Stories help us understand who we are, where we come from and what we share with one another.
The Denton Black Film Festival Institute presents stories that center Black culture and creative voices while exploring the human experiences that connect us all. Through film, music, art, spoken word and conversation, we create opportunities for audiences to experience stories that may hold particular cultural significance for the Black community while resonating with people of every background.
Now entering our 13th year, the Denton Black Film Festival (DBFF) has grown from an annual film festival into a multidisciplinary cultural experience and year-round commitment to storytelling, creative development and community connection. Today, DBFF is the largest Black film festival in Texas and the Southwest.
Your North Texas Giving Day donation helps independent filmmakers and artists bring their work to audiences. It supports students and emerging creatives as they learn from experienced professionals. It also helps us create welcoming spaces where people can encounter different perspectives, recognize familiar emotions and discover the common humanity within stories that may begin in communities different from their own.
When you give to the Denton Black Film Festival Institute, you help culturally meaningful stories reach wider audiences—and help the people who create them move forward.
Together, we make stories come alive.
Our mission is to educate, entertain and inspire through storytelling that centers Black culture and creative voices while embracing the shared human experiences that connect us all.
Through film, music, art, conversation and other forms of creative expression, we create opportunities for stories to be seen, heard and experienced in ways that encourage understanding, spark dialogue and strengthen community.
Your Gift Makes the Stories Possible
Your donation will help support the 2027 Denton Black Film Festival and the year-round work of the Denton Black Film Festival Institute.
Contributions help us provide:
Film screenings and presentation opportunities for independent filmmakers
Cash awards, recognition and professional opportunities for filmmakers and screenwriters
Workshops, panels and conversations led by filmmakers and industry professionals
Educational opportunities for students and emerging creatives
Community programs that bring people together through storytelling
Accessible in-person and virtual programming that allows more people to participate
Venue, production and technology support needed to present a high-quality festival
Year-round programs connecting film, art, culture, education and community
Every contribution—large or small—helps elevate culturally rich stories, support independent creatives and create meaningful experiences for audiences of all backgrounds.
Give today and become part of the community that brings these stories to the screen.
The Denton Black Film Festival Institute was created to address the historic underrepresentation of Black filmmakers, artists and creative voices.
While our programming intentionally centers stories and experiences of cultural significance to the Black community, the themes within these works reflect the broad range of human experience and invite connection across cultures and backgrounds.
We welcome filmmakers, artists and audiences of all backgrounds. We are committed to reducing barriers to participation and creating opportunities for students, emerging creatives and independent artists to learn, connect and advance their work.
Through inclusive programming, education and creative opportunity, we seek to encourage understanding, expand access and strengthen community through the power of storytelling.
Organization name
Denton Black Film Festival Institute Inc
Tax id (EIN)
84-4064554
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$100,000 - $249,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
BIPOC Leadership
Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair
Address
PO BOX 1217