BFF is a 10-day International-competitive festival. Our 25th event will run from June 3 - 12, 2022.
The 25th BFF will be staged online, where all the selected films will play non-stop for ten days. And indoors at a few venues in Brooklyn. 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 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 24 years of festival experience. BFF accepts submissions in six categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation.
Submissions are open from July to March of the following year. The final selection of 150 films is announced in May and the event starts in early June. 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 releases, nationwide broadcasts on PBS and HBO, and to be nominated and awarded by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the American Academy Awards. BFF is also a proud Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival.
BFF, inc. is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Williamsburg-Brooklyn since 1998.
Through the resources of BFF’s sponsors, the festival offers prizes totaling about $50,000 in cash, film services, and products. Our award sponsors include WNET’s ALL ARTS, ABELCINE, BE ELECTRIC, XENO LIGHT, BLUE TABLE POST, UPPER MARKET GALLERY, MPE, FINAL DRAFT, LENTINI COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA SERVICES, PAPAPIETRO PERRY WINERY, BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY, 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 the 6 winners of of the 6 film categories.
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors
Prize: Chameleon Statuette (trophy)
$2,500 cash offered by Sobre Vista Resort
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BEST IN CATEGORY AWARD
Assigned to the best film in each category
Eligibility: All films in competition
Jury: Assigned by the panels of external Judges.
* BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
Prizes: $5,000 credit towards a studio rental offered by Be Electric
Final Draft software ($250)
Media Services software ($550)
* BEST FEATURE DOC
Prizes: Camera rental credit at AbelCine ($5,000)
Final Draft software ($250)
Media Services software ($550)
* BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
Prizes: Credit at Xeno Lights ($5,000)
Final Draft software ($250)
Media Services software ($550)
* BEST SHORT DOC
Prizes: $3,000 credit towards post-production equipment rental at MPE
$500 credit at Lentini Communications
Final Draft software ($250)
$200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
* BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Prizes: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
Media Services Software (value $550)
Final Draft software ($250)
* BEST ANIMATION
Prizes: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
Final Draft software ($250)
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* BEST BROOKLYN PROJECT
Assigned to the best film shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director.
Eligibility: All films shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors.
Prizes: $5,000 in Studio rental - Cinelease
Final Draft software ($250)
* 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.
Prizes: $4,000 credit towards a colorist with facility at Blue Table Post
Final Draft software ($250)
$200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
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SPIRIT AWARDS – No prizes
Films in which the festival recognizes its own spirit (festival 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
* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOC
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOC
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION
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CERTIFICATES of OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The festival issues only one certificate in each of the below fields of competence which can be assigned within any of the 6 film categories (i.e. Best Editing means "best" among all 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 board of directors jointly.
* BEST PRODUCTION
Prizes: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
Final Draft software ($250)
* BEST SCREENWRITING
Prize: Final Draft software ($250)
$200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Prizes: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
Final Draft software ($250)
* BEST STYLE
Prize: Case of Papapietro Perry Wine ($700)
* BEST EDITING
Prizes: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
Final Draft software ($250)
* BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Prize: $200 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society
* BEST ACTING (female)
No prizes
* BEST ACTING (male)
No prizes
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AUDIENCE AWARDS – No prizes
Audience Awards are assigned in each of the 6 categories below:
Eligibility: All films in the lineup are eligible.
Jury: Festival Audience.
* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOC
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOC
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION
