AWARDS & PRIZES
Through the resources of BFF’s sponsors, the festival offers prizes including cash, film services, and products.
The prizes listed below are associated to the 2026 festival’s awards
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
Best Actor (FEMALE)
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Original Score Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Style Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Editing Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Cinematography Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Screenplay Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Producer Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best New Director Award:
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Brooklyn Project
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
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
BEST IN CATEGORY
Best Animation
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Experimental
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Short Documentary
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Narrative Short
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Documentary Feature
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Best Feature Narrative
– PRIZE: BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY | CASH
Grand Chameleon Award
– PRIZE: CHAMELEON STATUETTE TROPHY | CASH
AWARD DECIDERS
Three groups select the winners among the 150 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 audience votes for the Audience Awards throughout the event both online and at the physical venues. The online voting stops after the final scheduled screening of the festival.
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD
This Award is intended to reward the film that best represents the best of the 2026 festival across all categories.
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.