As the Brooklyn Film Festival’s (BFF) 23rd edition: TURNING POINT, approaches, the festival unveiled the lineup of Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Animation and Experimental Films; along with its plans for its opening night program..
Brooklyn Film Festival
The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF), is an International, competitive festival. BFF mission is to provide a public forum in Brooklyn in order to advance public interest in films and the independent production of films. To draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema. To encourage the rights of all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of independent filmmaking, and to promote artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure.
Brooklyn Film Festival started in 1998 and takes place in Brooklyn, New York, USA
-
Brooklyn Film Festival Reveals 2020 Opening Night Program + Shorts, Animation, Experimental and kidsfilmfest Lineup
Brooklyn Film Festival’s 23rd Edition: TURNING POINT- Short Narratives
-
2020 Brooklyn Film Festival Goes Virtual and Free
Brooklyn Film Festival at Windmill Studios, photo credit Yuko Torihara Following the trend of many film festivals, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) announced that its 23rd edition, themed TURNING POINT, will go on in the form of a virtual festival with its full film lineup of more than 140 films viewable for free from May 29 through June 7.
-
Brooklyn Film Festival’s 2019 Awards – Andrea Cordoba’s SANCTUARY Wins Grand Chameleon Award
Sanctuary directed by Andrea Cordoba Brooklyn Film Festival’s 22nd edition: THE GATHERING, wrapped on Sunday with Sanctuary directed by Andrea Cordoba picking up the coveted best of the fest Grand Chameleon Award. Anas Tolba’s Between Two Seas won Best Narrative Feature and Andrea Cordoba’s Sanctuary took home the award for Best Feature Documentary.
-
Julian Shaw’s Thriller USE ME World Premieres at Brooklyn Film Festival
Use Me directed by Julian Shaw The thriller Use Me from award-winning film maker, director and actor Julian Shaw will have its world premiere at this year’s Brooklyn Film Festival. Use Me will World Premiere on Sunday, June 2nd with a second screening on Monday, June 3rd.
-
ROCKABUL Documentary on Metal Band in War Torn Afghanistan, to NY Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival
District Unknown in RocKabul directed by Travis Beard RocKabul directed by Australian filmmaker Travis Beard examines the counter culture campaign that the US government waged in Afghanistan, told through the eyes of a young band in the war torn capital of Kabul, where rock music is forbidden.
-
-
World Premiere of ABOVE THE SHADOWS to Kick Off Brooklyn Film Festival 2019 Film Lineup
Above the Shadows directed by Claudia Myers, and starring Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan and Megan Fox The World Premiere of Claudia Myers’ Above the Shadows starring Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan and Megan Fox will kick off the 2019 Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) on Friday, May 31st. Over the course of the 10-day festival, the film lineup for the 22nd edition: THE GATHERING will showcase 133 features and shorts from over 30 countries spread over all continents, except Antarctica.
-
Brooklyn Film Festival Announces 2019 Edition: THE GATHERING
Brooklyn Film Festival at Windmill Studios, photo credit Yuko Torihara After receiving a record number of 2,659 films from 100 countries, Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) has closed submissions for its 2019 edition: THE GATHERING. The festival will select 120 film premieres to be announced in May. The films are divided in six categories: Feature Narrative, Feature Doc, Short Narrative, Short Doc, Experimental and Animation.
-
BREACH, NOSOTROS, and AFGHAN CYCLES Win Top Awards at 21st Brooklyn Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_30003" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti[/caption]
Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti picked up the coveted best of the fest Grand Chameleon Award, as well as Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival’s 21st edition: THRESHOLD, which wrapped on Sunday. Felipe Vara de Rey’s Nosotros won Best Narrative Feature and Sarah Menzies’ Afghan Cycles took home the award for Best Feature Documentary.
“It has been a wonderful festival. Everything we were hoping would happen, actually did,” said Marco Ursino, Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director. “We envisioned this edition as a sanctuary where people of different backgrounds and cultures could have an honest and civilized conversation stimulated by 119 projects which, I feel, did bring back interest in politics and in the social condition of people who live so far away and yet experience the same things we are going through here in the U.S.”
This year’s festival was comprised of 119 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over six continents. The lineup included 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC.
2018 Brooklyn Film Festival Winners
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI [caption id="attachment_30004" align="aligncenter" width="1249"]
Nosotros[/caption]
Best Narrative Feature – NOSOTROS by FELIPE VARA DE REY
Best Documentary Feature – AFGHAN CYCLES by SARAH MENZIES
Best Short Documentary – GIVE by DAVID DE ROZAS
Best Narrative Short – COUNTERFEIT KUNKOO by REEMA SENGUPTA
Best Animation – LA MORT, PERE & FILS by PARONNAUD VINCENT and WALTGENWITZ DENIS
Best Experimental – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI
Best New Director – BROTHERS by BRAM SCHOUW
Best Brooklyn Project – ONE BEDROOM by DARIEN SILLS-EVANS
Spirit Awards
Feature Narrative – ICE CREAM by SABA RIAZI Feature Documentary – STREET FIGHTING MEN by ANDREW JAMES Short Documentary – CHRISANTO STREET by PALOMA MARTINEZ Short Narrative – BONOBO by ZOEL AESCHBACHER Experimental – GENESIS by ABTIN MOZAFARI Animation – LES ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES by JEAN LECOINTREAudience Awards
Feature Narrative – ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE by NOOR FAY GHARZEDDINE Feature Documentary – MY NAME IS PEDRO by LILLIAN LASALLE Short Documentary – DAVID’S VOICE by GRAHAM HILL Short Narrative – CASUALTIES by HOLLY VOGES Experimental – DUPPY by JUSTIN MORRIS Animation – HI-FIVE THE CACTUS by CHRISTOPHER THOMASCertificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer – MICHAEL ANGELO ZERVOS & LUKE SHIROCK for TOMMY BATTLES THE SILVER SEA DRAGON Screenplay – Director/Writer MARINA MICHELSON for BIOPHILIA Cinematography – VLADIMIR EGOROV for FAITH Editing – ROMANY MALCO, JR. for PRISON LOGIC Style – WENDY MCCOLM for BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS Original Score – Composer SIMON TAUFIQUE for ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE Actor Female – LAURA ESTERMAN for CAN HITLER HAPPEN HERE? Actor Male – ROMANY MALCO for PRISON LOGIC
-
Documentary AFGHAN CYCLES to East Coast Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival [Trailer]
Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, the documentary Afghan Cycles uses the bicycle to tell a story of women’s rights – human rights – and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination to abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. These women ride despite cultural barriers, despite infrastructure, and despite death threats, embracing the power and freedom that comes with the sport. Afghan Cycles will have its East Coast premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival, screening on June 7 and 8, 2018.
Focusing on local impact, Afghan Cycles is partnering with local organizations Women for Afghan Women, Get Women Cycling, Bicycle Habitat, BikeStyle and Girls on Bikes. On Thursday, June 7, Get Women Cycling will be hosting a group ride to the screening, and following the screening on Friday June 8, the partner organizations will join Afghan Cycles Director Sarah Menzies for a panel discussion following the film.
“The women in this film represent the positive impact that sports can have in oppressive societies. Cycling has empowered these women to get around more freely and independently when they would otherwise have to rely on a man. This is not unique to Afghanistan. In fact, in many countries women do not have the freedom of mobility and are dependent on men to travel safely,” says Menzies. “This brave group of Afghan women are challenging that type of traditional thinking that is quite prevalent throughout the world, and by telling their story, we hope that it inspires more women to get on bicycles internationally.”
Panel participants:
Fatima Rahmati, Women for Afghan Women
Fatima was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and at the age of four, she and her family fled as refugees from Afghanistan to Australia. Fatima traces back her experiences of being raised in the projects of Australia and her father’s legacy of educator and social activism as the path which paved the way to philanthropy. Moving to New York City 13 years ago, Fatima found herself naturally gravitating towards education, social justice, and philanthropy. When deciding on how to best serve her father’s legacy and her own passions, Fatima decided a school bearing his name in the country he loved would be fitting – a project she is currently working on. She joined Women for Afghan Women in 2015 as the Program Assistant for a brief period, she then took on a leading role in WAW’s Junior Board. Starting January 2018 she took on the role of Coalition and Outreach Coordinator at WAW. Fatima is fluent in Dari and EnglishLydia Moore, Bicycle Habitat/BikeStyle
Lydia works as a bicycle mechanic in brooklyn, with a belief in the need to redistribute resources, knowledge and access to bicycles. In the white cis male dominated bike industry she has created a workshop and ride series called BikStyle. Sharing the resources and space of Bicycle Habitat, BikeStyle centers queer and trans cyclist of color. Lydia is passionate about the bicycle as a tool for change. She is a founding board member of the Bike Worker Advocacy Project. A worker Center with a mission to organize the work force of bike messengers and bike shop workers in NYC.Kala La Fortune, Girls on Bikes
Kala grew up and currently resides in Newark, NJ. A graduate of Rutger’s University Newark with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Kala founded Girls On Bikes as a Senior in college while pursuing a career in Fashion. Her initial goal was to get more girls in her community to cycle as a way to get connected, have fun, and exercise. Now the organization has worked with over 150 students in the Newark Public Schools teaching them how to build bicycles from scratch and discussing the negative stigmas they may encounter while cycling in the urban community.Screening times:
Thursday June 7, 2018 @ 7:30 pm, Wythe Hotel Friday June 8, 2018 @ 6:30pm, Windmill Studios NYC, panel discussion to follow
-
2018 Brooklyn Film Festival to Open with Mix of NY Times’ Short Documentaries + Animated Films
The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) will kick off the 2018 festival with a selection of short documentaries from The New York Times’ Times Documentaries co-presented with a mix of BFF’s animated and experimental films for the opening night program of the festival’s 21st edition: THRESHOLD. The event will take place on Friday, June 1st at Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the BFF and the Times Documentaries filmmakers, and will be moderated by Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director Marco Ursino.
“This will be an evening truly experimental in nature,” said Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director Marco Ursino. “The catch is that we are inviting, and at times, forcing the audience in and out of reality. And at times it is a painful reality. The emotional rollercoaster this strategy will trigger is both fun and harsh, but certainly unforgettable. Our goal is to offer in one single evening as many nuances our mind can conceive and to provoke a meaningful conversation between the filmmakers and the audience. 2018 must become the time of healthy, intense and real communication among people of different backgrounds and cultures. We all need that and look forward to it.”
“It’s a cool and somewhat unexpected mix of subjects and film styles, which speaks to the breadth of video journalism at the Times and what it means to favor story over format,” said said Mona El-Naggar, Senior Producer of enterprise video at the Times and one of the filmmakers whose work is showing on opening night. “It’s always a privilege to be able to engage directly with your audience, to be in the same room and have a conversation. There’s a quality to that experience, which is often lost in the scattered space of online consumption.”
The opening night film program comes on the heels of BFF announcing its film lineup last week. Like an aircraft entering the threshold on runway “21,” BFF takes off on Friday, June 1st at returning venue: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. Over the course of the 10-day festival, BFF proudly presents film programs at Wythe Hotel, nearby returning venue Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, and five more screening venues throughout Brooklyn.
This year’s festival is comprised of approximately 125 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over all continents, except Antarctica. The lineup includes 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC. The festival will present in total 36 short narrative films, 16 short documentary films, 25 animated films and 20 experimental films.
OPENING NIGHT FILM PROGRAM:
“Unexpected Discoveries” Dir. James Mabery USA, 2 min., Animation A young fellow finds himself stumbling upon an ordinary flashlight that allows him to explore other places. “Lieutenant of the Alt-Right” By Emma Cott and Andrew Michael Ellis USA, 21 min., Times Documentaries Elliott Klein, a.k.a. Eli Mosley, is a rising white supremacist leader who depicts himself as an American patriot and Iraq war veteran. But our investigation found that his personal narrative — like much of the alt-right’s messaging — is built on deception. “Johnno’s Dead” Dir. Shepherd Chris France, 8 min, Experimental Despite having time to reflect upon his twelve years behind bars, he can’t shake off the ghosts of the past. “Weird” Dir. Fausto Montanari Italy, 2 min., Animation A short animated film about diversity, “Weird” is a shout out to a girl who is usually judged to be weird and different. “The Story of Esraa” By Mona El-Naggar, Mark Meatto and Yousur Al-Hlou USA 21 min., Times Documentaries Esraa is looking to rent an apartment with her friends. In Egypt, where personal freedom can be routinely compromised in the name of religion, family and country, that makes her a rebel. Like many in her generation, she is gasping for change. Can she win? “Contact (Vosta)” Dir. Alessandro Novelli\ Spain, 8 min., Animation Between reality and fantasy, a woman’s inner journey awakens her consciousness. “Deportation Deadline” By Brent McDonald, John Woo and Jonah M. Kessel USA, 12 min., Times Documentaries His daughter graduates. He faces deportation. “My Yiddish Papi” Dir: Éléonore Goldberg Canada, 7 min., Animation A young woman misses her grandfather’s last phone call. After his death, she remembers a promise not kept. “How an Alleged Sonic Attack Shaped US Policy on Cuba” By Jonah M. Kessel, Melissa Chan and John Woo USA, 14 min., Times Documentaries In 2016, diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Havana were mysteriously stricken. Was it an attack? There is no official explanation for it, yet it has played a big role in America’s current political disengagement with Cuba. “Genesis” Dir. Abtin Mozafari, Iran, 10 min, Experimental A fantasy short film with a critical point of view about the horrible situation in Syria.
-
Brooklyn Film Festival Announces Lineup of Over 100 Films for 2018 Edition: THRESHOLD
[caption id="attachment_29003" align="aligncenter" width="1214"]
Birds Without Feathers[/caption]
The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) today announced the film lineup for its 21st edition: THRESHOLD which kicks off on Friday, June 1st at returning venue: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. This year’s festival is comprised of approximately 125 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over all continents, except Antarctica. The lineup includes 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC. In addition to the feature narratives and documentary films highlighted in this release, the festival will present 36 short narrative films, 16 short documentary films, 25 animated films and 20 experimental films.
“Division, bigotry, the wall, Trump. WTF? But luckily, some great things usually come from bad times,” said Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director Marco Ursino. “The Spanish Civil War gave us the Guernica; the NYC defaults in the 70’s gave us the best graffiti in the world. Even the Great Depression gave us swing dancing. It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, art always wins. In the middle of this undeniably appalling time in American history, Brooklyn Film Festival aims to amplify the voices of its films and filmmakers by shedding light, spreading love and celebrating diversity.”
https://vimeo.com/268424122
The festival will run from June 1 through June 10 at two main venues: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg and Windmill Studios in Greenpoint. Additional programming will be presented on June 5 at Syndicated in Bushwick and on June 8 at UnionDocs in Williamsburg. On June 6 and 9, BFF will present a total of five shows at Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Dumbo, where it will also present the 14th annual kidsfilmfest on June 2.
https://vimeo.com/268439683
On June 4, BFF welcomes CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism with a block of short documentaries at the Alamo Theater in downtown Brooklyn. The evening starts at 6pm with a special presentation and mixer on the Alamo’s rooftop deck for filmmakers and audience members interested in learning more about the documentary program at CUNY. Showtime starts at 8:30 pm with a special screening of student work from CUNY followed by the block of short documentaries curated by BFF Short Doc Programmer Brandon Harrison. Stick around after the screening for the presentation of the inaugural CUNY Best Short Doc Award.
On June 9, the 7th annual BFF Exchange (BFFX) program will be hosted at Kickstarter in Greenpoint. Join us for an afternoon of informative and interesting panels of, by and for filmmakers. This year, the festival will host two discussion panels, Women Working “Below the Line” and Film Finance in the US and Latin America. BFF will continue the “Lunching with Lawyers” session and the ever-popular BFFX documentary pitch session. And in an effort to bridge the city of Brooklyn with Mexico, BFFX will feature as special guest Mexico City’s film commissioner Mauricio Aguinaco. All BFFX events are free of charge, but require an RSVP.
Below is a partial line-up of films from the Narrative and Documentary Features sections. To view the full film line up.
NARRATIVE FEATURES:
“Are You Glad I’m Here” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Noor Gharzeddine, Lebanon, 85 min. A millennial American girl befriends a Lebanese housewife and disrupts her ordered life; one night they become accidental partners-in crime. “Birds Without Feathers” – NEW YORK PREMIERE 2018 Slamdance Film Festival, Spirit Award Winner Dir. Wendy McColm, USA, 92 min. Unable to make a human connection, six broken individuals will give everything away in an attempt to receive love. “Brothers” – USA PREMIERE Dir. Bram Schouw, The Netherlands, 106 min. When Alexander suddenly leaves on a road trip to France, Lukas decides to join him as he’s been trailing his charismatic brother for his entire life. But during this journey he discovers that he finally has to go his own way, not knowing this decision would be so all-encompassing. “Can Hitler Happen Here?” Dir. Saskia Rifkin, USA, 74 min. Meddling neighbors, ambitious social-workers and real-estate vultures conspire to torment an eccentric old lady. Or maybe they’re just trying to help. “Golnesa” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Sattar Chamani Gol, Iran, 94 min. Golmammad and Golnesa, a young Afghan couple, are illegal immigrants who are working in a traditional brick making kiln in Iran. Following the events happening to them, their lives undergo changes. “Ice Cream” – WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Saba Riazi, Iran, 63 min. Maryam, a 30-year-old woman in Tehran, having lost her job and apartment, is forced to move in with her grandmother. She is trying hard to make things work and in doing so, she faces herself, eating ice-cream. This funny, semi-autobiographical film seamlessly combines animation and live action into a poetic meditation about identity and belonging. “Life is Fare” – WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Sephora Woldu, USA, 61 min. An experimental Tigrinya/English musical movie exploring three wildly different perspectives on the East African nation of Eritrea. “My Country” – EAST COAST PREMIERE 2017 Route 66 Film Festival Audience Award Winner Dir. Giancarlo Iannotta, USA/Italy, 78 min. Two brothers – one American, one Italian who’ve never met – take a road trip from Rome to the unknown picturesque region of Molise on a journey to spread the ashes of their late father in the small town where he was born. “Nosotros” Dir. Felipe Vara de Rey, Spain, 93 min. “Nosotros” follows a group of five friends during the weekend of the Spanish presidential election held in December 2015, probably the most important one in Spain’s recent history due to the deep political and financial crisis in Southern Europe. “One Bedroom” Dir. Darien Sills-Evans, USA, 83 min. Writer-director Darien Sills-Evans combines humor and drama to create a portrait of a relationship at the end of its journey. Set in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, and told through vivid flashbacks, the audience is taken through the whirlwind tale of Melissa and Nate’s courtship. Melissa and Nate have been through a lot together, but sometimes Black Love gets broken. “Prison Logic” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Romany Malco, USA, 91 min. Released from prison and placed on probation, Tijuana Jackson sets out to fulfill his dream of becoming a world renowned motivational speaker but fails to comply with strict orders from his no-nonsense probation officer. “Room For Rent” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Chicago Comedy Film Festival, Best Feature Winner Dir. Matt Atkinson, Canada, 89 min. When a broke thirty-two year old ex-lottery winner (Mark Little, “Space Riders: Division Earth”) convinces his parents to rent their spare room to save from downsizing, a creepy stranger (Brett Gelman, “Lemon,” “Stranger Things”) with a hidden agenda moves in. Co-stars Mark McKinney (“Superstore”) and Stephnie Weir (“My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”). “Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon” – EAST COAST PREMIERE 2018 Toronto International Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, Best Feature & Performance Winner Dir. Luke Shirock, USA, 110 min. When a man finds himself on trial in a courtroom haunted by his own demons, he must reckon with the guilt of his mother’s death before it destroys him and the one he loves. A musical film directed by and starring Luke Shirock.DOCUMENTARY FEATURES:
“Active Measures” – USA PREMIERE Fresh off its World Premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival Dir. Jack Bryan, USA, 100 min. Relying on expert testimony and existing footage, “Active Measures” documents the surprisingly interconnected rise of two men, Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Features unprecedented access with interviews including Hillary Clinton, John McCain, James Woolsey, Michael McFaul and more. “Afghan Cycles” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Sarah Menzies, USA, 90 min. Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, “Afghan Cycles” uses the bicycle to tell a story of women’s rights – human rights – and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination to abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. “My Name is Pedro” Dir. Lillian LaSalle, USA, 96 min. This film explores what public education meant to South Bronx Latino maverick educator, Pedro Santana, and what he, in turn, meant to public education. Infectious in his optimism, Santana becomes one of the most influential public school teachers and then administrators in the New York public school system after turning his troubled Bronx middle school, MS 391, around. “Nos Llaman Guerreras”/“They Call Us Warriors” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dirs. Jennifer Socorro, Edwin Corona Ramos & David Alonso, Venezuela, 81 min. After becoming undefeated champions of the South American Women Under-17 Championship and overcoming one of the worst social and economic environments for sports practicing, the Venezuelan team takes a chance to win the first World Cup for their country, having the chance to give a voice to women football in their country and perhaps in all of South America. “Street Fighting Men” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Andrew James, USA, 104 min. Facing dwindling public services, growing inequality and escalating violence, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations. “The New Man” – INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Dir. Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum, United Kingdom, 96 min. A creative documentary about becoming a parent…and how to reconceive yourself. Fiction director Josh Appignanesi turns the camera on himself and his wife as they undergo the ordeal of becoming parents in the era of man-children and assisted reproduction. “Working in Protest” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Michael Galinsky & Suki Hawley, USA, 74 min. BFF alums Michael Hawley and Suki Galinsky (“Battle for Brooklyn”) have documented protests for over 30 years as observers rather than journalists or activists. Starting in North Carolina in 1987 and ending in DC in 2017, the film captures the discourse of modern political protest.
