Broken Film Festival is an independent film festival founded in 2024, focused on exhibiting work that cleaves open spaces for expression through limit-pushing, breaking conventions and filmic transgression. We aim to explore the possibilities of emergence, resonance, the fantastical, and the phantasmagorical in the search for a cinematic otherwise.

We are interested in narrative or experimental works, 40 minutes and under, in particular DIY, cellphone-shot, unfinished & silent films. Broken Film Festival invites submissions from makers of historically underrepresented groups including artists marginalized through race, gender, and ability. We aim to exhibit programs of works diverse in style, content and perspective and host the festival in accessible spaces. In keeping with our commitment to accessibility, we will be prioritizing films that have captioning.

Our third annual festival will take place on April 9th-10th, 2027 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and will include an opening night presentation of films with a live improvised score by local musicians, and two programs of other selected works with sound.

Awards & Prizes

We award 2 categories of prizes. The Curator's Choice Award and an Audience Choice Award for each programme.

Rules & Terms

Submission Rules
1. BFF is an international film festival accepting films from anywhere in the world.
2. The festival accepts narrative and non-narrative films, 40 minutes or less, exhibiting those that are outside conventional modes of expression, including films that are unfinished, DIY, cellphone-shot or student-produced.
3. Films completed after January 1st 2020 are eligible.

4. Submission fees are non-refundable. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to ensure that their submission is applicable for our festival, meets all requirements, and adheres to all rules.
5. Press Kits are required upon selection, including 3-5 film stills (jpeg or png), a director's headshot (jpeg or png), poster (if available), and a synopsis (100-200 words).

6. Promotional materials of selected films can be used to promote the Festival and the programs of the Festival in all mediums.

7. All films must be submitted with a private online screener embedded on FilmFreeway.

8. If selected for the festival, a high quality MP4 file is the preferred exhibition format (10GB max)
 

10. Films must be in English and/or offer hardcoded English Subtitles or captions, unless not including subtitles is an intentional choice. Please inform us of this if that is the case.
11. This year's festival will include one or more film presentations with a live improvised score by local musicians. A film submitted in this category may be selected for either program, and thus, films with scores are accepted there. If you film could fit this category

Screening Access
The Festival will provide two complimentary Festival passes for each filmmaker selected for the festival. At this time, the Festival is unable to provide funding for travel expenses.

Program Selection
Entries will be reviewed by a Curation Committee appointed by/and including the Festival Directors.
Upon Acceptance, and you will be notified by Feb 3rd, 2027 of your acceptance or rejection.

All digital screeners for selected films must be emailed to BFF by March 12th, 2027 to brokenfilmfestival@gmail.com

Please contact us if submission fees are a barrier to entry.
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Sonny Newman

    A carefully programmed ode to cutting edge cinema, highlighting formally inventive, radically off-beat approaches to film form. A gem!

    April 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    It was so great to screen your film, Sonny. Hope to see you here in Guelph for future iterations of the festival!

  • James Lynch

    Wonderful and important festival. Was very pleased to have a film screened here. I hope it continues for many years.

    April 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    It was so great to screen your film, James. Hope to see you here in Guelph for future iterations of the festival!

  • Brice Goldberg

    Awesome festival. Thorough and friendly communication. Highly recommend if you have a silent film that you'd like to experience with a live improvised score.

    April 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    It was a fabulous experience screening your film, Brice. We're glad your experience was excellent as well!

  • jean-marie villeneuve

    Nice festival and programmation. Good communication.

    April 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We're glad to hear you had a positive experience, Jean-Marie. We were very pleased to have screened your film at the festival!