Dates & Deadlines
About festival
Hello.... This is your festival director Gian Smith.
Black Film Festival New Orleans is a unique, cultural and festive experience for black filmmakers. In addition to our film screenings we have exciting concerts, poetry and comedy events, and thoughtful film discussion panels for our audience. Our visiting filmmakers receive African American themed city tours, parties, food, spirits and lots of engagement with our festival director and our New Orleans film family. Come be part of a great indie film community and celebrate with us for BFFNO 2026-27! Check out our website or our instagram for some of our pictures and videos to see what a great time it is.
Trailer
Festival Amenities
Filmmaker pass
Black Film Festival of New Orleans
8 perks included
Amenities
Filmmaker Lounge
Dedicated lounge space
Catering
Food and beverages
Events
Filmmaker Events
Filmmakers networking events
Press Events
Media opportunities
Q&A Sessions
Audience interaction
Industry Panels
Panel discussions
After Parties
Post-screening events
Access
All Access Badges
Full festival access
Accepted Content
Submission Categories
Feature FilmCloses within 7 days or closed
If you've submitted to other festivals as a feature and it met their requirements you're probably good here too.
Deadline: August 21, 2026
Short FilmCloses within 7 days or closed
I guess since a feature is technically over 40 minutes anything under that is a short. But if you send me a 37 minute short film it better be pretty good. Ijs
Deadline: August 21, 2026
Web ContentCloses within 7 days or closed
I'm not imaginative enough to put a limit on what might go on the web so if you send me something creative intended for your Youtube or Vimeo account then cool with me. Otherwise this section is pretty much for web series.
Deadline: August 21, 2026
DocumentaryCloses within 7 days or closed
Got a story to tell about something that happened in real life? It probably qualifies as a documentary. I'm open to short and long docs... let's see what you got.
Deadline: August 21, 2026
Festival Team
Gian Francisco Smith
Organizers
Festival Rules
Submissions:
Anyone may submit to Black Film Festival of New Orleans. Obviously your chances of being accepted to the festival increase greatly the more people of color who are involved. So if you're a non-poc make a film by, about and with black people and you'll be much more strongly considered.
Let me make this clear. If there are no black people involved in your film you will have wasted your money and I won't give it back. I mean... being honest, if most of the people making the film aren't black, and most of the people on the screen aren't either you probably just wasted your money. You'd be surprised at how many people will still submit in spite of the name of this festival and what I just said but hey... thanks for the fifteen bucks.
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