Some drone owners fly their quadcopters up and down in a park. Maybe their backyard. They might even sometimes make little loops in the air. That's neat. A select few, however, don't waste their time with such frivolities. They're using their drones to make movies—buzzing their aircraft low over a bubbly magma-filled volcano, or sweeping down into a dark underground abyss, or directing live action narratives that explore new, artistic forms of expression.These are the types of drone pilots that ply their trade at the New York City Drone Film Festival, the first event dedicated solely to drone cinematography. And that is not me. But it might be you: the festival recently announced that they're now taking submissions for the 2017 event which will take place on March 18th, and 19th.The submission categories are wide ranging, encompassing everything from the most obvious (but still thrilling) drone cinematography like landscapes, extreme sports, and news, to the less grandiose, but still altogether impressive stuff like "narrative," "technical," and the fascinating, "interaction between humans and quadcopters."The festival's winning films are made with such careful technique and ingenuity that you soon forget you're watching something filmed on a quadcopter. Now go watch the highlight reel of last year's winners and marvel at the cinematic power of drones.