The Black Travel Film Festival is the premiere festival dedicated to stories of Black movement, culture, identity, and discovery — told by the full spectrum of today’s filmmakers and digital creators.

Now in its third year, BTFF continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact — bringing together curated finalist screenings, filmmaker Q&As, cultural conversations, and awards recognition presented at the Black Travel Summit’s VICtor Awards Gala. The festival is a cornerstone of the Black Travel Summit, one of the premiere annual gatherings of Black travel professionals, creators, and industry leaders.

BTFF celebrates the breadth of Black travel storytelling across three categories: Scripted Film, Unscripted Film, and Short-Form & Social — welcoming narrative filmmakers and documentary directors alongside digital creators, travel vloggers, and platform-native storytellers. All are equally at home here.

We welcome work from established filmmakers and emerging creators alike — including student films, debut projects, and first-time festival submissions. Limited fee waivers are available as we believe financial barriers should never stand between a great story and an audience.

The 2026 festival theme — Renaissance: Rebirth. Renew. Reclaim. — invites stories that explore what it means to move through the world as a Black person: the joy of discovery, the weight of history, the making of community, and the reclamation of place. We are looking for work that goes beyond tourism — into identity, belonging, migration, cultural memory, and the many ways Black people connect and thrive globally.

BTFF 2026 takes place on October 15 at Nó Studios in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with finalist recognition and awards presented at the BTS VICtor Awards on October 17.

Submissions open June 10 and close August 7, 2026.

All submitters will be notified of their status no later than August 25, 2026.

Awards & Prizes

BTFF 2026 award recipients will be recognized at the Black Travel Summit's VICtor Awards Gala on Saturday, October 17, 2026 — one of the premiere annual celebrations of Black excellence in travel, culture, and media.

Winners will receive a BTFF Award trophy and be celebrated before an audience of Black travel professionals, industry leaders, creators, and cultural tastemakers from across the country.

Awards will be presented across the festival's three categories. Additional recognition may be available through festival partnerships and sponsors, to be announced.

Rules & Terms

1. Video files must be submitted via direct digital upload or by providing a Vimeo or YouTube link entered directly on the application. Password-protected links must include the password in the submission.

2. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to ensure that any submitted Project is viewable in its entirety at the time of submission and throughout the review period.

3. The BTFF jury will review up to 15 minutes of each submitted project. Works under 15 minutes in length will be reviewed in full. For projects exceeding 15 minutes, submitters must indicate a preferred start timecode for jury review — the 15-minute window will begin from that point. If no timecode is provided, review will begin at the opening of the work. Submitters are encouraged to select the sequence that most authentically represents the story, themes, and craft of their project.

4. If an updated version of a Project is available after the initial submission, the Applicant may resubmit via the original FilmFreeway application until the submission deadline of August 7, 2026.

5. All submitted work must have been completed — or, for ongoing digital series, first published — no earlier than January 1, 2025.

6. BTFF welcomes submissions from filmmakers, directors, and digital creators whose work is produced by or meaningfully inclusive of Afro-diasporic people, communities, and experiences. All content must be directed, written, and/or produced by persons of African descent. Work that does not reflect this focus will not be considered.

7. BTFF does not require premiere status. Previously screened or published work is eligible provided it meets the completion date requirement stated in Rule 5.

8. Each applicant may submit one project total across all categories.

9. A submission fee is required for all entries. The early-bird fee of $25 applies to all submissions received by June 30, 2026. The regular deadline fee of $35 applies to all submissions received between July 1 and August 7, 2026. Limited fee waivers are available for qualifying applicants. To request a waiver, use the waiver field within the application before submitting.

10. BTFF welcomes submissions from creators around the world. Projects containing non-English spoken dialogue must include on-screen English subtitles for all non-English portions. Subtitles must be embedded directly in the video file. Submissions without required subtitles will not be considered for selection.

11. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to secure all necessary authorization and permissions from the copyright and trademark owner(s) of any content or materials included within the submitted Project.

12. By submitting, the Applicant grants the Black Travel Film Festival a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to screen the submitted Project at the festival and in promotional materials directly related to BTFF. The Applicant retains full ownership of their work. BTFF does not acquire distribution rights through submission or selection.

13. The Applicant certifies that all information submitted is accurate and that they have the legal right to submit the Project on behalf of its creator(s).

14. All submitters will be notified of their status no later than August 25, 2026.