It’s not too late to take advantage of this week’s Bushwick Film Festival, which is taking place at points around Bushwick starting today and running through Oct. 14. 

For the uninitiated, the festival, in its 11th year, is one of Brooklyn’s largest cinematic events and gives independent filmmakers the chance to gain exposure where they may not otherwise. 

This year’s festival will have more than 100 shorts and features selected from 1,300 submissions — a record — and 40 events. Many of the films, from filmmakers around the world, explore themes that will be familiar to many, whether you call Brooklyn home or are only here for a short time: films about cultural differences, financial struggle and gentrification, for example. Others give you the chance to understand the world from a different perspective. Here are a few we're looking forward to: 

Bushwick Beats | Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. | House of YES

The film examines Bushwick through six different stories as the neighborhood goes through an intense period of change. The stories give viewers a look at the many different ways we find unconditional love in our lives, all set on the vibrant streets of Bushwick. 

Don't Be Nice | Oct. 13, 7:40 p.m. | Chemistry Creative

Don't Be Nice follows a team of New York slam poets as they compete in the 2016 National Championships. The underlying themes of the film explore the reality of being black in modern America, from cultural appropriation to police violence. 

Hair Wolf | Oct. 13, 7:25 p.m. | LightSpace Studios

Hair Wolf is part of a block of shorts exploring a world of artists of color who have dreams, and the challenges they face to accomplish them. The film tackles issues of cultural appropriation at a Crown Heights hair salon as the neighborhood around it gentrifies. 

Bushwick Homecomings - The Record | Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m. | Syndicated

This documentary follows the Bushwick neighborhood as it transforms over 20 years, highlighting the challenges faced when race, ethnicity and socioeconomic barriers come into play over the course of development. 

Find a full list of films, events and panels (and get tickets) here. 

Photo credit: Bruce Mars