Welcome, Underdogs!

The Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival is a four-day annual event that celebrates the artistic and cultural value of the incredible indie and genre-focused talent that flows to and from the city of Baton Rouge while also fostering a vibrant, interconnected independent film community.

Why Underground? We’re shining a light on both the artists and the industry that many are unaware exists in our area. To the filmmakers, artists, and film-loving weirdos out there that feel they have no voice or community, you’ll find that you have one with us.

Why attend? Beyond the lineup of ambitious and one-of-a-kind shorts and features, our festival will include networking bays, industry-led workshops, insightful panels, themed galas, fun afterparties, and more.

Started by filmmakers for filmmakers.

Awards & Prizes

2025 BRUFF WINNERS:

BEST PICTURE to Annapurna Sriram for "Fucktoys"

BEST LOUISIANA PICTURE to Fagan Films for "Senior Prank"

BEST DIRECTING to Nathan Tape for "Off Ramp"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY to Cory Fraiman-Lott for "Fucktoys"

BEST WRITING to Michael Vlamis & Kyle Anderson for "Crossword"

BEST EDITING to Chris Reading, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, & Hilary Shakespeare for "Time Travel Is Dangerous!"

BEST PERFORMANCE to Jon Washington for "Fanboy"

BEST SHORT & PILOT to JJ Herz for "R&R"

BEST GENRE SHORT to Adam Murray for "The Traveler and the Troll"

BEST LOUISIANA SHORT to Jaclyn Bethany for "Ruby"

BEST LOUISIANA GENRE SHORT to Zandashe Brown for "Benediction"

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT to Graham Holt for "Jan Beaubouf"

BEST STUDENT SHORT to Marcelle Triblier for "LUCID"

PANAVISION GRANT WINNER to No One Productions for "TRIP"

CELTIC STUDIOS AWARD WINNER to Fagan Films for "Senior Prank"

SHOESTRING GRANT WINNER to Reece Loustalot for "Contact"

The Shoestring: This cash prize (currently $5K) goes to the filmmaker who the judges consider to have pulled off the most with the least resources, celebrating guerilla and independent filmmaking.

The Panavision Grant: A gear package valued at $15,000 to Louisiana filmmakers, selected by the judges and the generous NOLA Panavision team.

The Celtic Award: Five days on Stage 2 at Celtic Studios, selected by our friends at the premier Louisiana stage space found in the heart of Baton Rouge.

Stay tuned for more announcements regarding our 2026 Awards and Grants!

Rules & Terms

Formats:
Entries must be submitted via FilmFreeway.

Eligibility:
Films completed within the last two years are eligible for submissions.

Ownership:
Submitters must legally own the rights to the film (including music and content of the films) they are submitting. By submitting, you also agree for our film festival to use provided trailers and stills for promotional material.

Film Length:
Short Films: Must be under 40 minutes.
Feature Films: Must be 40 minutes or longer.

Louisiana Submissions:
To qualify for Louisiana submissions, the production must have filmed in the state of Louisiana or have been produced or directed by a Louisiana resident.

Selections and Notifications:
Programming decisions are made by the festival founders, advisory board, and our selection committee. If accepted, we will notify you by email. After acceptance, the exhibition format will need to be in our office one month before the festival.

Confirmation:
You may email us for confirmation of your entry.
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Nathan Tape

    Incredible Inaugural year for this festival. I can't wait to see what they do next.

    August 2025
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  • David Yorke

    Amazing communication and led by a great team, I will definitely submit again.

    August 2025
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  • Wesley Boone

    So happy this festival exists. It felt like it had been around for years with how smoothly everything went off. Incredible workshops and networking and such a well curated lineup of films. Excited to have been a part of the inaugural fest and can’t wait to see how it continues to grow!

    August 2025
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