black film festival new orleans (7)

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Hello.... This is your festival director Gian Smith.

Black Film Festival New Orleans is a unique, cultural and festive experience for black filmmakers. In addition to our film screenings we have exciting concerts, poetry and comedy events, and thoughtful film discussion panels for our audience. Our visiting filmmakers receive African American themed city tours, parties, food, spirits and lots of engagement with our festival director and our New Orleans film family. Come be part of a great indie film community and celebrate with us for BFFNO 2024! Check out our website or our instagram for some of our pictures and videos to see what a great time it is.

This festival is a hybrid festival. We will do a virtual screening as well as in person screenings. ONLY AWARD NOMINATED FILMS will automatically receive an in-person screening. BUT you still may screen in person IF you attend in person. We will also offer a supplementary screening day for all filmmakers who attend the festival. You will have to send in your plane ticket info or your hotel or air bnb rental info if you are driving in order to confirm you will be in New Orleans for the festival. Please understand in order to program the festival we would prefer to prioritize screening films for filmmakers who will be in attendance. If you cannot attend but have been chosen you will still be a part of our virtual festival. Hope this makes sense.

At our awards showcase which will be live streamed we will be recognizing the best films and the best performances of the festival. Our specially customized awards will be given in the following categories.

Best Feature
Best Short FIlm
Best Web content
Best Documentary
Best New Orleans project
Best Actor & Actress
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Cinematography
Best Music/Sound
Best Editing
Audience Award
7Nola

Anyone may submit to Black Film Festival of New Orleans. Obviously your chances of being accepted to the festival increase greatly the more people of color who are involved. So if you're a non-poc make a film by, about and with black people and you'll be much more strongly considered.

Let me make this clear. If there are no black people involved in your film you will have wasted your money and I won't give it back. I mean... being honest, if most of the people making the film aren't black, and most of the people on the screen aren't either you probably just wasted your money. You'd be surprised at how many people will still submit in spite of the name of this festival and what I just said but hey... thanks for the fifteen bucks.