September 18-20, 2026 | New York City
BLACK FILM SPACE
WEEKEND
Schedule & Panels
FRIDAY
September 18, 2026
Community Screening and Opening Night Party
SATURDAY
September 19, 2026
Full Day BFS Conference & pitch competition
SUNDAY
September 20, 2026
BFS Awards
Full schedule to be announced soon
〰️
Full schedule to be announced soon 〰️
Where
Craft Meets Community
There are film festivals.
There are networking events.
Then there’s BFS WEEKEND.
BFS Weekend 2026 is our 4th annual large-scale conference dedicated to helping Black filmmakers grow their craft, expand their networks, and explore bold new approaches to storytelling. This is a hands-on, skill-building experience designed for Black filmmakers at all levels.
Experience immersive workshops, panels led by industry experts, and community-driven discussions focused on the art and craft of storytelling. While many events offer exposure, ours is dedicated to providing opportunities for deep creative development outside of expensive academic programs.
Our 2026 theme IS FOCUSED ON CAREER SUSTAINABILITY. Our 2026 theme will center tools, strategies, and relationships to help Black creatives to sustain thriving careers in today’s industry climate. Attendees will walk away feeling empowered, innovative and ready to conquer the ever-changing world of film, television and content.
Tickets
Friday, September 18th
Super Early Bird - $35 (Ends July 3)
Early Bird - $45 (Ends July 17)
Regular - $50 (Ends August 7)
Late - $55
Saturday, September 19th
Super Early Bird - $50 (Ends July 3)
Early Bird - $65 (Ends July 17)
Regular - $80 (Ends August 7)
Late - $100
Sunday, September 20th
Super Early Bird - $100 (Ends July 3)
Early Bird - $115 (Ends July 17)
Regular - $125 (Ends August 7)
Late - $135
All ticket tiers include a Buy 4, Get 1 Free discount.
the pitch competition
The Black Film Space Logline & Pitch Competition is back—and this year, it’s bigger than ever.
In Partnership with The Gotham, we’re giving one storyteller the chance to pitch live in New York City during BFS Weekend, win a $2,500 cash prize, and gain exclusive access to industry opportunities designed to move their career forward.
Prizes for the winning film maker
• $2,500
• A Gotham Pro Membership
• A one-on-one consultation with a Gotham team member to discuss their project’s future
HOW TO enTER
• Purchase a Saturday ticket. You’ll automatically receive an e-mail with a form to enter the contest.
• Submit your logline by August 7th at 11:59 PM EST
• Finalists will be notified by September 1st.
2025 winner
Sekiya Dorsett won the 2025 competition with a sharp delivery and a powerful concept.
This year, it could be you.
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No. It's open for all lengths, formats and genres of scripted/narrative films.
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Unfortunately, no. It's open for scripted projects.
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Your name, e-mail address, logline, basic details about the project and quality photo of yourself (for promotional purposes)
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We are open to all experience levels. We are choosing the finalists based on the most clear, concise, unique, well written loglines.
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You are required to use the prize money on the project you are pitching.
You will be provided specific instruction on how to report the use of the funds.
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Yes, only two team members from each project can pitch at a time.
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To get a feel for how a logline should read, start with a basic structure.
When [INCITING INCIDENT OCCURS]...
A [CHARACTER TYPE]...
Must [OBJECTIVE]...
Before [STAKES]
Keep your logline between 25 to 50 words or one to two sentences.
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Unfortunately, no. You can only submit one logline per filmmaker.
Judges will be announced soon
〰️
Judges will be announced soon 〰️
the awards
Black Film Space will honor filmmakers, creatives and industry leaders who are redefining what sustainable success looks like. Join us as we honor the visionaries proving that longevity, impact and community matter just as much as the spotlight to close out Black Film Space Weekend 2026. Check out more details on previous years.
Unable to attend? Make a donation directly here.
SPONSORED BY
Get Involved
PAST BFS WEEKEND CONFERENCES
Our conference is growing! Here are highlights from the three prior years.
2023
On a cold, September Weekend, Black Film Space held its inaugural three day conference to see if there is interest in our vision to convene Black Filmmakers. Despite the weather and us doing this for the first time, the event was a well-attended success. We had amazing guests such as actor William Jackson Harper, TV Director Ne and veteran Director of Photography Cliff Charles.
2024
We expanded into a bigger space, partnered with Afrofuture Festival for our party and a panel and incorporated our cliveRd. supported grant for our pitch competition, and focused on genres as our theme.
2025
The world traveled beyond the NYC area and a significant portion of our 300+ attendees flew in from all over the United States. Aside from our main stage, we included additional workshop rooms that featured AI experts, attorneys, agents, casting directors and more!
Black Film Space is committed to ensuring our events are accessible to all attendees. If you have any accessibility needs, require accommodations to fully participate,
or have general questions about the event, please contact us in advance at info@blackfilmspace.com.