The 15th Annual Bushwick Film Festival will take place November 1st - November 7th and will be all in person. Featuring over 100 films from Brooklyn and around the world, the program has five days of screenings, events, and Metaverse experiences.
"After having the experience of going fully virtual in 2020 and hybrid in 2021, we realized that we prefer to focus on live screenings which is what makes film festivals so special. It was great to find new ways to connect with audiences over the last two years, but connecting with filmmakers and our audiences in real life is really where our heart is," says festival founder Kweighbaye Kotee.
The festival is excited to form a new partnership with Williamsburg Cinemas where all festival films will screen. In addition to screenings, the festival will also host special events including its Opening Night Red Carpet Reception presented by Spectrum on November 1st at Lot 45.
The opening night reception will feature specialty cocktails by Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, returning for another year as the official spirits sponsor of the BFF. As a fierce supporter of trailblazing women, Johnnie Walker looks forward to raising a toast to the festival for 15 years of empowering women & diverse filmmakers.
Other live festival events include an industry panel and networking event at Circa Brewing Co. in downtown Brooklyn, a screenplay reading selected from its best screenplay submissions, and a closing night awards ceremony. The BFF Metaverse experience, presented by Lowkey Giant also returns for the duration of the festival week. Audiences will be able to beam into the BFF Metaverse where they will find an exotic virtual world filled with whimsical avatars, NFT art shows and videos, events, and digital media content.
Out of the over 100 films that will be included in this year's programming, Approximately 10 filmmakers will walk away with awards in categories such as Best Feature (Narrative/Doc), Best Short (Doc /Narrative), Best Web Series, and more.