Brooklyn Film Festival

Grand Chameleon Award: the festival's top prize and Chameleon statuette, given by the Board of Directors to the film that best represents the theme of the edition, chosen among the six Best in Category winners. Best in Category: one award in each of the six competition categories (Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Animation, Experimental), decided by panels of external judges. Best New Director: one award across all categories, decided by the judges together with the Board of Directors. Best Brooklyn Project: for a film by a Brooklyn director or shot in Brooklyn, decided by the Board of Directors. Spirit Awards: one per category, the Board of Directors' choice. Certificates of Outstanding Achievement: Production, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Editing, Style, Original Score, Acting (female), Acting (male), decided by the judges. Audience Awards: one per category, by audience vote at the venues and online. BFF Exchange: pitch competition awards for documentary, narrative and student projects. Prizes include cash, film services and products from sponsors. A film must be at least a New York premiere to enter the competition.

2027 submissions Films are entered online through FilmFreeway. Entries must be no more than two years old. Categories are narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short, documentary short, animation and experimental. Narrative and documentary features must run at least 50 minutes; the corresponding shorts may run no longer than 50 minutes. Animation and experimental films have no running-time limit. A New York premiere is required for the jury competition, but is not required for selection. All selected films are eligible for the audience award in their category. Previous festival screenings and private, industry or press screenings are permitted. Before the festival ends, entries must not have a commercial theatrical release or television broadcast anywhere in the United States, or be publicly posted by a distributor that owns the rights. Filmmakers who retain their rights are asked to hide their own public online versions until the festival ends. Films requiring screening or rental fees are not considered. Works in progress may be submitted if completion is planned at least one month before the festival; missing elements must be identified. A previously rejected film may be resubmitted if it has been worked on during the preceding year. The festival reserves the right to decline any submission and does not promise individual feedback. Selected films must be supplied as Apple ProRes 422 at 1920 × 1080, or as a .MOV H.264 file encoded at 15–30 Mbps. NTSC and PAL are accepted; the 2027 festival supports stereo and 5.1 surround sound. Submission agreement The submitter must own the submitted material, control the necessary rights and be authorized to consent for all contributors. The signatory must be at least 18 and legally competent; an organizational representative must have authority to bind the organization. Ownership remains with the film’s contributors. The agreement permits the festival, its director and sponsors to use up to five minutes of an entry without payment for festival-related broadcast, copying, promotion and archiving, worldwide, in current or future media. Future use may be stopped by giving 30 days’ written notice after the festival’s final date; an archival copy may still be retained. The festival may provide a copy to industry professionals who request it to support work or distribution opportunities. Submitters waive compensation for the authorized uses, release the festival and related parties from liability connected with use or alteration, warrant that supplied material does not infringe third-party rights, and undertake to defend and indemnify them against related third-party claims. The agreement replaces earlier understandings; changes must be in writing signed by both parties. Selection and payment are not guaranteed. The agreement is governed by New York law and treated as entered into in Kings County. Disputes are subject to American Arbitration Association commercial arbitration through its New York office; the stated remedies are limited to monetary damages, excluding rescission, termination and injunctive or other equitable relief.