Call for entries for the 8th annual Rhode Island Black Film Festival

The Rhode Island Black Film Festival will celebrate its 8th annual program from April 10th to 14th, in 2025. To that end submissions to the Film Festival opened September 1. – and the deadline is October 18, 2024 to enter.

Filmfreeway Early Submission is open now. Go here: FILMFREEWAY

Black culture enthusiasts and content creators from around the world will gather for five days in April, days filled with features, short screenings, talk events, parties and networking, empowering Black artists and spotlighting a diverse array of entertainment content created by and for individuals of African descent.

But! You can’t be featured if you don’t enter. The journey to the 8th annual Rhode Island Black Film Festival (April 10-14) begins with the submission process. In 2025, they are expanding the film festival to bring together more creative people from venues in the capital city, to College Hill to the City by the Sea, Newport.

AWARDS & Prizes

The Festival presents several awards in these categories:

Film of the Year
Best Documentary
Best Feature Film
Best Short
Best Student

Rules & Terms of the RI Black Film Festival:

By entering the Rhode Island Black Film Festival you agree to follow its rules and guidelines. Eligibility requirements are final. There are no exceptions.

We consider films in any language, from anywhere in the world. If your film is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles where necessary.

We consider films regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film premiered at another festival, it’s still eligible.

Only features that don’t have distribution are eligible for RIBFF. Entrants must notify the festival at once if their distribution status changes.

There’s no distribution rule for Short Films. All Short Films, including those released online, are eligible.

We don’t provide waivers to any filmmakers. This is how we ensure an equal playing field and stay fair to all who submit to our festival.

If accepted, entrants are responsible for delivering their exhibition copy and other materials, such as: trailer, screener link, press stills, and press-kit, by deadline.

If accepted, filmmakers are required to do their best to attend the festival.

We are unable to update screeners once they are already in our system. We encourage filmmakers to submit their work as early as possible.

Submissions are accepted until 11:59 PM EST on the deadline date.