The 30th BFF will be staged indoors in several venues in Brooklyn (i.e. BRIC in Fort Greene, 100 Sutton in Greenpoint, Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The festival will also be shown online 24/7, where all the selected films will play non-stop for seven days (TBC). For the latest news on this matter, please check our website: www.brooklynfilmfestival.org.
Although we are a fully inclusive organization and any filmmaker can potentially participate to our competitive festival, 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 indie 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 29 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 1 to March 13 of the following year. The final selection of 2027 will include 140/150 projects. 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 release; nationwide broadcast on PBS and HBO; and/or nominated/awarded by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the American Academy Awards, and the Canadian Screen Award for which BFF is also a proud qualifying festival. IFILMFESTIVAL.COM and Final Cut Magazine are including BFF on the Top 50 Film Festival in the world. BFF has been selected for several years by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" and as one of the "25 Coolest Festival" in the world.
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 in cash, film services, and products. Our award sponsors include BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY, QUEBEC GOVERNMENT, BE ELECTRIC, MPE, BLACKMAGIC DESIGN.
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 6 winners of the 6 film categories.
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors to the overall best project Director.
Prizes:
- CHAMELEON STATUETTE (trophy)
Offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
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BEST IN CATEGORY AWARD
Assigned to the best film in each category to the project's Director
Eligibility: All films in competition / Must be at least a NY Premiere
Jury: Assigned by panels of external Judges.
* BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
Prizes:
- $10,000 credit towards a studio rental offered by Be Electric
- $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
* BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Prizes:
- $3,000 credit towards post-production equipment rental at MPE
- $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
* BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
Prizes:
- $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
* BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Prizes:
- $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
* BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Prizes:
- $1,000 cash - BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
* BEST ANIMATION
Prizes:
- $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
- $ 100 Video Gift Card (Sponsor TBA)
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* BEST BROOKLYN PROJECT
Assigned to the best film shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director
Eligibility: Films must be shot in Brooklyn or made by a Brooklyn director
Jury: This award is assigned by the Festival Board of Directors to the Best Brooklyn Project's Director
Prize: Camera Rental Blackmagic Design (Value TBA)
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* 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.
Prize: $1,000 cash offered by BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
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* SPIRIT AWARDS
Films in which the festival recognizes its own spirit (festival's favorites)
One award in each category (x6) gets assigned to the project's Director
Eligibility: All films in competition are eligible
Jury: Spirit Awards are assigned by the BFF's Board of Directors and key festival staff
Prizes: Spirit Awards do not carry prizes
Categories:
* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOCUMENTARY
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION
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CERTIFICATES of OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The festival issues only one certificate in each of the below fields of competence. Certificates can be assigned to any film in competition regardless of its category (i.e. Best Editing means "best" among all the 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's board of directors jointly.
* BEST PRODUCTION
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's Producer
* BEST SCREENWRITING
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's Screenwriter
* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's DP
* BEST STYLE
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society (usually) to the project's Art Director
* BEST EDITING
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's Editor
* BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Prize: $500 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project Score's Composer
* BEST ACTING (female)
Certificate of Excellence
Prize: $250 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's Lead Actress
* BEST ACTING (male)
Certificate of Excellence
Prize: $250 cash offered by Brooklyn Film Society to the project's Lead Actor
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* AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Awards are assigned in each of the 6 categories below:
Eligibility: All films in the lineup are eligible, including films out of competition.
Jury: Festival Audience.
To: Project's Director
Prizes: Audience Awards do not carry prizes
* FEATURE NARRATIVE
* FEATURE DOC
* SHORT NARRATIVE
* SHORT DOC
* EXPERIMENTAL
* ANIMATION
