In the Spotlight: Directing the NYU Sports Film Festival

Celebrating Sports Storytelling

The multiday NYU Sports Film Festival features industry panels, film screenings, networking opportunities, and a contest to pitch projects to media producers. The event is coproduced with the NYU Production Lab, NYU Athletics, and the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. Other partners include NYU Tisch Undergraduate Film and Television program and media companies PlayersTV and SNY.

For the festival, NYU students, alumni, and creatives from around the globe submit films sharing nuanced, diverse stories in sports. Fun fact: The 2025 festival drew submissions from 22 states and 17 countries! “It’s a place for people who are fans of sport, cinema, and human stories to meet and mingle and watch really great films,” says Niko. “Filmmakers fly in from across the world, which is really cool for a student-led event. It’s a highlight for me to meet those people, hear their stories, and see the joy it brings them to show their film and be on stage.”

Speakers and attendees come from leading organizations such as Major League Baseball, HBO Sports, NFL Films, ESPN, CBS Sports, and Amazon. Acclaimed actors, crew members, writers, and athletes (including an Olympic gold-medalist) have also been featured guests.

The 2026 festival this April will be bigger than ever. The event has grown from two nights to three and has added a feature film premiere to its lineup of shorts. There’s also a new sports photography competition, with opportunities to win cash prizes and a media pass to shoot pitch-side at a Major League Soccer game. “Whether you’re a film or sports student or not, there’s going to be something for you at this festival,” says Niko.

Learning from Leading

The Sports Film Festival has been a cornerstone of Niko’s NYU experience from day one, when he met an orientation leader who served as the festival’s first student director. Niko knew immediately that he wanted to be involved, so the two stayed in touch. Soon, he stepped in as assistant director, shadowing her with the intent to take over after she graduated.

As a sophomore, Niko returned ready to fill the shoes of director and continue growing the festival. Now in his second year as director, Niko leads a team of undergraduate and graduate NYU students focused on event management, marketing, PR, partnerships, and more. He works directly with industry professionals, ranging from athletes and agents to screenwriters and directors. Following the festival, Niko also helps produce an hour-long special about the event to air on SNY.

“A lot goes on at once, and I’ve gotten to learn about so many different areas,” he says. “It feels like being a mini-executive, and I don’t think that’s something any class could have taught me on its own.”

Building a Future in Sports

Though he no longer plays organized sports, NYU Sport Management has given Niko a way to stay involved in the industry he grew up loving. His classes have provided a strong foundation for his leadership of the film festival and his roles with other campus groups, including an internship with NYU Athletics and his position as director of communications for the NYU Sports Business Society .

Beyond his major, Niko is a Spanish minor who studied away at NYU Madrid and NYU Buenos Aires, where he worked for the Buenos Aires Times. His time abroad also sparked a love of soccer, leading him to his current role as an event operations intern with the New York Red Bulls soccer team. “At Sports Illustrated Stadium, I get to put my hands to work creating and literally setting up and building events,” he says. “I’m interested in the storytelling, whether on a screen or in person, watching it unfold live.”

While Niko isn’t sure which direction his career will take, he does have a wealth of impressive experiences to share with potential employers—and an amazing network built during his time at NYU and the Sports Film Festival. “My team and I get a lot of exposure and interactions with people in the industry,” says Niko. “These people know how I work and what I can do, so that adds an extra layer to the connections you build. My hope is that when I graduate, that network will come back to help.”