Filmmakers & Awards
Filmmakers:
The Oak Park Black Film Festival celebrates African-American stories and history, aiming to amplify Black voices and narratives within the film industry.
Films must be by a writer, director, and/or producer who is a person of color (including but not limited to East Asian, South Asian, Black, African-American, Latino, and Pacific Islander) AND/OR feature people of color in the cast/storyline.
We are currently accepting film submissions in the categories including narrative and documentary films, both features and shorts. Local filmmakers are encouraged to apply for the opening Local Films Day!
Films in competition may not have had a commercial distribution or been broadcast in the United States. The OPBFF committee reserves the right to waive this rule in the case of small non-commercial, non-publicized showings.
All films must have been completed after January 1, 2025, unless approved by the OPBFF Committee.
Awards Include:
- Best Short Film
- Best Feature Film
- Best Documentary Film
- Viewer’s Choice
- Founder’s Award
2025 Award Recipients:
Best Feature Film: “Love Offside” – Dale S. Lewis
Best Short Film: “Zeke” – Kerry Codett
Best Documentary: “She Runs the World” – Perry Peltz & Matthew O’Neill
Best Local Film: “Moses” – Fran Guijarro
Viewer’s Choice: “Love is Blind - Parnielle Walker
Founder’s Award: “Ado” – Sam Henderson