2019 BUSHWICK FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS AND PRIZES ANNOUNCED

Top Awards Go To The Ghost Who Walks, Bushwick Bill: Geto Boy, Feathers, Enforcement Hours, and Before We Wrap. 

Brooklyn, NY – October 9, 2019 – The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) celebrated its 12th anniversary this year with nearly 100 films, a dozen panels, special events, and nearly 3,500 attendees! The festival culminated with an awards ceremony at Syndicated Movie Theater where 23 films took home awards. The award winners told bold stories, featured extraordinary characters and embodied the independent spirit; reminding us of how films inspire, entertain and connect us. 

This year’s jurors, invited in recognition of their accomplishments and commitment to the industry, did the hard job of choosing award winners in addition to selecting their own Special Jury Prize. Jurors for the Festival include: Faye Tsakas, VP Development & Production, Passage Pictures; Carlos Ibarra, Development Executive, 141 Entertainment; Mishka Brown, Executive Producer, Washington Square Films; Matt Grady, Founder, Factory 25; Brandi Payne, Crowdfunding Specialist, Seed & Spark; Alece Oxendine, Director of Industry & Festival Outreach, Columbia University; Richard Wolff, CEO, Breaking Glass Pictures; Casey Bader, Producer, El Dorado Pictures; Daniella De Jesus, Actress, Orange is the New Black; and Pawel Wieszczecinski, Founder, Kinoscope.

The Best Feature Narrative Award, presented by B&H and Canon, was a Canon camera package. The Best Feature Documentary Award, presented by Giant Pictures, was $5,000 worth of digital distribution services.

The Best Short Narrative and Short Documentary Awards, presented by Liman Video Rental (LVR), was $2,500 in rental credit for each filmmaker. The Best Web Series Award, presented by Mongo Media, was $2,000 worth of credit in services. 

In addition to film awards, BFF presented its first Best Actor/Outstanding Performance Award to actress Annapurna Sriram for her role as Yazmine in the film Feral. Finally, the 3rd Rising Star Award—created to acknowledge a BFF alumnus who is achieving notable levels of success—went to Otoja Abit. The award is a testament to the recipient’s hard work and to the festival's continued commitment to give emerging filmmakers and creators a platform. 

The complete list of award winners of the 12th Annual Bushwick Film Festival are as follows: 

• BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE: The Ghost Who Walks | Cody Stokes

• BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Bushwick Bill: Geto Boy | Gregy Roman

• BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM: Feathers | A.V. Rockwell

• BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM: Enforcement Hours | Paloma Martinez

• BEST WEB SERIES/NEW MEDIA: Before We Wrap | Elizabeth Charles

• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: NARRATIVE FEATURE: Happy Face | Stephane Gerin-Lajoie

• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Buckjumping | Lily Keber

• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: NARRATIVE SHORT: La Capa Azul (The Blue Cape) | Alejandra López

• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Mi Madre Me Tiene Rabia (My Mother Resents Me) | Victoria Linares Villegas

• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: WEB SERIES/NEW MEDIA: Queering | Leticia De Bortoli

• HONORABLE MENTION: NARRATIVE FEATURE: El Baile (The Dance) | Rino Arreaza

• HONORABLE MENTION: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Warrior Women | Christina D. King & Elizabeth A. Castle

• HONORABLE MENTION: NARRATIVE SHORT: PICK | Alicia K. Harris

• HONORABLE MENTION: DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Come & Take It | PJ Raval & Ellen Spiro

• HONORABLE MENTION: WEB SERIES/NEW MEDIA: Other Colors | Remoy Philip

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE: NARRATIVE FEATURE: Vanilla | Will Dennis

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: General Magic | Sarah Kerruish & Matt Maude

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE: NARRATIVE SHORT: Nettles | Raven Jackson

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE: DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Fuck, it's Biology | Veronica Andersson

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE: WEB SERIES/NEW MEDIA: Passing: A Family in Black & White | Robin Cloud

• PROGRAMMER’S CHOICE: ANIMATED SHORT: שלווה/SHALVA (=Tranquility) | Danna Windsor

• BEST ACTRESS/OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: Annapurna Sriram as Yasmine in Feral

• RISING STAR AWARD: Otoja Abit

The 12th Annual Bushwick Film Festival would like to thank the following sponsors: 

Community Sponsors: B&H Photo, Canon,  Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, NYC & Company Foundation, City Fresh Market, 100 Bogart, Push Forward Realty, Camber Property Group

Official Alcohol Sponsors: Brugal 1888, Partida Tequila

Official Beer Sponsor: Circa Brewing Co.  

Beverage Partners: Chronicle Wines, Brooklyn Crafted, Essentia 

Restaurant and Venue Partners: Syndicated, The Rookery, Chemistry Creative, House of Yes, Lot 45, 718 Studios, Gemelli, Bushwick Generator, Arancini Bros.  

Production Partners: Liman Video Rental, Giant Pictures, Mongo Media 

Media Partners: Bushwick Daily, Schneps Media, BKLYNER, BK Reader  

Local Partners: North Brooklyn Arts Foundation

About the Bushwick Film Festival:

The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is an MWBE certified independent film, media, and event production company in Brooklyn, NY. The annual festival attracts over 3,500 attendees, as well as more than 1,500 film submissions from 60 countries around the world, contributing to the borough's cultural and economic growth. The festival is committed to community building, empowering underrepresented storytellers, and increasing diversity in film and other forms of media through year-round programming. Our year-round program includes free public screenings and events, hands-on film production workshops, and career training for young adults.