Bushwick Film Festival Fiscal Sponsorship Program
Bring your film to life with nonprofit backing.
The Bushwick Film Festival Fiscal Sponsorship Program helps independent filmmakers raise money for their projects through grants, tax-deductible donations, and other funding opportunities that require a 501(c)(3) partner.
You stay focused on making your film. We help provide the nonprofit framework and administrative support to help you fund it.
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What Is Fiscal Sponsorship?
Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership between your film project and the Bushwick Film Festival. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3), we can help your project receive tax-deductible donations and access grant opportunities that require nonprofit backing.
It’s a practical way to strengthen your fundraising while keeping creative control of your film.
Why It Matters
Funding is one of the biggest hurdles for independent filmmakers. Fiscal sponsorship helps open doors by making your project eligible for grants and donations that may not otherwise be available.
With BFF as your fiscal sponsor, you can:
Receive tax-deductible donations through a nonprofit partner
Apply for grants that require 501(c)(3) status
Build credibility with donors and funders
Focus on the creative work while we support the administrative and compliance side
Who Is Eligible?
We exclusively sponsor film projects, including:
Narrative shorts
Documentary shorts
Narrative features
Documentary features
We’re especially interested in projects that align with our mission to champion bold, independent storytelling and amplify diverse voices.
Not sure if your project qualifies? Reach out and we’ll help you figure it out.
How It Works
1. Submit Your Application
Complete the application form and pay the $30 application fee.2. We Review Your Project
Most applications are reviewed within 2-4 weeks. If you have a grant deadline or a donor ready to contribute, expedited review may be available in certain cases. Let us know if you’re on a tight timeline and we’ll do our best to accommodate.3. Start Fundraising
If approved, you can begin fundraising under Bushwick Film Festival’s fiscal sponsorship. We charge a 10% administrative fee on funds raised, which helps cover program management, compliance, and operational support.Apply Now
Why Bushwick Film Festival
Bushwick Film Festival is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering emerging voices, sharing great stories, and building community through film.
As an MWBE organization, we are proud to be among the small percentage of U.S. film festivals owned by women of color. Each year, BFF receives more than 1,000 submissions from 60+ countries, welcomes thousands of attendees, and champions outstanding independent films from Brooklyn, New York City, and beyond.
Our work extends beyond the festival through year-round programming, filmmaker support, community partnerships, and opportunities designed to uplift underrepresented storytellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does fiscal sponsorship allow me to do?
It allows your project to fundraise through a nonprofit partner, including receiving tax-deductible donations and applying for grants that require 501(c)(3) status.Do I keep creative control of my project?
Yes. You maintain creative control of your film. Fiscal sponsorship supports the fundraising and administrative side of the work.How much does it cost?
There is a $30 application fee and a 10% administrative fee on funds raised after approval.How long does the review process take?
Most applications are reviewed within 2-4 weeks. Expedited review may be available for certain grant deadlines or urgent fundraising needs.Can this work for one-time grants?
Yes. We can facilitate one-time pass-through grants. For ongoing sponsorship, projects should be actively fundraising and aligned with our mission.What kinds of projects do you sponsor?
We sponsor film projects only, including narrative and documentary works.I’m not sure my project qualifies. Should I still reach out?
Absolutely. If you’re unsure, contact us before applying and we’ll help you determine whether your project is a fit.Ready to fund your film with nonprofit support?
Apply for fiscal sponsorship and let’s help move your project forward.
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Application fee: $30
Administrative fee: 10% of funds raised
Review timeline: 1-2 weeks
Expedited review: available in select cases
Eligible projects: narrative and documentary film projects only
Nonprofit status: Bushwick Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) organization
Our Hoolocks I Project Website
Barekuri, a cluster of villages in Northeast India, is home to the country’s only ape species, the Hoolock gibbons. For over a century, villagers have protected the apes as kin, sustaining a rare and fragile human-animal harmony. After a devastating oilfield blowout in May 2020, 35-year-old fisherman Sidhanta must confront the disaster’s impact on his livelihood, his community, and the survival of the gibbons.
Our Hoolocks follows Sidhanta as he fights for this endangered species while navigating the socio-economic fallout of the disaster and the moral conflict of working as a local contractor for Oil India Ltd.
The Writer I Project Website
Two former lovers reconnect in New York decades after serving in the Soviet army together. As the men confront their personal and political past, the encounter turns increasingly heated.
New York Day Woman I Project Website
Suzette, a first-generation Haitian-American woman from Flatbush Brooklyn, leads a double life, code-switching between her professional Manhattan persona and her Brooklyn roots. When she spots her mother on Madison Avenue during her lunch break, curiosity leads her to follow and uncover the truth about her mother's daily life. This unexpected journey forces Suzette to confront the generational gaps and sacrifices of immigrant families, ultimately prompting a profound exploration of her own identity, heritage, and family ties.
Ready to fund your film with nonprofit support?
Apply for fiscal sponsorship and let’s help move your project forward.
Apply Now
Fiscally Sponsored Projects
We’re proud to support independent filmmakers currently raising funds through the Bushwick Film Festival Fiscal Sponsorship Program. Explore the projects below and support their work through tax-deductible donations.
Elizabeth Speaks I Project Website
Elizabeth Speaks is an archive-driven documentary about Elizabeth Catlett, constructed from her unpublished memoirs, private letters, and recorded voice, materials never before shared with the public.
As her granddaughter, filmmaker Naima Mora, uncovers newly released government surveillance files that reveal the extent of state scrutiny Catlett endured, she initiates a cross-generational dialogue that carries its own risk, bringing forward a story her grandmother could not fully tell. Beneath the surface, the film reveals what happens when grandmothers reach for their granddaughters, and the transformation that occurs when those granddaughters choose to answer.
