Founded in 2007, the Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) emerged with a bold vision: to create a home for independent cinema in Brooklyn—a place where movies could bring people together and spotlight emerging storytellers.

Today, BFF stands as one of Brooklyn’s most influential cultural institutions, championing diverse voices, uplifting underrepresented storytellers, and contributing to the borough’s artistic and economic growth. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and MWBE-certified organization, BFF is proudly among the 12% of U.S. film festivals owned by women of color.

Each year, BFF receives over 1,000 submissions from more than 60 countries and welcomes about 5,000 attendees to experience 100+ indie films from NYC and beyond. Filmmakers, audiences, and industry leaders come together for features, documentaries, shorts, series, screenplay readings, panels, parties, and cultural events across Bushwick and Brooklyn.

BFF presents numerous awards—Best Feature, Documentary, Short, Episodic, Screenplay, Best Actor, Audience Choice, Programmers’ Choice, and more—alongside year-round programming.

At its core, BFF is a welcoming space where people from all backgrounds can connect, discover independent cinema, and feel the power of film to make the impossible feel possible.