The Black Europe Film Festival of Minneapolis / Saint Paul (BEFF MSP) is a celebration of Black diasporic cinema, with a strong focus on works by directors connected to Europe and its broad historical contexts. BEFF MSP will host its second edition in Minnesota in February 2026.

Rooted in principles of community co-planning and anti-racist organizing, the festival showcases documentaries, fiction films, and shorts by some of the most talented and innovative Afro-descendant filmmakers filming in/on Europe. It provides a platform for artists to share their work and build networks of support within the global Black diaspora and the international film community.

Engaging with the enduring legacies of racism, colonialism, and displacement—as well as celebrating vibrancy, creativity, and acts of worldmaking—Black filmmakers confront complex inheritances and thrive beyond the limitations imposed by whiteness.

This festival aims to amplify their non-stereotypical visions of Black Europe and Black Europeans, challenging racialized regimes of visibility that continue to disempower and devalue Black lives worldwide.

Masterclasses, filmmaker encounters, production workshops, lectures, and residencies will enrich the festival program, creating an occasion for Black joy and offering exciting engagement opportunities for diverse audiences, communities, and youths.

Awards & Prizes

Each year, we offer three awards, which vary depending on the festival lineup:

Best Documentary

Best Fiction Film

Special Jury Prize

or

Best Film (Documentary or Fiction)

Best Short (Documentary or Fiction)

Special Jury Prize

Additionally, selected filmmakers will be invited to Minnesota to present and discuss their work during the festival.

Rules & Terms

Submission deadline: September 1st, 2025

We accept fiction films, documentaries, and short films written, directed, or produced by artists who identify as Afrodescendant or Black.

We are especially interested in works that:

- Shed light on Black European lives
- Showcase the richness and diversity of Black culture in Europe
- Amplify underrepresented facets of the Black presence in Europe
- Tackle the history and legacy of European colonialism in Africa, the Caribbeans, and South America.

Films must have been completed in the last five years, and must not have been screened in Minneapolis and/or Saint Paul previously.

Foreign language (non-English) submissions must be available in their original language and soundtrack with English subtitles.

Short films include all films 40 minutes in length and under, all films over 40 minutes in length should be considered feature films.

The applicant must hold copyright status of the work and all related materials.

The festival, its organizers, and sponsors reserve the right to use images of the film, trailers, and related materials for the promotion of the festival and on related websites and social media with credit given to the submitter/director.

Organizers of the Black European Film Festival will only communicate with the submitter of the film.

Please contact us at beffmsp@gmail.com.