2026 Black Trans Short Film Festival

2026 Films

2026 Award Winners

2026 Level Up Lab

Black Trans Short Film Festival

The Black Trans Short Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by Comfrey Films. We are deeply committed to ensuring that Black Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex (TGNCI) people are unforgettable for generations to come. For millennia, Black TGNCI people have been the ones to create our own systems of care and safety, making it possible for future generations of our community to exist and live with dignity.

The Comfrey Films Black Trans Short Film Festival is continuing that commitment to ensure that Black TGNCI folks in the future know that we existed, stunningly, and with great courage. This year, we featured narrative + non-fiction short films, solo projects and Black trans-led collaborations.

Learn more about the 2026 Award Winners, Films, and Level Up Lab below!

2026 BTSFF Award Winners

Imara Jones

Inaugural Media Legacy Award

Imara Jones, founder and CEO of TransLash Media, is the inaugural recipient of the Media Legacy Award! It’s an honor to celebrate Imara’s extraordinary contributions to media, her visionary leadership in shaping Black trans storytelling, and her enduring impact on culture, journalism, and advocacy.

2026 People's Choice Award

Kayla Gore

Sistahood: A Story of Strength, produced by Kayla Gore, won the 2026 People’s Choice Award. This powerful film opened hearts across the festival and highlighted the transformative work Kayla is leading in Memphis. Sistahood reminds us all what it means to fight for safety, dignity, and thriving futures for our communities.

Justice Singleton

2026 Grand Jury Award

Cockroach, directed by Justice Singleton won the 2026 Grand Jury Award! This film took us on a journey, challenged us, and called us to sit with the complexity and humanity in each of us. Justice Singleton is a courageous storyteller and a creative genius.

2026 Officially Selected Films

A look at the officially selected films screened at the 2026 Black Trans Short Film Festival.

Cockroach
Directed by Justice Singleton & Liliana Padilla

Dread
Directed by Loren Loubser & Gabe Gabriel

A New Creation Story
Directed by Dane Figueroa Edidi, J Mase III & Audria LB

Chosen
Produced by Ace Xavier Portis & Steven Pargett

Sistahood: A Story of Strength
Produced by Kayla Gore

Echoes: The B Side
Directed by Mars Storm Rucker

Level Up Lab: Acting Intensive
with Brian Michael Smith

Brian Michael Smith partnered with Comfrey Films to launch the first ever Level Up Lab at the 2026 Black Trans Short Film Festival. This acting intensive gave an inside look into the professional aspects of film and TV acting. Brian shared tips and insights to sharpen our performance skills and practical steps for how to strategically position ourselves in the film & TV industry as an actor or director.

Brian Michael Smith is an actor, filmmaker, and advocate known for his roles in
9-1-1: Lone Star, Queen Sugar, and The L Word: Generation Q, making history as the first Black openly trans man cast as a series regular on network television. With a career spanning drama, action, and comedy, he is dedicated to expanding trans and Black representation in film and TV through authentic, character-driven storytelling. As a filmmaker, he is passionate about exploring themes of masculinity, identity, and resilience in new and compelling ways.