--- title: "The Sixth Borough Film Festival" url: "/academics/kakos/departments/comm-sou-med-arts/sbff" type: page date: 2026-06-01 updated: 2026-06-01 --- # The Sixth Borough Film Festival Kakos School of Arts & Sciences # The Sixth Borough Film Festival **Where the Bronx Meets the Big Screen** Located in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, Manhattan University’s picturesque campus—just a short subway ride from midtown Manhattan—serves as the annual home of the Sixth Borough Film Festival (SBFF), a three-day celebration of global and Bronx-inspired filmmaking. [ 2026 Award Winners ](/academics/kakos/departments/comm-sou-med-arts/sbff/2026-award-winners) [ Download the 2026 Program (PDF) ](/sites/default/files/media/2026-06/SBFF-2026-Program.pdf) Image ![Logo for SBFF](/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_327w/public/media/2026-06/film-festival-logo-3.png?h=f93885e7&itok=jvugwDMv) ## Celebrating the Art of Storytelling Through Film Located in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, Manhattan University’s picturesque campus, just a short subway ride from midtown Manhattan, is home to the Sixth Borough Film Festival (SBFF), a three-day celebration of global and Bronx-inspired filmmaking. The festival features a dynamic lineup of shorts and feature-length films across genres, including narrative, documentary, music video, and “Bronx Tales,” stories about or inspired by the Bronx. Highlights include a special horror showcase, which brings audiences together for an evening of suspense and cinematic thrills. SBFF is also a defining example of experiential learning at Manhattan University. Students play a central role in producing the festival, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as press and media relations, social media strategy, programming, filmmaker engagement, community outreach, and event operations. Image ![Image of a filmmaker and award winner of the Sixth Borough Film Festival.](/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_327w/public/media/2026-06/04122026_11455_Sixth-Borough-Film-Festival.jpg?h=5c4b42e8&itok=p2pV35hA) The Sixth Borough Film Festival ## Selected Films & Filmmakers The Sixth Borough Film Festival judges screened submissions from 30 countries and officially selected more than 100 films for recognition. Each film was carefully reviewed and evaluated by a panel of judges, ensuring a program that highlights artistic excellence, compelling storytelling, and diverse global perspectives. This year’s festival transforms the Manhattan University campus into an international stage for independent cinema — connecting filmmakers and audiences across cultures, disciplines, and borders. Image ![Image of a filmmaker and award winner of the Sixth Borough Film Festival.](/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_327w/public/media/2026-06/04122026_11455_Sixth-Borough-Film-Festival.jpg?h=5c4b42e8&itok=p2pV35hA) ## Countries Represented in Official Selections Americas - Argentina - Bolivia - Brazil - Canada - Chile - Mexico - United States Europe - Croatia - France - Germany - Hungary - Italy - Poland - Portugal - Russian Federation - Slovenia - Spain - Ukraine Middle East & North Africa - Egypt - Iran (Islamic Republic of) - Israel - Jordan - Libya - Turkey Asia & Pacific - China - India - Indonesia - Kazakhstan - Singapore ## Daphne Rubin-Vega - Vanguard Award Winner (2026) Image ![Image of Daphne Rubin Vega, photo by Victoria Stevens](/sites/default/files/styles/original_aspect_ratio_400/public/media/2026-06/Daphne-Rubin-Vega.jpg?itok=jDyg1Lf_) For her invaluable and visionary contributions to film, theatre, television and music, Manhattan University is proud to present **Daphne Rubin-Vega** with the inaugural **Sixth Borough Film Festival Vanguard Award**. All the world’s a stage, and the stage has always meant the world for **Daphne Rubin-Vega**, the multi-Tony Award-nominated actor, producer and Broadway legend who blazed trails in the mid-‘90s by originating the role of free-spirited doomed lover Mimi Marquez in the groundbreaking, Tony-winning, New York City-centric show, *Rent*. Rubin-Vega’s showstopping performance fittingly earned the Panama-born, NYC-raised actress and singer a Theatre World Award for Broadway breakout star and her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical—launching a highly acclaimed career spanning stage and screen. [View Daphne Rubin-Vega's Vanguard Award Acceptance Speech](https://youtu.be/OkoEiWhsTj8?si=Vft3BVrk8hOtXrAa) ## Enid Kent - Honorary Jury Chair (2026) Image ![Publicity photograph of Enid Kent](/sites/default/files/styles/original_aspect_ratio_400/public/media/2026-06/enid-kent-image.png?itok=aHtkNZIm) Enid Kent is an actress whose career spans stage, television, and community service. Born in Los Angeles into a theatrical family, she began performing at an early age and earned a degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University before joining the American Conservatory Theater. After moving to New York City, Kent appeared in regional productions and on Broadway, including *Our Town* and *The Time of Your Life* alongside Henry Fonda. She later returned to California and became best known to television audiences for her recurring role as Nurse Bigelow on the acclaimed series *M\*A\*S\*H*. Beyond her work in entertainment, Kent has devoted more than a decade of volunteer service to Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles nonprofit that provides meals to individuals facing serious illness. Her commitment to both the arts and community service has earned recognition from the City of Los Angeles and continues to inspire audiences today. ## Watch the 2026 Trailer [Embedded Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/yVkl1_Izg8Q?si=4HSEGBAWdZGiKyik) The Sixth Borough Film Festival ## Fesitval Contacts Media Contact Judy Cooper [**jcooper07@manhattan.edu**](mailto:jcooper07@manhattan.edu) Program Director Michael Grabowski Executive Director Robert Cole