Press Releases
LGBTQ Spotlight: Screening and panel next week at BRIC FLIX with leading voices for gay and transgender equality
LGBTQ Spotlight: Screening and panel next week at BRIC FLIX with leading voices for gay and transgender equality
Free and open to the public
http://bit.ly/1TvrZEm
BROOKLYN, NY May 20, 2016 – The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is excited to announce that we’ve partnered with BRIC FLIX to bring our audiences an exciting evening of LGBTQ films followed by a panel discussion featuring the leading voices for gay and transgender equality. The event is free, open to the public and will be held next week on Wednesday, May 25 @ 7pm at BRIC.
Panelists include Bushwick Film Festival Alumni Trae Harris (Newlyweeds, OITNB) and Billy Gerard Frank (Absence of Love), along with Jess X Chen (Poet), Jay Daniels (Reelworks, Student Filmmaker), Jeremy Hersh (Natives) and Daniel Armando (What it Was). The panel will be moderated by Tiq Milan who is a journalist, gay activist and a leading voice in transgender equality.
For a sneak peak on what our panel is about, watch the above video featuring Tiq Milan and Billy Gerard Frank which aired this week on BK Live!
Registration is now open for our Spring Filmmakers Workshop Series! Next up isMicro-Budget Filmmaking with award winning writer/director Eric Trenkamp. This lecture provides an overview of the basics of production insurance, including an understanding of the terminology and processes to acquire liability insurance and errors and omissions insurance in NYC. The course explores best practices for preparing and arranging deliverables, which are the essential documentation and materials necessary to acquire distribution.
Eric Trenkamp’s films have been featured on IFC and Current TV, as well as in festivals in New York and Los Angeles, taking home numerous awards. Notable films include American Bomber.
Independent Filmmakers across the world have until June 15 (Regular Deadline) tosubmit their films and web series at a really affordable rate. After June 15 Deadline, the festival accepts late submissions but the price increases by an additional $10. However, Bushwick Filmmakers and Students can submit until July 15th for the very low cost of $25.
This year, the 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival Festival is scheduled from September 29 to October 2, 2016. Last year’s winning feature film, Wallabout, won a $4000 production grant from BFF sponsor MOFILM and was highlighted on Fox News Ailes Apprentice.
Important upcoming deadlines are as follows: Regular, June 15; Late, June 30; Bushwick Filmmakers/Students, July 15
Bushwick Film Festival Announces Spring Filmmaker Workshop Series and 2016 Calendar
Bushwick Film Festival Announces Spring Filmmaker Workshop Series and 2016 Calendar
Registration now open for The Perfect Pitch
http://bit.ly/22aguTo
BROOKLYN, NY, April 6, 2016 – The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) is excited to announce registration is now open for its Spring Filmmakers Workshop Series! The series kicks off with The Perfect Pitch, taught by the award-winning screenwriter Jacob Krueger on Tuesday, April 12 at 7pm. With the Tribeca Film Festival Market opening next week and The Cannes Film Festival Market to follow, filmmakers and producers searching for the best way to sell their scripts or movies to the right agents and distributors should not hesitate to sign-up for this class. Available seats are limited.
Other classes offered in the workshop series include: Introduction to Screenwriting for Short Films, Storyboarding, Micro-Budget Filmmaking, and Independent Film Distribution. For a full list of workshops and their descriptions, please visit us online at www.bushwickfilmfestival.com.
In addition to our Spring Filmmakers Workshop Series, the BFF has an impressive 2016 program lineup, including an LGBTQ spotlight panel with BRICand two screenings hosted in partnership with Medgar Evers College during their Men of Medgar week. Medgar Evers College, a PBI (Predominantly Black Institution) with a rich history, is a pillar of education and arts in New York City. Men of Medgar is a week-long celebratory exploration of the minority male experience and presence on the Medgar Evers campus. The BFF is excited to participate in honoring such strong achievements.
2016 BFF Calendar of Events
- April 12 – The Perfect Pitch (Workshop)
- April 15 – Early Bird Submission Deadline
- April 19 – Introduction to Screenwriting for Short Films (Workshop)
- April 19 – Screening at Medgar Evers College
- April 21 – Screening at Medgar Evers College
- May 3 – Storyboarding (Workshop)
- May 17 – Micro-Budget Filmmaking (Workshop)
- May 25 – LGBTQ Spotlight with BRIC (Panel)
- May 31 – Independent Film Distribution (Workshop)
- June 4 – Outdoor Community Screening at Maria Hernandez Park
- June 15 – Regular Submission Deadline
- July 15 – Late Submission Deadline
- Aug 1 – Accepted Films Notified
- Aug 11– Films Announced at Filmmaker Welcoming Ceremony at the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office
- Aug 31 – Ticket Sales Begin & Final Program Announced
- Sept 13 – How to Navigate a Film Festival (Panel)
- Sept 28 – 9th Annual BFF Press Information Session
- Sept 29 – Oct 2 – 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival
- Dec 14 – BFF Holiday Party
Individuals and corporations/organizations who are interested in supporting the BFF can participate in sponsorship opportunities ranging from events, on-site branding, accommodations, travel, food & beverage, media, and much more. All sponsors are included in all BFF publicity immediately upon participation, including promotion on our online channels, print marketing materials, as well as pre-festival events and screenings. Please contactsponsorship@bushwickfilmfestival.com for additional details.
About the Bushwick Film Festival
Founded in 2007, The Bushwick Film Festival exhibits independent film and media in the heart of New York City’s new locus of eclectic creativity and contemporary culture: Bushwick. Our programming runs year round with classes, workshops, and content open to the community and distributed via digital and broadcast networks. Our competition, now in its ninth year, attracts industry leaders, submissions of international note and culminates in a four day festival of screenings and events.
http://bushwickfilmfestival.com/.
Submissions to the 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival are now open!
Submissions to the 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival are now Open!
Submission Deadline June 15, 2016
Festival Dates September 29 - October 2
For submission guidelines please visit:
www.bushwickfilmfestival.com
BROOKLYN, March 8, 2016 – The Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) announces its call for submission for the 9th Annual Bushwick Film Festival scheduled from September 29 to October 2, 2016 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Important Deadlines are as follows: Early Bird, April 15; Regular, June 15; Late, June 30.
“The Bushwick Film Festival has evolved into not only one of the borough's strongest cinematic events, but a breeding ground for aspiring young filmmakers” praises Tribeca Film. Last year’s winning feature film, Wallabout, won a $4000 production grant from BFF sponsor MOFILM and was highlighted on Fox News Ailes Apprentice. Other winning films included Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service (Best Documentary), Come, The Light (Best Short Film), and Lahore Landing (Best Web Series). To view the trailers and learn more about last year’s slate, please visit http://bit.ly/1RNCFMg.
Founder and CEO, Kweighbaye Kotee is excited to launch another edition. As a leader in her community, running an MWBE, her goal is to keep the independent spirit alive, provide sustainable opportunities for emerging filmmakers and to bring stories to Bushwick that speaks to the audience.
In addition to being in competition, selected films will be invited to attend the pre-festival filmmaker welcoming ceremony held at The Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “Brooklyn is the center of the artistic universe”, Borough President Eric L. Adams stated last year, “the spotlight will shine brightest on Bushwick for its one-of-a-kind celebration of independent and innovative cinema.”
The festival weekend will unquestionably be the best time to visit Bushwick. With recent news that The Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) has moved its dates to the same weekend in October, BFF is looking forward to celebrating visual arts in all forms and is collaborating with BOS organizers Arts in Bushwick on how best to intersect these two dynamic events. More news to come via bushwickfilmfestival.com, on twitter @bushwickfilm, and on Facebook at Bushwick Film Festival.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available ranging from commercials, on-site branding, hotel, travel, food & beverage, media, and much more. All sponsors receive publicity the moment they come on board by inclusion in online channels, print marketing materials, as well as pre-festival events and screenings. For more information on sponsorship packages, please contactsponsorship@bushwickfilmfestival.com.
8th Bushwick Film Festival wowed audiences, and attracted the industry’s best!
8th Bushwick Film Festival wowed audiences, and attracted the industry’s best!
“The annual Bushwick Film Festival has evolved into not only one of the borough's strongest cinematic events, but a breeding ground for aspiring young filmmakers”
“Move over L.A.: Bushwick is the epicenter of the independent movie scene..”
Brooklyn, NY (October 16, 2015) – The 8th Annual Bushwick Film Festival (BFF), presented by Slate Property Group and Sebastian Printing, once again wowed audiences, inspired filmmakers and attracted the industry’s best! The 40-event festival kicked off with a hugely successful Opening Night screening of the Festival’s winning Feature Narrative film Wallabout (NYC) directed by Eric McGinty. The other winners for this year, were Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service (Bulgaria) (Best Documentary), Come, The Light (Macau) (Best Short Film), and Lahore Landing (Pakistan) (Best Web Series). The awards were presented by festival sponsor, MOFILM, who also provided a production grant of $2,000 to the Best Narrative and Best Short Film categories. To read about winners, see red carpet photos and watch all panels you can visit the festival’s website: www.bushwickfilmfestival.com
Doubling the amount of screenings within a year’s time (24 features, 25 shorts), the festival expanded across its hometown borders into Williamsburg, Dumbo, and the Lower East Side. Prestigious news outlets such as Fox News and Village Voice covered the festival as well as local outlets such as Bushwick Daily, Brooklyn Spectator, Radio Free Brooklyn(listen!) and many more. Attendees included media professionals from the New York Times, Forbes, CNN, Elite Daily, UTA and BRIC TV to name a few. From the festival’s kick off and filmmaker welcoming ceremony in August held at the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, to the support of local restaurants who held free industry events for the BFF, such as Lot 45, Montana’s, Mominette, Rookery, and Amaranto, The Bushwick Film Festival has become a beacon in the community and a featured event in the Borough of Brooklyn.
The approach the BFF takes to offering a wider range of events to its festival goers is becoming very popular. “It’s really important for me to hold a spotlight on the success that women are having in both the film and tech industries” said Festival Director Kweighbaye Kotee. “That’s why we continue to bring back our Women in Film & TV panel and decided to introduce a Women In Tech Panel this year as part of our NYU New Media Interactive Day.” A few additional highlights to note, especially with its October timing, is the screening of the horror film, Old 37, the screening of the films Sand Dollars (Dominican Republic), Out of my Hands (Liberia), the popular short film programs, the Bushwick homecoming of the film Bizarre, and the controversial Two Black Men a Week which focuses on the recent police shootings and gun violence against the African American community. Popular panels included American vs European Film Market and Q&A with the Director’s of Glen’s Village and Two Black Men. The festivities came to a close with a champagne reception at Montana’s Trail House and an awards ceremony at LightSpace Studios on Sunday, October 4th.
The festival would like to thank all of its Sponsors & Partners, Filmmakers, Participants, Venues and loyal audiences for contributing to the success of this year’s 8th edition. If you are wondering what’s next on deck, then make sure to visit The festival’s latest documentary project, The Bushwick Diaries at www.thebushwickdiaries.com and attend it’s kickstart party on Friday, November 6th. For event information and tickets visit the film’s website.
8th Annual Bushwick Film Festival Opens TONIGHT
The 8th Annual Bushwick Film Festival kicks off tonight at 6:30pm with a red carpet reception at LightSpace Studios. The evening will be catered by our sponsor Amaranto Mexican Restaurant and drinks provided by Smuttynose Brewing Company and Bruce Cost Ginger Ale. Dress your best and pose for some memorable photos on the red carpet! Tickets are sold out for tonight's event but we have full weekend of screenings and panels to choose from on our website at www.bushwickfilmfestival.com.
Following tonight's reception, will be the highly anticipated screening of Wallabout by Eric McGinty. Find out what happens when a single woman struggles to rebuild her life in Brooklyn after spending 10 years abroad as the unrecognized muse to a famous filmmaker. Wallabout is an intimate first-person account of an overeducated and underemployed outsider who navigates an often hypocritical and corrupt society.
And of course after the show is the after party! Join The BFF, festival participants and guests as we celebrate the opening of our 8th Edition at Bushwick’s most luxurious venue, Lot 45 Bushwick! DJ all night and Open Bar from 10 – 11pm. This event is free for all guests that have purchased a ticket to any festival film, panel, workshop or event. $10 at the door for guests without festival ticket.
See you at the fest!
xx
BFF TEAM