Kweighbaye Kotee is the founder of the Bushwick Film Festival, a Brooklyn-based platform dedicated to championing diverse voices in film. Born in Liberia and raised in the U.S., she launched the festival after graduating from NYU to create opportunities for underrepresented storytellers and emerging filmmakers.

Kweighbaye Kotee is the founder of the Bushwick Film Festival (BFF), a Brooklyn-based festival supporting independent filmmakers and community storytelling.
She also serves on the Bushwick Community Board and co-chairs its Arts & Culture committee, and founded MCCG, a community engagement company.
Born in Liberia, she immigrated to the U.S., studied at NYU, and has been featured in outlets including NBC, FOX News, and Indiewire.

Bushwick Film Festival opened its 2018 edition with “Bushwick Beats,” a multi-director film screening exploring love and urban life in Brooklyn, followed by a red carpet event, Q&A with filmmakers, and an after-party, highlighting the festival’s commitment to diverse storytelling and community-centered independent cinema.

Groundswell NYC and HBO hosted a 2018 panel titled “Radically Re-Imagining Our Neighborhoods,” bringing together leaders in urban design, social justice, and the arts—including Bushwick Film Festival founder Kweighbaye Kotee—to explore how creative work and policy intersect in shaping equitable, culturally grounded communities.

Greenpointers speaks with Bushwick Film Festival founder Kweighbaye Kotee about building a community-driven platform for independent filmmakers in Brooklyn, the festival’s growth since 2007, and its mission to diversify the film industry by bringing together artists, audiences, and underrepresented voices through cinema.

The Bushwick Film Festival is a Brooklyn-based independent film festival founded in 2007 that champions emerging and underrepresented filmmakers through curated screenings, panels, and community programming. Created by Liberian-American filmmaker Kweighbaye Kotee, it has grown into a vibrant platform celebrating diverse storytelling from around the world.

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At TedX Bushwick Women, organized by Kweighbaye Kotee, speakers from across industries gathered to explore how women can challenge systemic bias and create change. Through talks on leadership, motherhood, academia, and representation, the event emphasized empowerment, community connection, and the importance of women stepping into spaces of influence and visibility.

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The 10th Annual Bushwick Film Festival opened with a red carpet event at House of Yes, where founder Kweighbaye Kotee welcomed filmmakers, artists, and guests for the premiere of In Case of Emergency. The festival continued its four-day run of screenings, panels, and community celebration, reflecting Kotee’s mission to uplift diverse voices in independent film and inspire future women filmmakers.

Kweighbaye Kotee discusses building the Bushwick Film Festival from the ground up and emphasizes why film festivals remain vital spaces for independent and diverse filmmakers.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. She established the festival in 2007 to spotlight underrepresented filmmakers and has since grown it into an international platform for independent film, community storytelling, and cultural exchange in Brooklyn.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. She leads the festival as a platform for diverse independent filmmakers, curating programming and conversations that center representation, access, and community storytelling in Brooklyn and beyond.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. She launched the festival to celebrate independent cinema and create a platform for diverse storytellers, and has since grown it into a major annual event in Brooklyn featuring screenings, panels, and international filmmakers.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. She created the festival to center diverse filmmakers and expand access for women and people of color in an industry where they remain underrepresented. Through her work, she builds platforms that support new voices, mentorship, and opportunity in independent film.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. As the daughter of immigrants who came to the U.S. during the Liberian Civil War, she draws on her lived experience of displacement and resilience to build platforms that center young and underrepresented storytellers. Through her work in film, education, and community programming, she continues to advocate for creativity as a tool for access, empowerment, and social change.

Kweighbaye Kotee is a Liberian-American filmmaker, cultural strategist, and founder of the Bushwick Film Festival. After immigrating to the U.S. during the Liberian Civil War, she built the festival into a platform championing diverse filmmakers, arts education, and community engagement in Brooklyn. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, culture, and social impact.

Kweighbaye Kotee built the Bushwick Film Festival from a small neighborhood gathering into a respected platform for diverse filmmakers and underrepresented voices. As a Liberian immigrant and woman of color in film, she pushed through financial and industry challenges to create lasting impact through storytelling and community. Her journey reflects resilience, cultural connection, and a commitment to making space for others in the arts.

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A profile of Kweighbaye Kotee traces her journey as a Liberian-born immigrant who built the Bushwick Film Festival and TEDxBushwickWomen, highlighting her leadership in creating platforms for women, immigrants, and emerging creatives in Brooklyn while using her lived experience to empower others through community storytelling and opportunity-building.

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The 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival brings 70 international directors to Brooklyn with a strong focus on women filmmakers and immigrant stories. Founder Kweighbaye Kotee highlights the festival’s mission to create connection through diverse screenings, panels, and community events across Bushwick venues.

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In this 2015 interview, Kweighbaye Kotee reflects on founding the Bushwick Film Festival while balancing school and work, and the early challenges of building a community-driven platform for independent film. She shares her passion for storytelling, the festival’s grassroots beginnings in Brooklyn, and her vision of expanding spaces for diverse filmmakers and communities to connect through cinema.

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The Bushwick Film Festival team looks ahead to a bigger year following its growth in 2015, expanding programming, workshops, and community initiatives. Founder Kweighbaye Kotee highlights new funding efforts and ongoing work to support emerging filmmakers and strengthen Bushwick’s independent arts scene.