In September, Pan African Film Festival or PAFF launched Black Health in Focus: The PAFF Short Film Competition, sponsored by BeOne Medicines, a global oncology company. The new competition recognizes filmmakers who are bringing greater visibility to cancer and its impact on Black communities.
Through compelling narratives and documentaries, Black Health in Focus will spotlight stories exploring cancer awareness, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, clinical trials, caregiving, survivorship, trust in healthcare systems, access to care, environmental factors connected to cancer, and the experiences of Black individuals, families, and communities.
Finalists will compete for the Black Health in Focus Best Short Film Award, which is sponsored by BeOne Medicines & a $5,000 prize will be awarded to the winner during the 2027 PAFF Awards Brunch.
Submission Guidelines
The competition is open to independent filmmakers worldwide. Narrative and documentary films in any genre are eligible.
To qualify, films must:
Be between 5 and 30 minutes in length
Center the Black community or feature a Black central character
Focus on cancer and its related impact on Black individuals, families, or communities
Address one or more eligible cancer-related topics, including access to care, clinical trials, awareness, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, caregiving, survivorship, trust in healthcare systems, , or environmental factors connected to cancer
Be in English or include English subtitles
Have been completed between January 2020 and October 2026
Be a finished work at the time of submission
Be submitted by an entrant who owns or controls all necessary rights to the film, including music, performances, artwork, imagery, and archival footage
Not have screened at a previous edition of PAFF
Films with prior distribution are eligible. Works in progress will not be accepted.
Films submitted to Black Health in Focus will be considered only for this special competition and screening program. They will not be eligible for consideration in PAFF’s broader 2027 festival program unless they were separately submitted through PAFF’s general open-submission process by Aug. 17, 2026.
Finalists must provide a DCP exhibition copy and required marketing materials, including a poster, logline, director headshot and biography, three to five high-resolution film stills, and a trailer, if available.
Deadline and Entry Fee
All entries must be submitted through FilmFreeway by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Oct. 7, 2026.
The entry fee is $25 per film. Submission-fee waiver requests will not be accepted.
Entries will be reviewed based on artistic strength, originality, emotional impact, and how effectively each film explores one or more of the competition’s designated topics. All selection, judging, and award decisions are final.
Details: Before submitting please read the Category Rules & Terms on FilmFreeway.
If you have any questions please contact: Submissions@paff.org