The BAFF - Brussels Art Film Festival - is a premier documentary film festival dedicated to artistic creation. Each year in November, BAFF transforms Brussels (Palace, Bozar, Cinematek, and Iselp), as well as Mons, Antwerp, and Ghent, into vibrant hubs celebrating the best recent documentaries on sculpture, dance, architecture, literature, poetry, painting, and beyond.

✨ Why submit your film? ✨
BAFF is more than just a festival—it’s a gateway to international recognition. As part of a prestigious global network of art film festivals, BAFF offers an exceptional platform for filmmakers and art enthusiasts. Selected films gain unparalleled visibility, with opportunities for screenings, discussions, and networking with an engaged audience.

A selection of outstanding films will compete for four prestigious awards, recognizing excellence in artistic documentary filmmaking.

Eligibility
The competition is EXCLUSIVELY open to films connected to Belgium, meaning:
Films produced or co-produced in Belgium,
Films directed by a Belgian filmmaker,
Films featuring a Belgian artist and/or a Belgian artwork.

Awards & Prizes

It offers 4 prices :
The Award for Best Art Film, with a prize of €2,000.
The Award for Best Short Art Film, with a prize of €1,500.
The Young Jury prize of €1,000.
The Audience prize of, €500.

Rules & Terms

COMPETITION RULES

Article 1 – Prize – €5,000
As part of the Brussels Art Film Festival, four prizes will be awarded, each rewarding a
documentary:
- The Art Film Prize offered by the National Lottery, worth €2,000, awarded to a feature film
(over 60').
- The SCAM Prize worth €1,500 for a short or medium-length film (under 60').
- The Audience Prize offered by the City of Brussels worth €1,000 for one of the films in the
two categories.
- The Young jury Prize, worth €500 donated by Centre du Film sur l'Art and ISELP, is
awarded to one of the films in the competition, all sections combined.

Article 2 - Conditions
The competition is open to all Belgian and foreign participants.
Art documentaries with a link to Belgium (Belgian artist/subject and/or Belgian
filmmaker and/or Belgian production) will be accepted.
The works submitted to the competition must have been completed after 1st January 2025.
There is no limit to the length of the film. All artistic disciplines are accepted, all cinematic
forms as long as they are documentary.

Article 3 - Participation
Each participant will submit one or more films via a viewing link, at team@baffestival.be
The submission will be sent with :
- a link to the film
- a selection of three images from the film (digital files in high definition - 300 dpi
minimum*), which may be used freely in the festival's communication until the next edition.
- the completed entry form (see p.4).
If one of these documents is missing, the film will not be entered.
By sending his/her/x film, the filmmaker fully agrees to the rules of the competition.
The closing date for entries is 1st July 2026 - 00:00.

Article 4 - Selection
A selection will be made by a committee composed of art and film specialists. The results
will be announced by e-mail to all participants at the end of August, or at the latest at the
beginning of September 2026.
Following this selection, the chosen films will have to be subtitled so as to be understandable
in at least two of the following languages: French, Dutch and English.

Article 5 - Programming
The selected films will be screened during the BAFF - Brussels Art Film Festival from 10th
to 15th November 2026 or during delocalizations in Flanders and Wallonia without financial compensation. They may also be screened in free school sessions during the following academic year.
They will be submitted to a jury whose composition will be communicated at the time of the announcement of the preselection.
The jury reserves the right not to award one or all three prizes.
The jury's decision is taken by a simple majority and is sovereign.
At the end of the last screening and after deliberation, the jury will announce the winners.

Article 6 - Winners
The prize money will be awarded to the filmmakers by early 2027 at the latest.
With the permission of the filmmaker and/or the production company, the award-winning
films will be included in the catalogue of the Centre du Film sur l'Art, which will thus ensure
better visibility.

Article 7 - Rights
Registered participants waive their rights during the festival and within its framework.
Excerpts and visuals may be used for promotional purposes concerning the festival and the
activities of the ISELP and the Centre du Film sur l’Art of the year in question.
In case of questions and/or remarks, please contact : team@baffestival.be

Closing date for entries : 1st July 2026