Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF)

Overview

The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) is an international competitive festival operating in Brooklyn, New York since 1998. The 29th edition runs May 29 through June 7, 2026, screening 130 films across 36 two-hour programs. BFF awards 30 prizes totaling approximately $50,000 in cash, products, and services. The festival accepts submissions in 6 categories: Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation.

BFF is a submission-only festival. The final selection of 140-150 projects comes entirely from open submissions - no films are invited or curated outside the submission pool. This makes BFF one of the few competitive US festivals where every film in the lineup earned its spot through the same submission process. For independent filmmakers without industry connections or sales agent representation, this structure provides a level playing field that invitation-heavy festivals do not offer.

The 2026 edition's theme is "The Invitation." The festival's top prize, the Grand Chameleon Award, goes to the film that best represents the annual theme, chosen by the Board of Directors from among the 6 category winners. The Grand Chameleon winner receives the Chameleon Statuette trophy from the Brooklyn Film Society.

BFF's venues in 2026 include BRIC in Fort Greene (647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn 11217) as the main physical venue, with additional screenings at 100 Sutton Studios in Greenpoint (100 Sutton Street, Brooklyn 11222) and Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg (80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn 11249). Most festival films are also available for online viewing on the BFF website from May 30 through June 7, 2026.

Submission Details

BFF accepts submissions exclusively through FilmFreeway. The submission window runs from July 1 through March 13 of the following year.

BFF 2027 (30th Edition) Deadlines and Fees:

BFF 2026 (29th Edition) Deadlines (current cycle):

Submission fees increase at each deadline tier. Check the BFF FilmFreeway page for exact current fees.

Eligibility requirements:

• Films must be completed after June 13, 2024 (for BFF 2026)
• To compete in juried competitions, films must be at least a New York premiere
• All films in the lineup, including non-premieres, are eligible for Audience Awards
• Works-in-progress are considered only during the final submission deadline stage, and only if the film can be completed by end of April 2026
• All films are in competition with a few exceptions

The NY premiere requirement for competition is a key strategic consideration. Films that have already screened publicly in New York City cannot compete for jury prizes but can still screen and compete for Audience Awards. Filmmakers targeting BFF's competitive categories should hold their NY premiere.

Key Sections and Competitions

Competition Categories (6):

• Feature Narrative - 11 programs
• Feature Documentary - 7 programs
• Short Narrative - 8 programs
• Short Documentary - 4 programs
• Experimental - 2 programs
• Animation - 2 programs

Awards (30 total in 2026):

Grand Chameleon Award - chosen by the Board of Directors from the 6 category winners as the film best representing the festival theme. Prize: Chameleon Statuette trophy.

Best in Category (6 awards):

• Best Feature Narrative - Be Electric Studios rental credit ($10,000), Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200), Faccia Brutto gift
• Best Documentary Feature - MPE post-production rental credit ($3,000), Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200)
• Best Narrative Short - Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200), Faccia Brutto gift
• Best Short Documentary - Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200), Faccia Brutto gift
• Best Experimental - Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200)
• Best Animation - Video Equipment gift card ($100), Brooklyn Film Society cash ($200)

Spirit Awards (6 awards) - one per category, selected by the Board of Directors. Prize: $200 cash each from Brooklyn Film Society.

Audience Awards (6 awards) - one per category, voted by festival audiences both online and at physical venues. The festival uses a logarithmic calculation to normalize votes across screenings with different attendance.

Certificates of Achievement - Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Original Score, Best Style, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Producer, Best New Director.

What Filmmakers Should Know

BFF's submission-only policy is its defining characteristic. Every film in the festival comes through the same FilmFreeway submission process. There are no invited films, no industry placements, and no curated selections outside the submission pool. For filmmakers without agents, sales reps, or festival circuit connections, this is one of the most accessible competitive festivals in the US.

The $10,000 Be Electric Studios rental credit for Best Feature Narrative is a substantial production resource. Be Electric Studios is a Brooklyn-based production facility, and the credit can offset stage rental costs for a filmmaker's next project. The $3,000 MPE post-production rental credit for Best Documentary Feature similarly provides tangible post-production value.

The festival provides filmmaker packages with comp tickets: 4 comp tickets for feature filmmakers, 2 for narrative and documentary shorts, and 1 for animation and experimental programs. Filmmaker badges can be picked up at BFF venues during the festival.

The award ceremony runs on the final Sunday of the festival at approximately 7pm. Audience voting closes at 7pm on that same Sunday. The 2026 closing night ceremony was held at 100 Sutton Studios.

BFF's online screening component extends the festival's reach beyond physical attendance. Most festival films are available for online viewing during the festival dates, allowing audiences outside Brooklyn to participate. This also means filmmakers get online audience exposure alongside their physical screenings.

The next Brooklyn Film Festival (30th edition) will take place June 4-13, 2027. Submissions open June 15, 2026.

Festival History

BFF was founded in 1998 and has operated continuously for 29 editions. The festival is organized by the Brooklyn Film Society. Over its history, BFF has screened films from filmmakers across all 5 boroughs of New York City and from dozens of countries internationally.

The festival's commitment to first-time filmmakers has been a consistent programming philosophy. The Best New Director Certificate of Achievement and the festival's open submission structure create a context where debut work receives genuine competitive attention alongside established filmmakers.

BFF has rotated venues across Brooklyn over its history, screening in Fort Greene, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. The festival's multi-venue model distributes screenings across Brooklyn's distinct neighborhoods, reflecting the borough's geography and creative communities. Brooklyn's growth as a film production center - anchored by Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and supplemented by smaller studios like Be Electric and 100 Sutton - has expanded the festival's industry connections over time.

See Also

For festival submission strategy and budgeting, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For New York City festivals, see Film Festival Strategy. For the Tribeca Film Festival, see Tribeca Film Festival. For independent filmmaking approaches, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies.