Bushwick Film Festival Announces 2025 Winners & Festival Highlights
The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is thrilled to announce the winners of its 18th annual event, celebrating outstanding independent storytelling across genres. This year, BFF continued its tradition of recognizing exceptional talent with awards in categories including Best Feature, Best Short, Best Episodic, and more. The winning films and performances told bold stories, showcased the independent spirit, and featured compelling characters that deeply resonated with audiences.
A full list of winners can be found below. Photos of each winner are available HERE.
- Best Feature Narrative: Todos Somos Justos directed by Carlos Leiva Barahona
- Feature Narrative Runner Up: The Color of Air directed by Oliver Moser & Drip Like Coffee directed by Anaiis Cisco
- Best Feature Documentary: Join The Club directed by Kip Andersen & Chris O’Connell
- Feature Documentary Runner-Up: Slumlord Millionaire directed by Steph Ching & Ellen Martinez
- Best Short Narrative: Them That’s Not directed by Mekhai Lee
- Short Narrative Runner-Up: The Truck directed by Elizabeth Rao
- Short Narrative Honorable Mention: Hodge-Podge directed by Max Scherr
- Best Short Documentary: Brims of Tradition: The Dual Legacy of a Black Hat Maker directed by Jon Waldman
- Short Documentary Runner-Up: No Black Dancers in Portland directed by Shareina Chandler
- Short Documentary Honorable Mention: AT SEE directed by Serena Dykman
- Best Episodic: Born 2 Lose directed by Carlos Cardona
- Episodic Runner-Up: Au-Pair-is directed by Emily Rodriguez
- Episodic Honorable Mention: DENIM directed by Tedra
- Best Screenplay: Screentime written by Zoé Paddon
- Screenplay Runner-Up: Again Znovu written by Katarzyna Müller
Festival Jury
The jurors for this year’s festival included industry leaders like Malcolm Barrett (Actor, Average Joe, Timeless ), Andre Ozim (Actor, You and The Gilded Age), Kaliswa Brewster (Actress (Billions) and producer, co-producer on Duke & Roya Off-Broadway), Crosby Fitzgerald (Actress, Little House on the Prairie (2025) Palm Royale (2024), The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (2025) and Abbott Elementary (2021)), Chien-Ping Lin (Director/Executive Producer, Little Yellow Flower, & BFF Alum), Rob Fatal (Sundance Film Institute Native Film Lab Fellow Alum and an Imagine Native Director’s Lab feature film fellow alum), Daniel Pravit Fethke (Producer), Natasha Florentino (Documentary Filmmaker, Abundant Land: Soil, Seeds and Sovereignty), Justin Joseph Hall (Director/Founder, Fourwind Films & Quatre-Vents), Tedd Collatos (Writer, Director, Palookaville), Lauren Smitelli (Director, Best Summer Ever), Michael Litwak (Director, Molli and Max in the Future, Snatchers), and Petra Ahmann (Silverline Cinema)
A Blue-Carpet Night to Remember
The evening brought perfect weather and inspiring remarks from the Brooklyn Borough President and local Council Members, who spoke about the importance of the arts, BFF’s legacy, and the founder’s commitment to the festival’s mission. Live music by Diego Campo Jazz set the tone, and a live DJ closed the night with a high-energy dance set. With support from Spectrum, Lot 45, and Great Jones Distilling Co., Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery, guests enjoyed world-class whiskey tastings, city pride, and community spirit that perfectly reflected BFF’s mission.
Screenings, Filmmaker Q&As, and Full Houses All Weekend
The festival kicked off at Williamsburg Cinemas with an inspiring lineup of films from New York and around the world, featuring 11 World Premieres, 10 East Coast Premieres, and 24 New York Premieres. Packed theaters continued throughout the weekend for standout screenings including Rare and Grand Alignment by director Cinqué Lee, with award-winning actor Giancarlo Esposito in attendance.
Industry, Community, and Closing Night
BFF closed the weekend with an industry brunch hosted by festival partner Lovejoys and a screening of the award-winning films. On Wednesday, October 8, the festival concluded with an awards ceremony at Great Jones Distilling Co., co-hosted by Great Jones and longtime supporter Hadley M. Fisher, with remarks by Hadley, festival board members, and winning filmmakers. Partners including Freelancers Union and Brooklyn Cooperative were also in attendance. The evening featured a beautiful space, world-class whiskey, great food, heartfelt speeches, and a final toast to independent storytelling.
Connect with the Bushwick Film Festival:
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