Submissions for the 2026 Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival are officially OPEN. Step into a three-day celebration where powerful storytelling, bold filmmaking, and the richness of the African American experience take center stage. The Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival is more than an event — it’s a movement.

We champion documentaries that spark conversation, shift perspectives, and ignite socially conscious cultural dialogue. With a passionate team of collaborators and creatives, we provide a thriving platform where filmmakers amplify important stories and inspire meaningful change.

Join us this summer across two incredible venues as we uplift voices, celebrate artistry, and spotlight films that challenge, transform, and illuminate the human experience.
Your story matters. Your lens matters. Submit today.

Day 1:
Friday, August 14, 2026
Reception and Featured Screening
Indianapolis Art Center
820 East 67th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220

Day 2:
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Full Screening Day – Schedule TBA
Indianapolis Art Center
820 East 67th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220

Day 3:
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Full Screening Day – Schedule TBA
Kan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie
1258 Windsor Street
Indianapolis, IN 46201

Thanks for all the excellent documentaries that will be screened in the heart of Indy’s arts and culture scene. We are looking forward to another outstanding festival. For more information, visit the IBDFF 2026 website at www.ibdff.com.

Awards & Prizes

Best Documentary Feature

Best Documentary Short

Judges' Choice

Rules & Terms


There are no premier status requirements. Entrant confirms and warrants the required legal authority to submit the entry into the Festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry. A press kit is advised. Digital online submission screeners only.
No waivers. The festival will inform filmmakers of how their films will be screened on or before notification day, June 5, 2026

By submitting this documentary, you attest that you are the legal owner of the content and/or have the legal right to submit the content to this festival. Neither submission nor acceptance into the festival grants compensation, special privileges, or creative control of any aspect of the festival.
All submissions must include press kits containing each of the following:
• Title of documentary
• Social media handles* for the documentary (e.g., usernames associated with the
documentary Facebook page and Instagram account)
• Name(s) of the filmmaker/director and, if applicable, names of producer(s) and lead actor(s)
• Social media handles* for the filmmaker/director and, if applicable, for the producer(s) and lead actors, producer (s) (e.g., usernames associated with the documentary's Facebook page and Instagram account)
• Brief synopsis – in four sentences or less, tell us what your documentary is about. Be concise.
• High-resolution image* representing the documentary. The image may be the documentary's poster or a still from the film. Fuzzy or pixelated photos will not be accepted and will not be included in any festival marketing.
• If applicable, a link to a video clip or trailer for the documentary that can be shared on IBDFF social media

*It is essential to include social media handles for the documentary and all development crew, as they will be tagged on IBDFF social media to increase exposure to the documentary and the festival. Profane handles will not be tagged. Please consider this when creating handles for yourself and your documentary. It is also important to provide only high-resolution images for your documentary. Please do not provide screenshots or images enlarged from smaller images. Low-resolution, fuzzy, or pixelated images will not be included in festival marketing.

Films will be screened in blocks. Question and answer panels with the filmmakers MAY be conducted after each block (filmmaker presence and time permitting)

Please note that Day 1 is Opening Night. There will be a reception and a special screening. The cost to attend will be determined as we get closer to the Festival. Also on Opening Night, we will present the Festival's "IBDFF Spotlight Award" to an outstanding filmmaker.

14 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Eddie Clay Thompkins III

    Thank you for recognizing Mushroom's Quest in your wonderful Festival. Great communication from the start. I highly recommend this Festival.

    August 2025
    Helpful
  • Emmitt Thrower

    I was honored to bring my short Documentary "Dancing with Waves" to the festival. I felt this festival's mission and audience was tailor made for my documentary and professional goals as a documentary Activist/Filmmaker. The networking was awesome and made some very important connections that already has been fruitful for all of us and our future projects. Dr Winston and his team curated an exceptional collection of Black documentaries shown at very professional locations for the screenings. Will certainly submit other projects in the future. It provided everything I was seeking from this speciality festival.

    August 2025
    Helpful
  • Tony West

    Great festival experience. Beautiful theater in a great integrated neighborhood with nice staff. They made me feel at home and I'm honored to have been a part of it. They even had cool shirts : )

    August 2025
    Helpful
  • James Theres

    Wonderful communication with filmmakers. Here’s to many more successful festivals in the future.

    September 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for the great film.

  • John Rash

    This festival has an explicit goal of offering screenings to films that may not otherwise have such opportunities. That’s a great service for the local community. However, they charge selected filmmakers to view any films other than their own and offer zero opportunities for networking or communication with the audience or other filmmakers, including a stark absence of Q&A discussions. Charging selected filmmakers for a pass to view other films was a major reason I choose not to attend in 2024. I assume if you live in Indianapolis and need a venue to show your film this might be a great resource. However, as a filmmaker living in a different part of the country I did not see much value in paying for my own travel and accommodations to then buy a festival pass and have no opportunity for dialogue with the filmmakers. The communication with the festival was great and they are open about all of this up front, so I feel comfortable posting this here so other filmmakers can make their own informed decision.

    September 2024
    Helpful