Black Arts & Film Festival

What Black Arts & Film Festival does

Black Arts & Film Festival (BAFF) is a Tampa Bay-area nonprofit cultural organization that stages an annual five-day festival in St. Petersburg, Florida, timed to close out Black History Month each February. Founded around 2018 and now in its eighth year, BAFF serves Black and African-American independent filmmakers and visual artists by curating film screenings (features, documentaries, indie shorts, music videos, web series), visual art exhibitions in venue lobbies and gallery walls, DIY workshops, panel discussions, networking mixers, and a Filmmakers/Visual Artist Tour that connects attendees with municipal film commissions and arts alliances. The festival also runs an annual awards program, including the recurring "BAFF Nick Davis Artist of the Year" honor, and a multi-department volunteer program.

BAFF's technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a Weebly-hosted website (blackartandfilmfestival.com) for content and sponsorship inquiries, and FilmFreeway for ticketing and film submission management. There is no proprietary platform, no app, and no AI/ML capability evidenced in the operating footprint.

The business model is event-driven and multi-stream. Revenue is generated through ticket sales via FilmFreeway, a three-tier corporate sponsorship catalog ranging from $250-$500 local small-business sponsorships to $10,000-$15,000 title sponsorships, vendor fees ($100 single-day to $400 full-festival with optional $25 table rental), modest merchandise sales (t-shirts at $25, bags at $15), and tax-deductible donations and sponsorships routed through its 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor P.D.A.P. (Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project). Distribution is regional, anchored by partnerships with St. Pete Clearwater Film Commission, Film Tampa Bay, St Pete Arts Alliance, The Factory St. Pete, Eckerd College, DreamMakerz Productions, and FloridaRAMA. Customer segments split between primary creator-side audiences (Black filmmakers and visual artists) and secondary commercial buyers (corporate sponsors and vendors).

Name

Black Arts & Film Festival

Legal name

Black Art & Film Festival

Website

https://blackartandfilmfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Arts & Film Festival (BAFF) is a Florida-based nonprofit that produces an annual five-day Black art and independent film festival in St. Petersburg during Black History Month, serving Black filmmakers, visual artists, and corporate sponsors through screenings, exhibitions, workshops, and networking events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival & Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Independent film screenings
• Cultural event production
• Artist showcase programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from sales of tickets to festival screenings and events through FilmFreeway platform
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages at three tiers ranging from $250-$500 for small business local sponsors to $10,000-$15,000 for title sponsorship with naming rights and prominent branding across all festival materials and events
3. Vendor Fees: Vending opportunities at festival venues starting at $100 for a single day, $200 for two days, and $400 for all festival days, with optional table rental for $25
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of BAFF branded merchandise including t-shirts at $25 and bags at $15
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through nonprofit partner P.D.A.P. (Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project), a 501(c)(3) organization

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BAFF operates an annual five-day festival in St. Petersburg, FL held the last weekend of February to close out Black History Month. The festival screens independent Black films (narratives, documentaries, shorts, music videos, web series), exhibits visual artwork by Black artists, and runs hands-on DIY workshops, panel discussions, and high-energy networking mixers. The festival serves as a platform to empower, inspire, and elevate Black and African-American filmmakers and visual artists through curated screenings at historic venues, professional development resources, and connections to local film commissions and arts organizations.

Product overview

The Black Art & Film Festival (BAFF) is a five-day annual festival dedicated to recognizing Black talent and showcasing quality visual art and film content. The festival takes place in St. Petersburg, FL, during the last weekend of February to close out Black History Month. The core offering consists of film festival screenings (featuring feature films, documentaries, indie shorts, music videos, and web series), visual art exhibitions, DIY workshops, panel discussions, and high-energy networking mixers. Supporting offerings include the Filmmakers/Visual Artist Tour, BAFF Music Videos showcase, merchandise, and a volunteer program. Sponsorship and vendor opportunities provide commercial partnerships at various investment levels. The festival's tagline is 'Where Creative Minds Come to Intertwine' with a C.A.N. philosophy (Cultivate, Advance, & Network).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Festival Screenings Five-day screening program of independent films (feature narratives, documentaries, indie shorts, music videos, and web series) submitted by filmmakers and curated by expert judges for presentation at historic venues in St. Petersburg, FL. Targeted at Black and African-American independent filmmakers and festival audiences.
• Visual Art Exhibitions Curated visual art showcase featuring works by Black artists displayed in lobbies and gallery walls of selected festival venues, highlighting local Tampa Bay artists and those from beyond the area.
• DIY Workshops & Panel Discussions Hands-on workshops and thought-provoking panel discussions led by top independent professionals from the Bay Area, designed to empower, inspire, and elevate Black filmmakers and visual artists.
• Networking Mixers High-energy networking mixers held at venues throughout St. Petersburg, providing opportunities for indie professionals to connect with like-minded individuals and advance their careers.
• Filmmakers/Visual Artist Tour Guided tour for up-and-coming artists and entrepreneurs to discover filming locations, learn about local funding options, and connect with resources such as the St. Pete Clearwater Film Commission, St Pete Arts Alliance, and Film Tampa Bay.
• Festival Awards Ceremony Annual award ceremony recognizing excellence in various film and art categories, including the BAFF Nick Davis Artist of the Year award.
• Sponsorship & Vendor Opportunities Sponsorship packages at three tiers ($250-$15,000) offering brand exposure through festival backdrop, printed materials, on-screen ads, and event recognition, plus vendor booth opportunities starting at $100 for single-day vending.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Pete Clearwater Film CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe St. Pete Clearwater Film Commission covers 24 cities in Pinellas County, Florida and has supported BAFF by providing filmmakers access to production incentives, location scouting resources, and industry connections. Film Commissioner Dave Caputo participates in the annual Filmmakers Tour event.
• Film Tampa BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm Tampa Bay operates on behalf of Hillsborough County, City of Tampa, City of Plant City and City of Temple Terrace, providing invaluable services including local guidance, creative ideas, crew and equipment acquisition, and production support. Film Commissioner Tyler Martinolich participates in BAFF Filmmakers Tour.
• St Pete Arts AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2012, the St Pete Arts Alliance is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to raising money and advocating for the entire creative community in St. Petersburg, including artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses.
• The Factory St. PetecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Factory St. Pete is a primary venue partner for BAFF, hosting Opening Night, Documentary Spotlight Night, and Student & Indie Shorts Showcase screenings. The venue provides gallery space for visual art exhibitions.
• Eckerd CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEckerd College provides Miller Auditorium as the venue for Sunday Narrative Features, Documentary Feature screenings, and the BAFF Festival Awards Ceremony.
• DreamMakerz ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDreamMakerz Productions co-curates the Opening Night showcase 'Hometown Heroes & DreamMakerz Spotlight Screenings' and is listed as a supporting partner for the BAFF 2026 Visual Artist showcase.
• The Factory St. Pete, DYG Art 4 the Soul, GALLERY 909 St. Pete, P.D.A.P., DreamMakerz ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual artist showcase partners for BAFF 2026 featuring local Black artists and others from within the Tampa Bay area.
• FloridaRAMAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFloridaRAMA is an indoor immersive art experience and Florida-themed family attraction located in St. Pete that partners with 80+ artists. Included in the Filmmakers Tour as 'The FloridaRama Experience' for participants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Black Film Festival (ABFF): Premier Black film festival originally in Miami and now New York, focused on independent Black filmmakers and visual artists with networking, workshops, and screenings. Comparable in mission, audience, and programming mix to BAFF but at materially larger scale.
• Roxbury International Film Festival: Boston-based festival dedicated to films by and about people of color, with a similar regional focus on supporting emerging Black filmmakers through screenings, panels, and networking events.
• Pan African Film Festival (PAFF): The largest and longest-running Black film festival in the U.S., held annually in Los Angeles. Directly comparable as a curated showcase of Black independent cinema with educational programming, filmmaker networking, and a similar nonprofit-style operating model.
• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series: NYC-based festival dedicated to films by women of African and Caribbean descent. Comparable as a niche culturally-focused festival with curated screenings, networking, and educational programming targeting Black filmmakers.
• Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF): Long-running Black film festival on Martha's Vineyard featuring independent Black cinema alongside visual arts and cultural programming. Comparable in mission, programming structure, and nonprofit-affiliated operating model.
• BronzeLens Film Festival: Atlanta-based Black film festival showcasing independent cinema by and about people of color. Comparable operating model — annual multi-day event with screenings, workshops, and networking — competing for similar filmmaker submissions.

Regional players

• Sunscreen Film Festival: St. Petersburg-based independent film festival in the same metro area as BAFF. Directly comparable in venue geography and indie filmmaker audience; competes for submissions, attendees, and regional sponsors in the Tampa Bay creative economy.
• Sarasota Film Festival: West-coast-Florida regional film festival with annual multi-day screenings, panels, and educational programming. Comparable as a Florida-based cultural festival competing for similar corporate sponsors and tourist audiences, though broader in programming.
• Tampa Bay Film Festival: General-audience film festival operating in the same Tampa Bay market as BAFF. Comparable in geographic footprint and event-driven model, though broader in content focus — a potential collaborator or competitor for the same sponsor dollars and venues.
• Gasparilla Festival of the Arts: Major Tampa-based arts festival with visual art focus, juried artist showcases, and significant sponsorship tiers. Comparable as a Tampa Bay cultural event competing for the same local arts sponsors and audiences, though with a broader (not Black-focused) artistic mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Tampabayblackartsandfilmfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tampabayblackartandfilmfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Arts & Film Festival