AWARDS & PRIZES
The 2026 Closing Night Ceremony ran on Sunday June 7 at 100 Sutton Studios.
Below is the 2026 awards and prizes breakdown.
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2026 CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT
THE FOLLOWING RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Best Actor (MALE)
Best Actor (FEMALE)
Original Score Award
Best Style Award
Best Editing Award
Best Cinematography Award
Best Screenplay Award
Best Producer Award
Best New Director Award
Best Brooklyn Project
– PRIZE: URSA CINE CAMERA RENTAL COURTESY OF BLACKMAGIC DESIGN
AUDIENCE AWARDS
EACH WINNER RECEIVES A BFF CERTIFICATE
Audience Award in the Animation Category
Audience Award in the Experimental Film Category
Audience Award in the Short Documentary Category
Audience Award in the Short Narrative Category
Audience Award in the Documentary Category
Audience Award in the Feature Length Narrative Category
SPIRIT AWARDS
BFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS’s FAVORITE FILMS
EACH WINNER RECEIVES A BFF CERTIFICATE
Spirit Award in the Animation Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Spirit Award in the Experimental Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Spirit Award in the Short Doc Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Spirit Award in the Narrative Short Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Spirit Award in the Documentary Feature Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Spirit Award in the Feature Narrative Category
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
BFF EXCHANGE
BFF Exchange | Documentary
– PRIZE: URSA CINE CAMERA RENTAL COURTESY OF BLACKMAGIC DESIGN
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($250)
BFF Exchange | Narrative
– PRIZE: URSA CINE CAMERA RENTAL COURTESY OF BLACKMAGIC DESIGN
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($250)
BFF Exchange | Student Winner
– PRIZE: URSA CINE CAMERA RENTAL COURTESY OF BLACKMAGIC DESIGN
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BEST IN CATEGORY
Best Animation
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Best Experimental
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Best Short Documentary
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
– PRIZE: A GIFT FROM FACCIA BRUTTO
Best Narrative Short
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
– PRIZE: A GIFT FROM FACCIA BRUTTO
Best Documentary Feature
– PRIZE: MPE | POST-PRODUCTION RENTAL CREDIT ($3,000)
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Best Feature Narrative
– PRIZE: BE ELECTRIC STUDIOS | RENTAL CREDIT ($10,000)
– PRIZE: A GIFT FROM FACCIA BRUTTO
– PRIZE: VIDEO EQUIPMENT GIFT CARD ($100)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($200)
Grand Chameleon Award
– PRIZE: CHAMELEON STATUETTE | TROPHY OFFERED BY BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY
AWARD DECIDERS
Three groups select the winners among the 140 filmmakers who participate to the BFF’s competition every year.
1) Panels of External Judges – select the best in each of the 6 categories in competition and highlight key qualities (i.e. editing, cinematography) of the films they reviewed.
2) The Festival (Board of Directors) selects a Spirit Award in each of the 6 film categories.
3) BFF Audience – has the opportunity to grade each film they see after each single screening they physically attend or watch online. The festival uses a sophisticated logarithm to calculate the winner in each of the 6 categories.
AWARDING SCHEDULE
The award ceremony runs at the end of the physical festival on the final Sunday of the event at about 7pm at Windmill Studios. The audience votes for the Audience Awards throughout the event both online and at the physical venues. The online voting stops at 7pm on the final Sunday of the event.
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD
This Award is intended to reward the film that best represents the current BFF Edition’s Theme (in 2026 the theme was “The Invitation”)
Besides the prizes associated with this award, the director of the winning film project will also receive the coveted BFF’s Chameleon Statuette
Eligibility: All the films in the competition are eligible for this award regardless of their length, category, or format
Jury: This award is assigned by the Board of Directors of the Festival and chosen among the 6 “Best in Category” winners.
BEST IN CATEGORY AWARD
Assigned to the best film in each of the 6 categories
Eligibility: Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Animation, and Experimental films in competition (all categories are eligible)
Jury: Assigned by the panels of Judge
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Assigned to the best upcoming director
Eligibility: Every filmmaker in competition is eligible (every year BFF selects just one Best New Director regardless of the film category)
Jury: Assigned in concert by the panels of Judges and the BFF’s Board of Directors.
BEST BROOKLYN PROJECT
Assigned to the best project by a Brooklyn director or shot in Brooklyn
Eligibility: All Brooklyn filmmakers and all films shot in Brooklyn are eligible
Jury: Assigned by the Board of Directors of the Festival.
SPIRIT AWARD
Films in which the festival recognizes its own spirit
6 Spirit Awards are assigned in each of the 6 categories (just 1 per category)
Eligibility: All films in competition are eligible
Jury: Spirit Awards are assigned by the Board of Directors of the Festival.
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
8 Certificates are assigned for outstanding achievement in the following categories: Production, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Editing, Style, Original Score, Acting (female), Acting (male).
Eligibility: All films in competition are eligible
Jury: Certificates of Award are assigned by external panels of Judges
AUDIENCE AWARD
6 Audience Awards are assigned in each category as follows: Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Doc, Animation, and Experimental.
Eligibility: All films in competition are eligible.
Jury: Festival Audience.