Running for over 20 years now in the vibrant, diverse New York City borough of Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Film Festival is a wonderful celebration of independent film. Organized by the Brooklyn Film Society, a non-profit organization, the Brooklyn Film Festival is held on an annual basis in June of each year.

The world of cinema is still in its infancy compared to many other art forms, and yet we've already seen so many moving, inspiring, thought-provoking films from directors and creative minds all over the world.

Films can have such big effects on us, triggering all kinds of reactions and emotions, and just like any other work of art, one single film can be seen and interpreted in many different ways depending on who happens to be watching.

With film becoming such a powerful mode of creative expression, the cinematic world has developed legions of loyal fans and passionate enthusiasts all over the world, and those people often love to come together at special events and film festivals to celebrate their love of the movies. Film festivals, both large and small, take place all over the globe each year, and the Brooklyn Film Festival is consistently ranked as one of the best.

All About the Brooklyn Film Festival

This festival got started by a group of film lovers - Marco Ursino, Susan Mackell, Abe Schrager, and Mario Pegoraro - way back in 1998 with the aim of promoting independent movie-making, encouraging more people to take an interest in indie films, and also helping to promote the borough of Brooklyn as a key cinematic location.

Other features of the festival include:

- Prizes - Thanks to sponsors and support the Brooklyn Film Festival is able to award at least $50,000 in prizes to independent film-makers each year. Awards come in various forms, honoring the best pictures in various categories like 'Feature Narrative', 'Feature Documentary', 'Short Narrative', 'Animation', 'Best Brooklyn Project', 'Best New Director', and more. The awards are an exciting part of the Brooklyn Film Festival and it’s exciting for film fans to track the award winners and see what kinds of careers they go on to forge for themselves in the movie industry.

- Themes - Each year, in order to make every single incarnation of the Brooklyn Film Festival unique and special, the festival is given a special theme. In 2018, for example, in order to celebrate the symbolic 21st edition of the Brooklyn Film Festival, the festival's theme was 'Threshold' and focused on the idea of crossing over into something new. Each year, the theme is carefully chosen and filmmakers can get themselves in the running for the coveted 'Grand Chameleon Award' if they produce a film that is regarded as best representing the overall theme.

There’s a big focus on high quality independent films at the Brooklyn Film Festival. A lot of films to have been screened at this festival in the past have gone on to enjoy great commercial and critical success, with some even being nominated for Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and more. When you attend the Brooklyn Film Festival, you’re guaranteed to see high quality cinema created by passionate people.

The Brooklyn Film Festival is focused on independent filmmaking in a huge variety of formats. This includes both long and short narrative movies, as well as documentaries, animated movies, experimental pieces, and more. This means there’s a lot of different styles of cinematic expression to be seen and experienced every single year. The energy and vibe of the festival is ever-changing and always exciting, with attendees from all walks of life able to find movies to make them think and feel, triggering debates and helping to further discussions about what movies are and the effects they can have on us.

Attending the Brooklyn Film Festival

- Films will be screened each day at various theaters and locations around the Brooklyn area including Windmill Studios - Greenpoint, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Downtown Brooklyn, and Syndicated - Bushwick.

- The film line-up will include over 100 different titles in various categories, with both documentaries and narrative films making up the majority of the titles.

- Awards will be given in the form of cash and services to the best pictures.

- Tickets need to be purchased to attend the screenings. You can choose to buy individual tickets, multi-pack passes to see several shows at a discounted rate, or full festival passes that give you access to as many screenings as you like.

- Various special events, parties, and receptions will be held in various locations during the event as well.

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