Benin City Film Festival (7)

Festival start: 27 November 2025      Festival end: 29 November 2025

The Benin City Film Festival was launched in November 2018, as a new entity that offers a platform encouraging and promoting the works of local (community based) as well as National, and International emerging filmmakers. It is a cost friendly platform for showcasing these works in an environment where they have access to experienced industry professionals. BCFF is the only independent film festival in Edo State, and the only film festival that takes place in Benin City.

BCFF screens premieres of international and national feature films, short films and documentaries on social issues. This year edition, with the theme CREATIVE INDUSTRY BEYOUND THE PANDEMIC is scheduled to take place at Film House Cinema, Benin City.

At least 50% of our festival schedule is dedicated to foreign films, which broadens the film culture experience to all who attend the screenings in Benin City during the festivals duration.

The Benin City Film Festival is a team of people who work effortlessly to deliver a quality service to emerging filmmakers. We will give festival contributors access to some of the Industries most prolific names, both nationally and internationally.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the Festival are to provide a resourceful platform:

1. Where the business and craft of Nigerian films are enhanced and marketed to the film content consuming world by attracting quality film resource persons, buyers and critics from all over Nigeria and around the world to BCFF events every year.

2. for viewing some of the best of feature films, documentaries, shorts, and experimental projects for the entertainment and instructions of attendees and participants at the BCFF annually.

To this end, BCFF is committed to being:

A. A place for dialogues, healthy discussions and trainings to film business and film craft professionals and amateurs in and around the world by ensuring that BCFF is attractive to international film and motion picture contents directors to help enrich festival and participants through insights from their works and about the art of filmmaking

B. A machinery for exposing the ancient City of Benin in particular and the entire Edo State in general to a sustainable long term to a long term patronage of its vast tourism realities and potential to resourceful global creative business and craft audiences.

Finally BCFF is geared towards encouraging co-production relationships in films, TV shows, Documentaries and any other rewarding motion picture content between local players.

Benin City Film Festival 2025

Theme: Stronger Together – The Power of Collective Filmmaking

The Benin City Film Festival (BCFF) 2025 is dedicated to fostering unity, collaboration, and Co-productions within the global film industry. Under the theme "Stronger Together: The Power of Collective Filmmaking," this edition highlights the significance of teamwork, industry solidarity, and the transformative power of storytelling when filmmakers join forces.

As one of Nigeria’s leading film festivals, BCFF serves as a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to connect, share ideas, and build meaningful partnerships. Through screenings, workshops, industry panels, and networking events, the festival aims to bridge gaps between filmmakers, producers, distributors, and other key players in the industry

Cash Prizes: 500$

- Film of the Festival
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Performance
- Best Feature
- Best Documentary Feature
- Discovery Award
- Best Short of the Festival
- Best Asia Films
- Best Asia American Film
- Best European Film
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Animation Short
- Best Music Video

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Films in languages other than English, must have English Subtitles, otherwise they shall not be considered for selection.

2. The Festival accepts only films without watermarks. Only Trailers or promos cannot be submitted for selection process.

3. Films which have no online presence can be submitted by sending two full HD DVDs by courier to the Festival office along with a hard copy of this form duly filled. Kindly label the DVDs with title, director name, duration, phone number and email id on it.

4. For submissions coming from outside Nigeria, the packages must be marked, “For Festival & Cultural Purpose only, No Commercial value”.


TERMS & CONDITIONS:


1. BCFF reserves the right to showcase the film so submitted perpetually anywhere.

2. BCFF reserves the right to include the film or video and related material in its promotional activities.

3. All Decisions made by the Appointed “Selection Committee” regarding Selections, screenings, awards at the Festival in entirety will be final. In case of Dispute, decision of the President is final.

4. The film makers and their representatives undertake to use the official logo and the status of their Selection or Award strictly in conformation with DIFF 2024 designs and they further undertake to use such festival logo in all their promotions, posters and marketing publications with the consent of the festival.

5. A film selected for the festival does not run in competition automatically. A Jury will select the films that feature in Competition.

6. The Festival shall not bear / reimburse any freight or other charges in foreign or Nigerian currency.

7. Once selected for screening, the film shall not be withdrawn.

8. Entries under the all categories shall be of films certified by National Film and Video Censors Board of Nigeria.

9. The last date of submissions of ENTRIES IS 30.09.2025 and Date of Intimation of Selection will be 23.10.2025.