Better Cities Film Festival

On This #GivingTuesday we highlight the work of one of our earliest supporters 13 years ago and their new project the Graduate School of Black Cinematic Arts.

🏆 That’s a wrap on the 2025 Better Cities Film Festival! What a weekend in Detroit — full of conversation, connection, and stories that remind us why we build better cities in the first place. 🌆 From moonlit screenings at Campus Martius to late-night bike rides and lunchtime idea swaps, this year’s festival brought together filmmakers, city-builders, and dreamers who believe in the power of storytelling to spark action. We’re proud to announce our 2025 Award Winners! These films captured hearts, challenged assumptions, and showed what it means to create community, one frame at a time: 🏅 Your Rose Garden — Best of Fest Award 🎥 From Rails to Trails — Best Feature Award 🌺 The Spirit of Aloha: Rebuilding Community with West Maui’s Bike Park — Better Communities Award 💪 Your Last Best: A Memphis Rox Story — Spirit of the Fest Award Each of these stories reflects what we love most about this festival — hope, humanity, and the courage to make a difference. 🙏 Thank you to all the filmmakers, volunteers, sponsors, and audiences who filled the city with energy and conversation all weekend long. You make this festival more than a screening — you make it a movement. ✨ See the full list of winners here → [link in bio] 📸 Share your favorite moments and tag us @BetterCitiesFF Let’s keep building better cities, together. #BetterCities #BCFF2025 #Detroit #FilmFestival #StorytellingThatSparksAction #MoreBetter #Urbanism #Community #CityLove

Thanks to all the filmmakers and advocates who attended the festival events. (If we missed you please send us your pics!)

Quick stop on our urbanism tour at #greeningofdetroit #lafayettegreens thanks for bringing biodiversity to our city! See more about the work of @thegreeningofdetroit Saturday at 5pm @lafayette_greens

#bcff2025 walking tour of downtown

Brief thunder and rain graced our opening night festivities.

Picks from opening night in downtown Detroit. We had a great time screening a feature film, hosting an intimate Q&A upstairs, and then leading a bike ride to Eastern Market.

🍕 Sunday Closing Night Dinner When the credits roll, the celebration continues at @Nikispizza in Greektown—famous for authentic Detroit-style pies (hailed by GQ and @detroitfreepress ). This closing ritual brings together filmmakers, volunteers, sponsors, and friends one last time to share stories, laughs, and gratitude. Pay-your-own-way, but priceless in memory. ❤️ Why we love it: Because every great festival deserves a great last supper—Detroit-style. 📅 Sunday, Sept 21 @ 8:00 PM — Niki’s Pizza, Greektown 🎟️ /bettercitiesfilmfestival/tickets #bettercities #BCFF2025 #Detroit #MoreBetter #DetroitStylePizza #ClosingNight #FestivalFamily #GreektownDetroit #Celebration