BETTER CITIES FILM FESTIVAL

Overview

Better Cities Film Festival is the world’s premiere film festival about cities, towns, and neighborhoods. In June of 2026, we will host our 13th anniversary edition of our annual flagship festival in Detroit, MI. We are shifting our festival schedule to align with Placemaking Week. BETTER CITIES FILM FESTIVAL — 2026 SUBMISSIONS 🎬 Why Submit to Better Cities Film Festival? Better Cities Film Festival (BCFF) is where filmmakers who care about place, people, and possibility find their people. Our 13th annual flagship festival takes place in Detroit, Michigan — June 27, 2026, immediately following Placemaking Week (June 24–26, 2026). We invite filmmakers to stay in the city one more day to experience Detroit in motion and share your work with an audience already energized by ideas of community, design, equity, and imagination. Detroit is not a backdrop — it’s a collaborator. When you come to BCFF, you experience firsthand the grit, creativity, innovation, and resilience of one of America’s great comeback cities. From adaptive reuse and public space transformation to grassroots organizing and cultural entrepreneurship, the city itself mirrors the stories many of our filmmakers tell. 🌆 Screen on America’s #1 Public Square Our primary screening venue is Campus Martius Park, consistently ranked as the best public square in the United States. Films screen outdoors on a massive screen, surrounded by downtown energy — blooming gardens, bike bells, passing buses, families, workers, and artists moving through the city. It’s cinema embedded in real urban life — the perfect context for films about better cities. We also partner with organizations throughout Detroit to host occasional satellite screenings in locations connected to film themes — from universities and community spaces to cultural and civic venues. 🤝 Find Your Creative Community BCFF attracts a niche, highly engaged audience: urbanists, architects, planners, artists, activists, community organizers, educators, civic leaders, and passionate documentary lovers. These are not passive viewers. They stay after the credits roll. They ask thoughtful questions. They want to connect, collaborate, and build something meaningful together. This is not red-carpet networking — it’s relationship-building among people who care deeply about impact. Filmmakers consistently tell us that BCFF feels unusually generous, supportive, and collegial. These directors don’t work with movie stars — they work with hope, trust, and real human stories. You’ll find peers who openly share techniques, resources, funding strategies, and ethical storytelling practices. 🛠️ Workshops That Serve Your Craft Our filmmaker workshops and gatherings focus on practical and humane storytelling: Conducting compassionate interviews Structuring narratives through archival footage and verité Working creatively with limited resources Building sustainable funding and sponsorship pipelines Translating films into real-world community impact You may not sit on a traditional panel — but you might find yourself walking with an audience member on an architecture tour, riding bikes through the city with fellow filmmakers, or sharing a meal that turns into your next collaboration. 🌍 Global Reach Beyond Detroit Award-winning films don’t stop at one screening. Selected films are eligible for: Our Detroit flagship festival Satellite screenings across North America and internationally United Nations partner events through UN-Habitat collaborations Your film continues to circulate in meaningful civic, educational, and international spaces long after the festival weekend. 🎥 All Genres Welcome We accept films of all lengths and genres that engage with cities, neighborhoods, and the human experience of place — from documentary and animation to experimental and narrative work. If your film explores how people shape their communities — and how communities shape people — you belong here. 📅 2026 Festival Timing Placemaking Week Detroit: June 24–26, 2026 BCFF Film Screenings: Saturday, June 27, 2026 Come for the conference energy. Stay for the films, the city, and the community. 🏆 Awards & Prizes Cash prizes total over $1,000. All winners receive: Official Award Certificate Official BCFF apparel All-Access Pass to the next BCFF flagship festival 🌍 United Nations Screenings Beginning in 2020, BCFF formed a unique partnership with the United Nations to create the UN-Habitat Better Cities Film Festival, bringing selected films to global convenings including the World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This partnership continues to expand opportunities for filmmakers to reach international audiences and decision-makers shaping the future of cities worldwide. 🧭 Festival History Founded in 2013 as the New Urbanism Film Festival in Hollywood, BCFF became the Better Cities Film Festival in 2019 and relocated its flagship event to Detroit. In 2020, the festival pivoted online during the pandemic, screening over 80 films from 26 countries. In 2021, BCFF returned to live, in-person programming in Detroit — combining film screenings with tours, placemaking installations, workshops, and community events throughout the city. Today, BCFF continues to grow as a global platform for films about how we shape our cities — and how our cities shape us. 📥 2026 Rules & Terms for Entries Definitions As used herein, the term ENTRY includes a film, animation, television (TV) pilot, documentary, web series, music video, stills, and/or combinations thereof. BCFF means Better Cities Film Festival. General Rules All ENTRIES must be submitted online via FilmFreeway.com. Each ENTRY will only be considered for BCFF screenings hosted after the corresponding deadline on FilmFreeway. Films must be submitted to the proper length category and with the proper fee to be considered. Fees paid to an inappropriate category will not be returned. All ENTRIES must be in English or subtitled/dubbed into English. Submitters grant BCFF a nonexclusive, global, royalty-free right to use stills and excerpts (up to two minutes) for promotional purposes and to publicly screen selected films. Exceptions must be authorized by the Festival Director. Multiple entries are permitted, but each must be submitted separately. Physical submissions will not be accepted or returned. All fees are non-refundable. BCFF reserves the right to refuse any submission. Films may be screened more than once at BCFF or future BCFF events. BCFF retains the right to screen all ENTRIES at future BCFF events without additional compensation. Submitters waive all screening fees. (Full legal terms continue below.) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q. Do you accept films completed prior to 2026? Yes. We accept all films regardless of completion date, as long as the content remains relevant. Q. Can I submit multiple films or episodes? Yes. Each submission requires its own entry and fee. Q. Do you offer fee waivers? Sometimes. Email us. Q. Can international filmmakers submit? Absolutely. Films must be in English or have English subtitles. Q. Can I submit a rough cut? Yes, but the final version must be uploaded by the final deadline. Q. Can my film have screened elsewhere? Yes — previous screenings are welcome. Q. How will I know if I’m accepted? You’ll receive email notification with next steps and materials requests. Q. Do you offer discounts? Yes — discounts are available for students, volunteers, previous winners, and partner organizations. Email us for details. For additional questions, contact: info@bettercitiesfilmfestival.com

Last updated Sep 6, 2026

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FilmFreeway communityGold festival

• Filmmaker

  A great festival run by passionate people. Josh is an incredibly communicative and involved organizer who really knows his stuff and works deeply with the community to bring the festival together. I'm honored to have been a part of it.

• Filmmaker

  I just wrapped up an incredible experience at the Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit! My debut feature, Freak Bikes, got its big screen premiere on a massive outdoor screen downtown. It was a total dream come true. The crowd's energy was electric, and the festival's overall vibe was super inspiring. Seeing my film on such a grand scale and connecting with people who were passionate about the same topics was life-affirming. A massive shoutout to festival director Josh Paget and the BCFF Team for making this all possible!

• Filmmaker

  Loved the screenings in Detroit's outdoor Campus Martius Park! And the afterparty had lots of great conversation, including networking connections.

• Filmmaker

  Grateful Better Cities Film Festival asked if Concrete Rose could be part of their year-round programming. The festival’s focus on the power of places aligns perfectly with the themes of our film. Being part of a global conversation on urban development through screenings in cities worldwide is truly inspiring. It's an honor to have Concrete Rose featured impactfully.

• Filmmaker

  This is an absolutely wonderful festival. Being a topic-focused festival allows for great conversation and connections. I really appreciated the hospitality of the festival team. The festival is definitely worth the admission fee.

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