Buffalo International Film Festival
The Buffalo International Film Festival was founded in 2003 and takes place in Buffalo, New York. It is also known as The Buffalo Film Festival.
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[edit] History
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.[1][2] The festival now sponsors a yearly event celebrating the creation of the Movie Theater in Buffalo.[3]
It also made Buffalo, NY the first city in the world to declare UNESCO World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage.[4]
[edit] Board
The board of Advisors includes: 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.
[edit] Not for Profit Activities
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.
[edit] Awards & Screenings
[edit] 2007
The inaugural festival was June 13, 2007 and included "Student Films Across America."[5]
[edit] 2008
In 2008, it screened more than 25 films including regional and national premieres.
[edit] 2009
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 [6][7] It included the First Annual Al Boasberg Comedy Award given in honor of famed comedy writer Al Boasberg who was born in Buffalo, NY.[8]
- 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"
[edit] 2010
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"
[edit] References
- ^ Press Release October 16, 2007, http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/pressrelease10162007.html
- ^ Mitchel and Moe Mark and Edisonia Hall in Buffalo http://buffaloah.com/h/mark/index.html
- ^ Press Release October 13, 2008, http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/20081014woodprint.html
- ^ Buffalo as an Architectural Museum, http://buffaloah.com/h/movie/07unesco.html
- ^ Film Festival Announcement for June 13, 2007, http://www.buffalofilmfestival.com/studentfilmsacrossamer.html
- ^ From Chaplin to B Movies, Buffalo News, Nov 12,2009, http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/story/822469.html
- ^ 2nd Week Coverage in Artvoice,http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n42/biff_week_two
- ^ Buffalo's Everett Greenbaum is one recipient of First Al Boasberg Comedy Award, Artvoice, http://blogs.artvoice.com/film/tag/buffalo-international-film-festival/
[edit] External links
- The Buffalo International Film Festival
- Board of Advisors, The Buffalo Film Festival, Buffalo, NY, United States
- The Buffalo International Film Festival Home Page
