Buffalo International Film Festival

The film festival became a 501c3 not-for-profit charity in January 2005.

In 2007 it was responsible for the discovery of the Vitascope Theater, part of Edisonia Hall, the first purpose-built movie theater in the world which opened in 1896.[http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/pressrelease10162007.html Press Release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124000955/http://buffalofilmfestival.com/pressrelease10162007.html |date=2009-01-24 }}. October 16, 2007[http://buffaloah.com/h/mark/index.html "Mitchel and Moe Mark and Edisonia Hall in Buffalo"] The festival now sponsors a yearly event celebrating the creation of the Movie Theater in Buffalo.[http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/20081014woodprint.html "Press Release"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616085956/http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/20081014woodprint.html |date=2010-06-16 }}. October 13, 2008.

It also made Buffalo the first city in the world to declare UNESCO World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage.[http://buffaloah.com/h/movie/07unesco.html "Buffalo as an Architectural Museum"]

In 2013 the BIFF hosted a meet and greet book signing with children's author Keith White Jr. for the screenings of Magic Camp and Dear Mr. Watterson. White was again present at the 2014 BIFF.

Current board members include: Tammy McGovern (Chair), Paige Sarlin (Vice Chair), Keith Poplawski (Secretary), Meg Knowles (Treasurer), Michael Faust (Member), LeRoi Johnson (Member), Annette Daniels Taylor (Member), and Renee Russell (Emeritus), Renée M. Saracki (Emeritus).{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.buffalofilm.org/about/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Buffalo International Film Festival |language=en}}

Previous board advisors have included: Tom Fontana, Lauren Belfer, Lawrence Block, A.R. Gurney, Nancy Kress, Herbert Hauptman, Jim Steranko, Howard Bloom, Edward Summer, Lloyd Kaufman, David Shire, Mort Walker, Bill Prady and others.

Staff members include: Anna Scime (Executive Director), John J. Fink (Artistic Director), Ana Grujić (Marketing + Outreach Coordinator), Myari Ware (Platform Strategist), Elizabeth Dunning (ASI Springboard Fellow).{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.buffalofilm.org/about/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Buffalo International Film Festival |language=en}}

Its other activities include: The Buffalo Film Society (founded 2008) along with the Niagara Falls Film Society, Buffalo-Niagara Film Society; the New York State Movie Theater Corridor (founded 2006); The Buffalo Walk of Fame (founded 2006); The Buffalo Movie Hall of Fame (founded 2006); The Buffalo; and the Buffalo Cinematheque.

The inaugural festival was June 13, 2007 and included "Student Films Across America."{{Cite web |url=http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/studentfilmsacrossamer.html |title=Film Festival Announcement for June 13, 2007 |access-date=August 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616090033/http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/studentfilmsacrossamer.html |archive-date=June 16, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

In 2008, it screened more than 25 films including regional and national premieres. These screenings included a Harold Lloyd Film Retrospective (with personal appearance by Suzanne Lloyd) and "Hollywood 39" a retrospective of great Hollywood movies from 1939.

It holds a Spring Gala and Fall Festival. In 2009, the Spring Gala was a celebration of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse arranged through The Walt Disney Company.

The third annual festival, Buffalo Film Festival 2009, ran from October 9–27, 2009 and included 18 films from all over the world and 16 guests who presented them including Abigail Disney, Rick Schmidlin, Charles Band, Dwayne Buckle, David Heeley, Ray Bradbury, J.B. Kaufman, Mary Pat Kelly [http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/story/822469.html "From Chaplin to B Movies"]. Buffalo News, November 12, 2009.[http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n42/biff_week_two 2nd Week Coverage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091019211024/http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n42/biff_week_two |date=2009-10-19 }}. Artvoice. It included the First Annual Al Boasberg Comedy Award given in honor of famed comedy writer Al Boasberg who was born in Buffalo.[http://blogs.artvoice.com/film/tag/buffalo-international-film-festival "Buffalo's Everett Greenbaum is one recipient of First Al Boasberg Comedy Award"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318014859/http://blogs.artvoice.com/film/tag/buffalo-international-film-festival/ |date=2010-03-18 }}. Artvoice.

• World Premiere: Kate and Fred: Hepburn and Astaire directed by David Heeley and Joan Kramer
• Western New York Premiere: The Minority directed by Dwayne Buckle
• Western New York Premiere: Pray the Devil Back to Hell co-directed by Abigail Disney
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Writing - Larry Gelbart
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Writing - Joseph Stein
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Writing - Everett Greenbaum
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Performance - Kathleen Howard
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Art and Writing - Harvey Kurtzman

The fourth Annual Buffalo International Film Festival ran from October 1–10, 2010. 60 films were screened.

• World Premiere: God's Land directed by Preston Miller
• New York State Premiere: Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture directed by Mark Richard Smith
• New York State Premiere: Hard Four directed by Charles Dennis
• New York State Premiere: Superstonic Sound directed by Raphael Erichsen
• Western New York Premiere: La Soga directed by Josh Crook
• Western New York Premiere: Metropolis directed by Fritz Lang (World Day for AudioVisual Heritage Screening)
• Western New York Premiere: Waking Sleeping Beauty directed by Don Hahn
• Special Screening: Temple Grandin directed by Mick Jackson (exclusive theatrical, benefit screening)
• Al Boasberg Comedy Award—Lifetime Achievement in Comedy Performance Sid Caesar

Approximately 80 films were screened. Audience Awards were given for the first time.

• World Premiere: Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles directed by Katina Dunn

• Winner: Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles

In 2012, 70 films were screened at three locations including The Screening Room, Amherst, NY; Historic Lockport Palace Theatre, Lockport, NY; Market Arcade Film and Arts Center, Buffalo, NY.

Audience Awards given.

• TIE – Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (UK, France) Gilles Penso, Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation
• TIE – Starry, Starry Night (Taiwan) Tom Lin Shu-yu, ChinaLion

• First Place: Starry, Starry Night (Taiwan) Tom Lin Shu-yu, ChinaLion
• Second Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre) (Spain) NachoVigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg
• Third Place: A Case of Deceit (Canada)

• First Place: Ray Harryhausen: Special FX Titan (UK, France) Gilles Penso, Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation
• Second Place: Somewhere Between (USA) Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Longshot Factory
• Third Place: Alive Inside (work-in-progress) (USA) Michael Rossato-Bennett, Ximotion Media

• First Place: My Neighbor Totoro (Japan) Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli

• First Place: Starry, Starry Night (Taiwan) Tom Lin Shu-yu, ChinaLion
• Second Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre) (Spain) Nacho, Vigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg

• First Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre) (Spain) Nacho Vigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg

• First Place: Behind the Concrete (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada)

(all films in this category are made by filmmakers from Buffalo and Western New York)

• First Place: Zeus

• First Place: Take It Off – Anna Van Valin
• Second Place: Viral Video
• Honorable Mention: Feeble Attraction; Exit 7A

• Gold Bison: Oblivion Season (Iran) directed by Abbas Rafei
• Special Jury Prize: Abby Singer/Songwriter (USA) directed by Onur Tukel

• Gold Bison: Emelie (USA) directed by Michael Thelin
• Special Jury Prize: Prescient (Singapore, USA) directed by Hann-Shi Lem

• Gold Bison: A Courtship (USA) directed by Amy Kohn
• Special Jury Prize: Aspie Seeks Love

• Gold Bison: ...In The Dark (USA) directed by David Spaltro

• Gold Bison: I Scream Your Name
• Special Jury Prize: Royal Women's Association

• Gold Bison: Long John
• Special Jury Prize: Aleatories From an Echo

• Gold Bison: Mer Depre
• Special Jury Prize: Locomotion

• Gold Bison: Detectives of Noir Town

• Beans directed by Tracy Deer

• Catch The Fair One Directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka

• Workhorse Queen directed by Angela Washko

• We Burn like This directed by Alana Waksman
• This Bank of The River directed by Shoaib Sultan

• 100 Years From Mississippi directed by Tarabu Betserai Kirkland

• Be Good, Make Me Proud: the Honorable Arthur O Eve and the Education Opportunity Program directed by Dorothea Braemer & Steve Peraza

• Bond directed by Simon Yahn

• Ancient Sunshine directed by Jason Livingston

• Feeling Through directed by Doug Roland

• Cary in Retrograde directed by Philipp Yaw & Priya Domfeh

• Nuevo Rico directed by Kristian Mercado

• Relative directed by Michael Glover Smith

• Bunker directed by Adrian Langley

• Terrible Children directed Shanti Thakur

• A Rising Fury directed by Lesya Kalynska and Ruslan Batytskyi
• Bashira directed by Nickson Fong

• The Rules of LaCrosse directed by Joanne Storkan

• Mashed directed by Stacey Maltin

• Lock the Gate directed by Sarah Lynn Galasso

• Colony Collapse Disorder directed by Amos Hozman

• I'll Find a Way or Make One directed by Rebecca Fasanello and Teresa Castillo

• Winter 1984 directed by Tony Buba

• Falling Up directed by Davis Cameron Chu

• Diane Jones

• Maria Schneider,1983 directed by Elisabeth Subrin

• Fancy Dance directed by Erica Tremblay

• Alien Food directed by Giorgio Cugno

• 98 Degrees West - Zamir Discovers Bourdain's America directed by Stephen R. Powell

• The Cookbook directed by Pedro Chaves

• If You Were the Last directed by Kristian Mercado

• Only The Good Survive directed by Dutch Southern

• Boiling Over directed by Paulo Miranda

• Gone Before Your Eyes directed by Cara Yeates

• A Thousand Pines directed by Sebastián Díaz + Noam Osband

• Aurora's Sunrise directed by Inna Sahakyan

• Blue Room directed by Merete Mueller

• ISTÉN:'A directed by KJ Edwards

• Not So Ordinary directed by Jessica Millace Fisher

• Nanny directed by Olzhas Ermerbaev

• A Life In Boxes directed by Tayton T. Troidl

• MEREDITH VIVIAN

• Adidas Owns Reality directed by Keil Orion Troisi + Igor Vamos

• A Witch Lives in the Attic directed by Lilith Crimi

• Portland is the New Portland directed by Christopher Scamurra

• Tallywacker directed by Brendan Boogie

• Just a Farmer directed by Simon Lyndon

• Hello Goodbye directed by Chris Lee

• The Masterpiece directed by Àlex Lora

• Demon Mineral directed by Hadley Austin

• A Picture to Remember directed by Olga Chernykh

• How to Sue the Klan directed by John Beder

• Enchukonoto / The Return directed by Laissa Malih

• Birds of A Feather directed by Katie Cobos

• Cinching Saddles directed by Aman Pannu + Kevin Sengara

• The Waiting Room Directed by Jahaad Shairi

• Lip Virgin directed by Shimrit Eldis

• Tre Regole Infallibili / Three infallible Rules directed by Marco Gianfredi

• Skeet directed by Nik Sexton

• Songs From The Hole directed by Contessa Gayles

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.buffalofilm.org/ The Buffalo International Film Festival]

{{Buffalo(NY)}}

{{Culture of Buffalo, New York}}

Category:Festivals in Buffalo, New York

Category:Film festivals in New York (state)

Category:Film festivals established in 2003