BFF is a 10-day International-competitive festival. Our 28th event will run from May 30 - June 8, 2025.

The 28th BFF will be staged indoors at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint and Wythe Hotel Cinema in Williamsburg. The festival will also be shown online 24/7, where all the selected films will play non-stop for ten days. For the latest news on this matter, please check our website: www.brooklynfilmfestival.org.

Although we are a fully inclusive organization and our events are accessible to everyone, discovering and promoting independent filmmakers at their first or second film is at the very center of our year-round efforts.

BFF’s mission is to provide a forum to advance public interest in indie film; to support every year a new generation of filmmakers with a unique vision; to draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema; and to promote artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure.

BFF is a festival for and by independent filmmakers. The organizers bring to this annual event 27 years of festival experience. BFF accepts submissions in six categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation. Additionally, BFF will present the 21st edition of KidsFilmFest. To submit to the latter, go to https://filmfreeway.com/kidsfilmfest.

Submissions are open from June 13 to March 13 of the following year. The final selection of roughly 150 films is announced in April-May. All the films that end up being part of our final lineup come from submissions only.

All selected films are eligible for several awards and even the smallest film can end up winning the very top award: the Grand Chameleon. In addition to our film programs, BFF also hosts multiple filmmaker events and a variety of innovative opportunities to network and get involved.

Many of our award-winning films have been picked up for theatrical release; nationwide broadcast on PBS and HBO; and/or nominated/awarded by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the American Academy Awards, and the Canadian Screen Award for which BFF is also a proud qualifying festival. BFF has been selected for a large number of years by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee".

BFF, inc. is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Williamsburg-Brooklyn since 1998.

Awards & Prizes

Through the resources of BFF’s sponsors, the festival offers prizes in cash, film services, and products. Our award sponsors include BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY, HAVAS, BLUE TABLE POST, CINELEASE, PHYGITAL FX, QUEBEC GOVERNMENT, WINDMILL STUDIOS, JACK STUDIOS, BE ELECTRIC, WYTHE HOTEL, MOXY HOTEL, THE POD, NOUGHTY, VOS, YELP, MPE, MEDIA SERVICES, BIG SCREEN PLAZA, PRG, LENTINI COMMUNICATIONS, ABELCINE, and NOBLE JEWELRY.

LIST of AWARDS:

* GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD
This Award is intended to reward the film that best represents the annual festival theme.
Eligibility: Often improperly called Best Film of the Year, the Grand Chameleon is chosen among the 6 winners of the 6 film categories.
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors
Prizes:
- CHAMELEON STATUETTE (trophy)
LIST of AWARDS:

* GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD
This Award is intended to reward the film that best represents the annual festival theme.
Eligibility: Often improperly called Best Film of the Year, the Grand Chameleon is chosen among the 6 winners of the 6 film categories.
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors
Prizes:
- CHAMELEON STATUETTE (trophy)
- $500 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

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BEST IN CATEGORY AWARD
Assigned to the best film in each category
Eligibility: All films in competition
Jury: Assigned by panels of external Judges.

* BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
Prizes:
- $10,000 credit towards a studio rental offered by Be Electric
- Media Services software: the showbiz software suite - valued $375
- $400 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

* BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Prizes:
- AbelCine (credit towards an hd camera rental pkg) - valued $2,500
- Media Services software: the showbiz software suite - valued $375
- $400 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

* BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
Prizes:
- Phygital FX / credit towards a light package rental - valued 5,000
- Media Services software: the showbiz software suite - valued $375
- $400 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

* BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Prizes:
- $3,000 credit towards post-production equipment rental at MPE
- $500 credit towards sound equipment rental at Lentini Comm.
- $400 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

* BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Prizes:
- Brooklyn Film Society - $400 cash
- Media Services software: the showbiz software suite - valued $375

* BEST ANIMATION
Prize:
- $400 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
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* BEST BROOKLYN PROJECT
Assigned to the best film shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director
Eligibility: Films must be shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors
Prize: Credit towards a light/grip pkg rental by Cinelease - valued $5,000

* BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Assigned to the best upcoming director
Eligibility: All filmmakers in competition with their first film are eligible
Jury: Assigned by an external panel of Judges.
Prize: $4,000 credit towards a colorist fee & facility rental: Blue Table Post

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SPIRIT AWARDS
Films in which the festival recognizes its own spirit (festival's favorites)
One award in each category (x6) gets assigned
Eligibility: All films in competition are eligible
Jury: Spirit Awards are assigned by the BFF's Board of Directors and key festival staff
Prizes: N/A

Categories:
* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOCUMENTARY
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION

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CERTIFICATES of OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The festival issues only one certificate in each of the below fields of competence. Certificates can be assigned to any film in competition regardless of its category (i.e. Best Editing means "best" among all the films included in the festival lineup)
Eligibility: All filmmakers in the festival are eligible
Jury: Certificates are assigned by external panels of Judges and festival's board of directors jointly.

* BEST PRODUCTION
Prizes: $400 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society

* BEST SCREENWRITING
Prizes: $400 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society

* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Prizes: $400 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society

* BEST STYLE
Prize: Case of Papapietro Perry Wine ($1,000)

* BEST EDITING
Prizes: $400 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society

* BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Prize: $400 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society

* BEST ACTING (female)
Certificate of Excellence
- $250 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

* BEST ACTING (male)
Certificate of Excellence
- $250 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

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AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Awards are assigned in each of the 6 categories below:
Eligibility: All films in the lineup are eligible, including films out of competition.
Jury: Festival Audience.
Prizes: N/A

* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOC
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOC
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION

Rules & Terms

DEADLINES
Early-bird Feature Narrative and Feature Doc: October 31, 2024
Early-bird Short Narrative, Short Doc, Experimental, and Animation: November 30, 2024
Regular for all categories: January 5, 2025
Advanced: January 31, 2025
Late: February 25, 2025
Extended: March 14, 2025

CATEGORIES
Feature Narrative
Feature Doc
Short Narrative
Short Doc
Experimental
Animation

OVERALL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Language: All films must be in English or with English subtitles.
Film Age: Submitted films must be not older than 2 years (completed after June 13, 2023)

SCREENING or RENTAL FEES:
BFF does NOT CONSIDER films that require SCREENING/RENTAL FEES.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME:
- Feature Narrative: No less than 50 minutes
- Feature Documentary: No Less than 50 minutes
- Short Narrative: Less than 50 minutes
- Short Documentary: Less than 50 minutes
- Experimental: no time limitations
- Animation: no time limitations

PRIOR SCREENINGS:
Entries cannot have a theatrical run (commercial release) or be broadcast (TV) anywhere in the US before June 13, 2025. Previous screenings at other film festivals, as well as private, industry, and press screenings are OK. The "New York Premiere" status is preferred, but not mandatory.

COMPLETION DATE:
Projects submitted to the Festival must have been completed after June 13, 2023. Works-In-Progress are considered only during the final submission deadline stage and only if the film can be completed by the end of April, 2025.

INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION:
Films produced, financed, or initiated by major motion picture studios (i.e. Paramount Pictures) are not eligible for the BFF competition. Films with a distribution agreement that includes sales in the US are not eligible to participate to the BFF competition.

FILM PROMOTION & INTERVIEWS:
BFF will forward any interview request directly to filmmakers or their publicist for them to arrange and coordinate. The BFF PR Department pitches the overall festival program and events to maximize exposure and build buzz in advance of and during the festival by procuring curtain raisers (festival preview features) and capsule reviews/film picks/highlights with local media including print dailies & weeklies, TV & Radio, and online/blogs. Brooklyn Film Festival may use segments (up to 5 mins) taken from any film submitted and accepted into the final lineup for promotional purposes.
118 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Yoo Lee

    The communication was excellent. I felt truly embraced by everyone at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Thank you so much!

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Jeremiah Carter

    We are extremely thankful Brooklyn Film Festival screened our short film. The engaging social media presence and interviews is really wonderful for up-and-coming filmmakers. The programmers are so thoughtful and everyone involved was very kind and helpful. We can't wait to send our next project your way!

    June 2024
    Helpful
  • Zoe Mathewson

    Really glad and grateful to have had the world premiere of my short doc, Complicating Danny, at Brooklyn Film Festival. Great communication and program and kind people.

    June 2024
    Helpful
  • Katie Dellamaggiore

    We've screened two films at the Brooklyn Film Festival (2012 and 2024) and both times we had nearly sold out screenings with engaged and enthusiastic audiences. The staff was top notch, super communicative and went out of their way to make sure every question was answered in a timely fashion. Thank you BFF for creating such a vibrant community!!!

    June 2024
    Helpful
  • Zoe Eisenberg

    Such a fun festival, the programmers and staff were so kind and supportive and the audience was vibrant + engaged. Will definitely be submitting all future work here. Thanks BK!

    June 2024
    Helpful