The Black History Film Festival celebrates Black filmmakers — from student first-timers to established directors — screening and competing across four cities every year.
The Black History Film Festival was founded in Atlanta in 2008 to create a dedicated platform for films that reflect the depth and range of the Black experience — historical, contemporary, personal, and cultural.
Nearly two decades in, BHFF has grown into a national program screening narrative and documentary work across Atlanta, Washington DC, Miami, and Oakland — anchoring Black cinema in civic institutions, historic theaters, and community venues that treat film as a form of civic memory.
BHFF programs a full festival edition in each of these cities every year:
Whether you’re a filmmaker, sponsor, or community partner, there’s a way to join the festival.
The Black History Film Festival (BHFF), founded by Urban Film Review (UFR), is a premier cultural event dedicated to broadening the narrative of African American contributions to America’s history through the power of film. Established in 2008 at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, BHFF has grown into a nationally recognized platform for showcasing documentaries and stories of unsung African American heroes whose legacies are often overlooked in traditional history books and Black History Month celebrations.
In 2011, the festival moved to the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur, Georgia, where it became a cornerstone of Black History Month programming in metro Atlanta. As its popularity grew, BHFF expanded to the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell, Georgia, and later—in collaboration with Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Jr.—to the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, extending its reach to new audiences. In 2016, Commissioner Arrington also introduced an essay and film competition for Fulton County high school students, awarding $500 scholarships to winners who highlighted their “Unsung Black History Heroes.”
BHFF’s impact has extended beyond Georgia. In 2015, the festival made its Washington, D.C. debut at the celebrated Busboys & Poets Café, followed in 2016 by a partnership with Mayor Muriel Bowser and the historic Lincoln Theatre, solidifying its presence in the nation’s capital. Continuing its expansion, BHFF brought the festival to Miami, Florida in 2025 and is proud to announce a partnership with the Oakland International Film Festival in 2026, marking its debut in Oakland, California.
With screenings aired on public access channels such as FGTV and ATL26, and through its ongoing partnerships with schools, civic leaders, and cultural institutions, BHFF continues to inspire, educate, and celebrate the power of Black stories.
