of Independent Christian Film

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