Black Trans Short Film Festival

Submit Your Film
Sponsor BTSFF

Black Trans Short Film Festival

Every year, BTSFF gathers prominent creative voices and cultural leaders across industries, from national social justice non-profit leaders, to Hollywood film and tv actors, writers, and directors, to journalists and social media content creators.

More than just a film festival, this is a space to celebrate, connect, and build community. It’s about empowering Black TGNCI artists, creating a platform for our voices to be seen and heard, and offering audiences a chance to engage with stories that challenge perspectives and spark important conversations.

The Black Trans Short Film Festival is for everyone who wants to support art that insists we all belong, centers bodily autonomy, and reflects a more honest, inclusive and vibrant world than the mainstream media and film industry will show us.

Save the dates, April 15-17, 2027 for next year’s Black Trans Short Film Festival. Here’s what you can expect to see:

  • incredible short films from Black TGNCI directors, producers and screen writers.

  • an exclusive Comfrey Films in-house productions + works-in-progress screening

  • a life-changing Level Up Lab with an industry leading Black TGNCI filmmaker

  • inspired panel conversations and fireside chats

  • opportunities to build community, network, and get to know Durham as a place where Black trans and queer artists and storytellers thrive.

Festival Submissions Open!

1) Film must be less than 20 minutes in length.

2) Final Submission Deadline is November 3rd, 2026.

3) Film must be directed, produced or written by a Trans/Gender Non-Conforming/Intersex (TGNCI) person of African descent and/or who otherwise identifies as Black, and must also feature TGNCI persons of African descent, or tell a story of Black TGNCI experiences.

Submit Your Film
FAQ

  • Hands down the best film space I've ever been in. The level of care & intentionality put into every component of the festival was exactly what we needed during these tumultuous times. So many wonderful connections made & ancestral affirmations received!

    — NOVA CYPRESS BLACK, Screenwriter + Director

  • This was a trip to remember. Ancestral. Healing. I was a part of history coming to this gathering of beautiful black trans folks. Do yourself a favor and bring yoself to this magical event.

    — Naya Ryan Rashad, Writer + Director

  • this sold out celebration of Black trans imagination, histories, and futures was crafted with such intention and love — each film, each speaker, each bite, each sip, each second was infused with the kind of love that is honest, human and impossible to deny or erase.

    — adrienne maree brown

  • Comfrey Films poured so much care in the Black Trans Short Film Festival. It was beyond refreshing being amongst community like that. Such thoughtful curating, programming and accommodations.

    — Lanese Love

  • The Black Trans Short Film Festival didn’t just feel like an event—it felt like a family reunion. A homecoming. A celebration of everything we were, everything we are, and everything we’re becoming. I'm grateful to have been present.

    Festival Attendee

  • I grew into my inherent power at the Black Trans Short Film Festival!

    Festival Attendee

  • This fesitval is one of a kind! It met so much of the needs of community and creators by being a space to celebrate, to sit with complexity, to honor our elders, to tell and be with our stories, and to be in the joy of existence! It has become my favorite annual Durham event!

    Festival Attendee

  • I see festivals and events happening in big cities and I always think 'wow that would be so cool to see here' and guess what, Comfrey Films made that happen for Durham. It was truly a joy to be able to share space with so many talented humans, to have various types of events and programming to participate in, and to leave opening night feeling inspired.

    —Festival Attendee

  • Black Trans Niggas in the South creating is always gonna be a balm for the soul.

    Festival Attendee

FAQs

  • The Black Trans Short Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by Comfrey Films. This year we will welcome any narrative + non-fiction short films, solo projects and Black trans-led collaborations. For our inaugural festival in 2025, we screened powerful independent films submitted by Black TGNCI creators, spanning a range of genres and deeply personal narratives that wove into stories about community organizing, grief, healing justice, sisterhood / siblinghood, personal identity, spirituality, and so much more. Over 3 days, we created a space that centers the healing and transformative culture work that Black Trans folks are leading in our communities. Every filmmaker and audience member made this space feel magical and deeply necessary. We’re excited to bring it back April 15-17th, 2027

  • The 3rd annual Black Trans Short Film Festival will take place on April 15-17, 2027. Add this to your calendar!

  • Go to filmfreeway.com/btsff to submit your film.

    If this is your first time ever submitting a film on FilmFreeway, you’ll have to set up a profile, upload your film or add a link to your film, and go through a short set up process which includes answering a few questions about your film.

  • The submission fee for the Black Trans Short Film Festival is $35. We are committed to making this accessible to Black Trans storytellers, and sustainable enough that we can continue to offer and grow this space in the years to come. We are offering a discounted submission fee of $17.50 up until the Nov. 1st early submission deadline.

  • Each filmmaker is allowed to submit up to two short films per FilmFreeway account. 

  • We know that the work of Black trans storytellers has been historically undervalued. Because of this, you’re invited to submit your films regardless of the year it was created. Our goal is to get your powerful stories in front of audiences.

  • There is a preliminary jury that selects the top films to screen at the festival. The final jury will review these selected films to decide on the Best in Festival jury prize winner.

    During the festival, audience members will get a chance to vote for the People’s Choice festival prize winner.

  • Yes!

  • If your film did not win a prize last year and you’ve made changes to it, you’re welcome to submit it again.

  • You can submit your film in whatever language it was made, but it does need to have English subtitles.

  • Yes, as long as it is 20 minutes or less in length.

  • Yes, our Best in Festival Jury winner will receive $2,500 and a distribution offer. Our People’s Choice winner will receive $1,250. Keep an eye out for Comfrey Films Instagram @comfreyfilms and subscribe to our newsletter at comfreyfilms.org for additional prizes as they get added.

    If you submit your film and attend the festival, you’ll be invited to an exclusive Black TGNCI filmmaker mixer where you can meet and engage with other peers and more established industry professionals.

  • The Black Trans Short Film Festival is open to anybody! If you want to learn from, be inspired by, or show love to Black Trans storytellers, we would love to have you. Bring your friends, or come to make new friends! Registration will open in late 2026/early 2027.

  • YES! We included a virtual option this spring (April 2026) and loved getting to share these films with folks all over the world. We’re excited to continue with a virtual component of the festival in 2027

  • Thank you for your interest in sponsoring the Black Trans Short Film Festival. Check out our sponsorship guide here. Reach out to us at btsff@comfreyfilms.org if you have any questions or want to talk more.

  • Yes, you can help bring the Black Trans Short Film Festival to life by donating here.

  • Follow us on Instagram @comfreyfilms and subscribe to our newsletter to get all the latest updates on Comfrey Films’ Black Trans Short Film Festival. If you’re a Black Trans filmmaker or someone hoping to sponsor this project, you can reach out to us via email at btsff@comfreyfilms.org

  • The Black Trans Short Film Festival is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive space for all participants. We value difference, creativity, and the importance of centering Black trans voices in every aspect of the event. We expect all attendees, filmmakers, and volunteers to engage in a manner that is respectful, considerate, and free from harassment or harm. 

    We also prioritize a safe, accessible environment where individuals are encouraged to express themselves authentically. We strive to amplify the work of Black trans artists while nurturing a community rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Any behavior that undermines the festival's values or creates a hostile atmosphere will not be tolerated. If you experience inaccessibility or harassment during the festival, please reach out to us at btsff@comfreyfilms.org.