# Bahamas International Film Festival

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a non-profit film festival held in the Bahamas. Open to both locals and international visitors, the festival was founded by Leslie Vanderpool in 2004.
BIFF also hosts a youth film workshop that aims to provide young Bahamians with information and resources on filmmaking.
The 2015 BIFF showcased several women-driven films such as Carol and Janis: Little Girl Blue.
BIFF was listed among the 25 coolest film festivals in the world by MovieMaker Magazine.

## Awards

The following is a list of awards given at the Bahamas International Film Festival.

### Grand Jury

| Year | New Visions | Spirit of Freedom Narrative | Spirit of Freedom Documentary | Short Film | Special Mention(s) |
| 2004 | Modern Maverick Award: Love Me If You Dare Yann Samuell Torchlight Award: Dorian Blues Tennyson Bardwell | 20 Fingers Mania Akbari | | | Whisky Romeo Zulu Roger Corman |
| 2005 | Antibodies Christian Alvart | Zozo Josef Fares | La sierra Scott Dalton, Margarita Martinez | | |
| 2006 | Half Nelson Ryan Fleck | Chronicle of an Escape Adrián Caetano | Encounter Point Ronit Avni, Julia Bacha | | Premium |
| 2007 | I'm Through with White Girls Jennifer Sharp | In the Valley of Elah Paul Haggis | Iron Ladies of Liberia Daniel Junge, Siatta Scott Johnson | Rose Hoku Uchiyama | |
| 2008 | Cold Lunch Eva Sørhaug | Lion's Den Pablo Trapero | Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Gone Fishing Chris Jones | |
| 2010 | Hello Lonesome Adam Reid | The Athlete Davey Frankel, Rasselas Lakew | Budrus Julia Bacha | Contact Zone Gustavius Smith | |
| 2011 | Restless City Andrew Dosunmu | VIPs Toniko Melo | Marathon Boy Gemma Atwal | Homecoming Gursimran Sandhu | Better Mus' Come Zero Percent |
| 2012 | Maybe Tomorrow Michael Wolfe | Between Us Dan Mirvish | Mulberry Child Susan Morgan Cooper | Brigidy Bram Toby Lunn, Laura Gamse | Apartment in Athens Baseball in the Time of Cholera |
| 2014 | Leave to Remain Bruce Goodison | Wheels Donavon Thomas | Poverty, Inc. Michael Matheson Miller | Perfect Day Derrick L. Sanders | Tobacco Burn In the Clouds |
| 2015 | Somewhere in the Middle Lanre Olabisi | Showing Roots Michael Wilson | India's Daughter Leslee Udwin | More Than God Kev Cahill | A Beautiful Now Terra Incognita |
| 2016 | Live Cargo Logan Sandler | 9 Rides Matthew A. Cherry | The House on Coco Road Damani Baker | Replika Luc Walpoth | |
| 2017 | Interlude Bernard Tanguy | Liyana Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp | My Enemy, My Brother Ann Shin | Owen Kelly Pike | I Am Shakespeare: The Henry Green Story |
| 2018 | Sprinter Storm Saulter | Capernaum Nadine Labaki | Wrestle Suzannah Herbert | Lalo's House Kelley Kali | Ovum |
| 2019 | Quest: The Truth Always Rises Santiago Rizzo | Doing Money Lynsey Miller | The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion Lisa Cortés, Farah X | The Wind Phone Kristen Gerweck | Black Hat Night Song Silence |
| 2021 | Jumbo Zoé Wittock | Small Time Niav Conty | My Blood is Red Thiago Dezan, Graciela Guarani, Marcelo Vogelaar | Ashmina Dekel Berenson | Three Blades |

### Audience awards

| Year | Best Narrative | Best Documentary |
| 2004 | One Love Rick Elgood, Don Letts | Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion Tom Peosay |
| 2006 | Johnny Slade's Greatest Hits Larry Blamire | Eleutheran Adventure Kareem Mortimer |
| 2010 | The Athlete Davey Frankel, Rasselas Lakew | Bouncing Cats Nabil Elderkin |
| 2011 | Better Mus' Come Storm Saulter | On The Wings of Men Calvin Dwight Harris |
| 2012 | The Story of Luke Alonso Mayo | Rising From Ashes T.C. Johnstone |

### First Look

| Year | Best Feature | Best Short | Special Mention(s) |
| 2011 | Amos Ferguson: Match Me If You Can Karen Arthur, Thomas Neuwirth | Five Bones K. Tyler Johnston | Tall Tale of An Accidental Tourist |

### Honors

Bahamian Tribute Award
* 2009: Gavin McKinney
Career Achievement Award
* 2005: Spike Lee
* 2006: Nicolas Cage
* 2007: Daryl Hannah
* 2008: Laurence Fishburne
* 2009: Johnny Depp
* 2011: Heather Graham
* 2013: Danny Glover
* 2017: Grace Jones
Rising Star Honoree
* 2007: Naomie Harris
* 2008: Anna Faris
* 2009: Sophie Okonedo
* 2011: Zoë Kravitz
Shining Star Tribute
* 2012: Sydney Tamiia Poitier
* 2014: Debra Messing
* 2017: Michael K. Williams
Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Award
* 2016: Cicely Tyson
Tribute Award
* 2014: Chaz Ebert