FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Chivily Christine 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 01/27/2016 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. [BWFG] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC., 208 ELM STREET 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) EVP & Chief Credit Officer 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) NEW CANAAN, CT 06840 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock (1) 2,800 D   Common Stock (1) 2,210 D   Common Stock (1) 4,290 D   Common Stock 950 D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Chivily Christine C/O BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. 208 ELM STREET NEW CANAAN, CT 06840	Â	Â	  EVP & Chief Credit Officer	Â

Signatures

Christine Chivily		02/03/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	10,000 shares of Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. stock granted pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan. 3,500 of those shares are restricted stock that will vest in five equal annual installments of 20%, with the first installment to vest on December 1, 2015 and an additional 20% to vest on each annual anniversary of the vesting date thereafter. 700 Shares have fully vested. 2,210 of those shares are restricted stock that will vest in four equal annual installments of 25%, with the first installment to vest on December 1, 2016 and an additional 25% to vest on each annual anniversary of the vesting date thereafter. 4,290 of those shares are performance restricted stock and may vest when and if the performance goals are achieved, but in any event no later than December 1, 2019.

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