Ghana’s Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) has announced submissions for its 2025 edition. The festival, which is scheduled to take place from September 17th to 22nd, 2024, in Accra, Ghana, is calling on Ghanaian and international filmmakers to submit their films for consideration.
In a LinkedIn post calling for submissions from filmmakers, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, the founder and executive director of Black Star International Film Festival, said: “Submissions open!!! The Black Star International Film Festival (BIFF) opens submissions. If you have made your film, we will like to see it. Don’t miss this opportunity.” Juliet is also the CEO of the National film Authority of Ghana, and the convener of the Africa Cinema Summit.
This year’s festival will feature film screenings, panel discussions, storytelling camps, workshops, and networking opportunities. The festival accepts submissions of feature-length and short films in various categories, including fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental films.
Eligibility
To be considered for selection, all submitted films must be in English, subtitled in English or English versioned. Non-English language works must have English subtitles at the time submitted, and all films must not have been submitted to the festival previously.
Awards will also be presented in different categories, including Best International Feature Film, Best African Film, Best Ghanaian Feature Film, Best International Short Film Award, and Best Ghanaian Short Film Award.
The festival calls on filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora to apply by submitting their films through the application page. An early-bird entry fee of $25 is applicable until February 15th, 2025. Late submissions will run till April 30, and will attract a fee of $30, while film schools and students can submit their entries for $5. All submission fees are non-refundable.
“Join the movement of Black Stars and be a change maker. Our home is Accra, the capital of Ghana and we offer the best cultural and film experiences to all our audiences home and abroad,” the festival’s organisers said.
BSIFF attracts filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals from across the world. The festival also support films with distribution opportunities through its platform, the Africa Film Market. Shortlisted and award-winning films in various categories qualify for distribution consideration with the festival’s distribution partners.