AWARDS & PRIZES

The 2025 Closing Night Ceremony was hosted by Marco Ursino, Susan Mackell, and Rick Gomez.
The event ran from 08:00 pm on Sunday June 8 at Windmill Studios
[300 Kingsland Avenue in Greenpoint – 11222]

Below is the awards breakdown, with their prizes, offered this year by BFF and some of its sponsors
to 29 winning filmmakers.
……………………………………………

CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT

THE FOLLOWING RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT.
MOST OF THEM ALSO RECEIVE SPONSORED PRIZES (CASH, PRODUCTS, SERVICES)

Best Actor (MALE)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($250)

Best Actor (FEMALE)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($250)

Original Score Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Style Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Editing Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Cinematography Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Screenplay Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Producer Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best New Director Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($500)

Best Brooklyn Project
– PRIZE: CREDIT TOWARD LIGHTING AND GRIP PACKAGE WITH CINELEASE | SERVICE ($5,000)

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
Spirit Award in the Experimental Category
Spirit Award in the Short Doc Category
Spirit Award in the Narrative Short Category
Spirit Award in the Documentary Feature Category
Spirit Award in the Feature Narrative Category

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BEST IN CATEGORY

Best Animation
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($1,000)

Best Experimental
– PRIZE: MEDIA SERVICES SOFTWARE | PRODUCT ($548)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($1,000)

Best Short Documentary
– PRIZE: CREDIT TOWARDS POST-PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT RENTAL AT MPE | SERVICE ($3,000)
– PRIZE: CREDIT TOWARDS A LENTINI COMMUNICATIONS RENTAL | SERVICE ($500)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($1,000)

Best Narrative Short
– PRIZE: PHYGITAL FX | CREDIT TOWARDS A LIGHT PACKAGE RENTAL | SERVICE ($5,000)
– PRIZE: MEDIA SERVICES SOFTWARE: THE SHOWBIZ SOFTWARE SUITE | PRODUCT ($548)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($1,000)

Best Documentary Feature
– PRIZE: ABELCINE | CREDIT TOWARDS A PANASONIC HD CAMERA RENTAL PACKAGE | SERVICE ($1,500)
– PRIZE: MEDIA SERVICES SOFTWARE: THE SHOWBIZ SOFTWARE SUITE | PRODUCT ($548)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH ($1,000)

Grand Chameleon Award
– PRIZE: CHAMELEON STATUETTE | TROPHY

AWARD DECIDERS

Three groups select the winners among the 158 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 2023 the theme was “Human Times”)
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.