The seventeenth annual Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF) will take place in New York City from Wednesday, April 8, through Saturday, April 11, 2020!
The BHFF promotes the diversity and breadth of Bosnia-Herzegovinian stories through film, and serves as a valuable link for members of the Bosnian diaspora in the New York City area to their heritage, while also exposing a wider audience to Bosnian culture. Over the years it has grown from a simple film revue event to a New York City institution, recognized by filmmakers, production companies, and the general cinema community. In addition to the roughly 15 productions screened annually, BHFF also includes a series of interactive, collaborative events that serve as a platform for critical dialogue between our guests, most of whom are filmmakers based in the Balkan region, and the hundreds of New York City-based attendees the festival attracts each year.
The BHFF call for entries is open until February 15, 2020. The festival is currently accepting feature, documentary, short, and animated films either produced by Bosnian-Herzegovinian filmmakers or that feature themes about Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF) is an exciting showcase for contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography, and films with Bosnia and Herzegovina as their theme. Each year, BHFF brings a colorful tableau of Bosnian and Herzegovinian stories to diverse New York City audiences. Over the years it has grown from a simple film revue event to a New York City institution; its audience includes people with Bosnian heritage, people from other Balkan expatriate communities, as well as a wide cross-section of all New Yorkers who cherish international and independent film productions.
BHFF films explore the multifaceted character of Bosnia-Herzegovina, including portrayals of its beauty, hospitality, rich arts, history, and culture, as well as analyses of contemporary challenges faced by its people. The festival also strives to promote film arts and film production in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and to explore well as the country’s film arts background and history.
In addition to its rich and powerful film programming, BHFF also explores the less visible aspects of the filmmaking process in a series of special events, including filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and social events. By providing a platform for audience members to interact with filmmakers, BHFF brings forth the beauty of and challenges within filmmaking, and contributes to a better understanding and appreciation of film arts and the power of visual storytelling.
The festival is organized by not-for-profit organizations: Academy of Bosnia and Herzegovina Inc. and the Voice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Inc.
The Academy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cultural and advocacy organization, which serves as a platform for various cultural, artistic, and professional exchange programs led by its members. These programs are intended to benefit Bosnians and Herzegovinians in New York City and the United States. For more information, visit
The Voice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and raising awareness of Bosnian-Herzegovinian culture in the tri-state area and beyond.
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian community has had a presence in the United States for more than a hundred years. While official reports from the 2010 census indicate that there are 122,529 Bosnian-Americans in the United States, it is estimated that today there are some 350,000 Bosnian-Americans of full or partial Bosnian descent living in the country. The BHFF embodies a crucial link to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the tri-state diaspora. The festival has been consistently praised for its quality of films, and for the level of cultural exposure it provides. The BHFF helps bring together not only the Bosnian-American and other Balkan communities, but also film and Balkan culture enthusiasts.
