Overview
The Black Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a three-day independent film festival held annually in Rapid City, South Dakota. The 17th edition runs October 2 through 4, 2026, at its host museum in downtown Rapid City. The festival screens feature narratives, short films, documentaries, and a dedicated program of Native American cinema, with films submitted from across the United States and internationally.
For filmmakers working with Native American stories, particularly those involving Lakota and Plains Indian culture, BHFF offers one of the few festival platforms in the United States that programs this work in direct proximity to the communities it depicts. The festival sits 40 miles from Pine Ridge Reservation and 25 miles from Mount Rushmore, in a region the Lakota call Paha Sapa and consider sacred. Films addressing Indigenous history and contemporary Native life find an informed audience here that few other American festivals can match.
Submissions open via FilmFreeway in November each year. The 2026 edition received entries from South Dakota, North Dakota, California, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, New York, Canada, Ireland, Romania, Spain, France, and Germany.
Submission Details
BHFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway in five categories. Projects must have been completed after January 1, 2023. All films selected for exhibition must be available on DVD, Blu-Ray, or DCP depending on the assigned venue.
| Category | Early Bird (Feb 28) | Regular (Mar 30) | Late (Apr 30) | Extended (May 30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Film (over 40 min) | $35 | $40 | $75 | $85 |
| Feature Documentary (over 40 min) | $35 | $40 | $75 | $85 |
| Short Film (40 min or less) | $25 | $30 | $65 | $75 |
| Short Documentary (40 min or less) | $25 | $30 | $65 | $75 |
| Student Film (all lengths) | $20 | $25 | $50 | $60 |
Notification date is June 30. Submissions for the 2027 festival reopen in November 2026.
Key Sections
- Feature Narrative Competition - independent feature films from the US and internationally
- Feature Documentary Competition - nonfiction features
- Short Narrative Competition - short fiction films
- Short Documentary Competition - nonfiction shorts
- Native American Film Program - a full day of films by and about Native American filmmakers, introduced with live music by Native American flute player Darren Thompson at the 2025 edition
- South Dakota Film Session - a dedicated session for films made in or about South Dakota
- Student Film Competition - films from emerging filmmakers
Awards
BHFF presents custom bronze sculptured trophies known as the "Bronze Fedora," each valued at over $1,000. The 2026 edition introduced a new award for films shot in South Dakota.
- Best Feature Narrative - Bronze Fedora trophy
- Best Short Narrative - Bronze Fedora trophy
- Best Feature Documentary - Bronze Fedora trophy
- Best Short Documentary - Bronze Fedora trophy
- Rising Star Student Film Award - $250 cash prize
- Reel SD Film Award - best film with scenes shot in South Dakota (new in 2026)
- People's Choice Award - voted by audience over the course of the festival, sponsored by the Custer Area Arts Council
Award sponsorship is available at $600 per category. Individual film sponsorships are also offered: $500 for features, $250 for shorts.
Venue and Format
The host venue at 222 New York Street in downtown Rapid City has been the festival's home since it moved from its previous multi-city format. The theater provides a single-screen space for screenings, Q&A sessions, and panel discussions. Free panel discussions are held Saturday morning from 10 AM to 12 PM, moderated by KOTA News anchor Alicia Garcia. The festival opens Friday evening at 6:30 PM, followed by Saturday and Sunday programs beginning at 1 PM.
Full festival VIP passes and individual session tickets are sold through the venue website. A discounted hotel rate is available at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Rapid City: $129 per night for a double queen room, or $144 including the hotel services fee.
What Filmmakers Should Know
BHFF is a small festival with an acceptance rate that is not published. The programming team selects from a global submission pool. The festival does not require a premiere status, making it accessible to films that have already screened elsewhere. There is no formal film market attached and no industry accreditation program.
For Native American filmmakers, the Sunday program is the primary draw. The 2025 edition dedicated an entire day to Native American films with live musical accompaniment. Films addressing the Lakota experience, Plains Indian history, or contemporary Indigenous life fit this festival's audience.
For South Dakota filmmakers, the Reel SD Film Award and the South Dakota Film Session provide specific recognition for locally produced work. The student category with reduced fees makes it one of the more affordable submission targets for emerging filmmakers in the region.
Festival History
BHFF was founded in 2007 and held its early editions across multiple Black Hills communities including Rapid City, Hill City, Hot Springs, and Spearfish. In 2020, the festival moved from February to October and consolidated around Rapid City as the primary host city. The festival switched to FilmFreeway for submissions in 2020. The 2026 festival is the 17th annual edition.
Past Winners
BHFF presents juried awards called the "Bronze Fedora" trophies, each valued at over $1,000. The 2025 edition (16th annual) announced these winners:
2025 Best Feature Narrative: The Paper Bag Plan directed by Anthony Lucero. The film tells the story of a father training his disabled son to bag groceries. It won 15 festival awards and was considered for the 2026 Academy Awards.
2025 Best Feature Documentary: Hail to the Breadsticks!
2025 Best Short Film: Hearts of Stone
2025 Best Short Documentary: Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi - The Children Are Coming Home directed by Andy Wakeman, executive produced by Richard Steinberger for the Cheyenne River Youth Project. The film also screened at Beaufort International Film Festival and Spokane International Film Festival. Won silver at the 2024 Spotlight Documentary Awards.
2025 Best Student Film: Galena: The Ghost Town That Refuses to Die directed by Finn Kane, an SDSU alum. The documentary covers the history of an unincorporated community in the Black Hills.
2025 People's Choice Award: Voted by audience across the festival weekend, sponsored by the Custer Area Arts Council.
The 2026 edition (17th annual, October 2-4) introduced the new Reel SD Film Award for films shot in South Dakota.
Notable Alumni Films
Several films that screened at BHFF achieved downstream success:
- The Paper Bag Plan (2025) - Won Best Feature Narrative at BHFF. The film won 15 festival awards total and was considered for the 2026 Academy Awards.
- Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (2024) - Won Best Short Documentary at BHFF. Also an official selection at Beaufort International Film Festival, Spokane International Film Festival, and Central Michigan International Film Festival. Won silver at the 2024 Spotlight Documentary Awards.
- Green and Gold (2024) - Opening night film at BHFF 2025. Stars Craig T. Nelson, Brandon Sklenar, and Rapid City actress Madison Lawlor. Distributed by Angel Studios. World premiered at Heartland International Film Festival 2024.
- Galena: The Ghost Town That Refuses to Die (2025) - Won Best Student Film at BHFF. Director Finn Kane, an SDSU graduate, discussed shooting in South Dakota as an underutilized film location.
- Warrior Women (2018) - Won Best Feature Documentary at BHFF. Also won Jury Award at Cine Las Americas and screened at over 15 festivals.
Submission Tips
- Submit through FilmFreeway in one of 5 categories: Feature Film, Feature Documentary, Short Film, Short Documentary, or Student Film. The festival does not accept submissions through other platforms.
- Target the Native American Film Program if your film addresses Indigenous stories, particularly Lakota and Plains Indian culture. BHFF is one of the few US festivals that programs this work in direct proximity to the communities it depicts, sitting 40 miles from Pine Ridge Reservation.
- Apply for the Reel SD Film Award if your film has scenes shot in South Dakota. This new 2026 award provides specific recognition for locally produced work.
- Use the Student Film category for reduced fees. Student submissions cost $20-60 depending on deadline, compared to $25-85 for other categories.
- Note that BHFF does not require premiere status. Films that have already screened elsewhere remain eligible, making this festival accessible for films mid-circuit.
- Submit early to save on fees. Early bird deadlines (February 28) offer the lowest rates. Late and extended deadlines (April 30, May 30) cost significantly more.
- Prepare for a 3-day festival format. The 2026 edition runs October 2-4 at the host venue in Rapid City. Films screen in a single-screen theater, so programming is limited to approximately 20 selections.
Industry Reputation Notes
BHFF is a small regional festival with no formal film market, no industry accreditation program, and limited distribution interest. The industry values it for its Native American cinema programming and its South Dakota filmmaker community.
Compared to imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival (Toronto), the largest Indigenous film festival globally, BHFF has a fraction of the budget and industry presence. imagineNATIVE runs an industry forum with pitch sessions and market activity. BHFF offers a single-day Native American program with live musical accompaniment. However, BHFF's proximity to Lakota sacred lands gives it a geographic authenticity that imagineNATIVE cannot match.
Compared to Dead Center Film Festival (Oklahoma City), another Great Plains regional festival, BHFF has a similar scale. Neither attracts sales agents or distributors. Both focus on audience engagement and regional filmmaker community. BHFF differentiates with its Native American Film Program and Bronze Fedora trophies.
The 2025 edition received entries from 13 US states and 5 countries. Free Saturday morning panels provide filmmaker networking opportunities. The 2026 edition also announced the Crazy Horse Memorial Film Festival on November 4, 2026.
See Also
For Indigenous filmmaking festivals, see imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. For festival strategy and submission planning, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate whether submitting to BHFF fits your festival budget.
