Boston Underground Film Festival Guide

The Boston Underground Film Festival represents more than twenty-years of underground, cutting-edge filmmaking. Attracting cinema enthusiasts from around the world to New England annually. Celebrating the unconventional elements of underground cinema. The Boston Underground Film Festival features cinematic forms that are weird, unconventional. And far beyond mainstream yet vibrant, engaging, and downright amazing.

If you’re considering a visit to the Boston Underground Film Festival. Or you’re thinking of entering an independent film to the festival. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

About the Boston Underground Film Festival

The Boston Underground Film Festival started out as an all-night film marathon more than twenty years ago. Which was run by founder David Kleiler and friend Dima Ballin.

What was once an informal event would quickly grow into the first annual Boston Underground Film Festival which took place at the Revolving Museum in South Boston 21 years ago.

Since the first annual Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) which some still refer to as a “wonderful hoax of a film festival” BUFF has certainly come a long way. Today, BUFF features a unique, and empowering underground cinema force that is like nowhere else in the world. 

BUFF Location

BUFF would take place for several years at the historical Brattle Theatre although a secondary venue, Harvard Film Archive, would host BUFF from 2016 through 2019.

The Boston Underground Film Festival, like many other events and festivals of 2020, was canceled due to COVID-19. Just days before the physical festival was set to take place the pandemic would result in widespread lockdowns and the need to cancel any physical gatherings. 

As such, in October of 2020, BUFF would join several other festivals. Including the Brooklyn Horror Festival, the North Bed Film Festival, the Overlook Film Festival and the Popcorn Frights Film Festival to present NIGHTSTREAM a virtual film festival.

The Brattle Theater

40 Brattle Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

Boston Underground Film Festival Submissions

Those considering entry into the Boston Underground Film Festival should familiarize themselves with the rules of the festival.

Exhibition formats include films that are 60 minutes and above which are feature length. And those which are 20 minutes to 60 minutes which are medium length. Films which are under 20 minutes are considered shorts.

All submissions to the Boston Underground Film Festival must take place online as no physical copies are accepted at this time. BUFF will accept foreign films but they must be dubbed or subtitled in English. Note that submissions will not be returned to you!

For more information about the 2022 Boston Underground Film Festival, or future BUFF engagements, entrants, filmmakers, and film enthusiasts should visit the website at https://bostonunderground.org