The Brooklyn International Film Festival Overview

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Monday, 06 July 2009 21:09

Written by Eric Lurio

Filmmaker Marco Ursino, who had moved from his native Urbino, Italy, back in the mid-1980s discovered that the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, which had moved into one of those beautiful temples of Mammon—a bank building that had been recently abandoned—was ripe for a new film festival set in Brooklyn.

With that debut fest, then called The Williamsburg and Brooklyn Film Festival, there were only nine features. The idea was to promote Williamsburg as a separate and unique area, not just another dinky outer borough neighborhood. 

The first couple of years were less than successful, but then as the millennium ended, the festival began to grow, moving from its original building to the classier Commodore Theater. It stayed there until 2003, when it formally added Brooklyn International to its name, got rid of the mention of Williamsburg, and moved to the Museum of Art in Prospect Park.

Since then, it has been onward and upward, acquiring more and better sponsors and even better films. This year reflecting the economic downturn it moved to the more modest Brooklyn Heights Cinema, conveniently located just three blocks from both the A/C and the 2/3 trains.

However, the BHC is within easy walking distance from the ultra-trendy DuMBo neighborhood, where about there’s a party every night, and the ticket to the film gets you into most of them.

This year’s fest the 12th, is themed Open Source. It has received a record number of films this year: 2,780 from 110 countries. The competitive event runs from June 5th to June 14th; all films will be shown at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema where two screening rooms operate side-by-side featuring 81 two-hour film programs.

The opening night film will be presented on June 5th at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. A party will follow at Power House Arena in Dumbo, which will also be used as festival headquarters for the whole 10 days.
 
Every evening there will be a get-together in Dumbo. The festival this year partners with The powerHouse Arena, reBar, Water Street, Superfine, Bubby's, Smack Mellon, and Speak Low.
 
On June 7th and 14th, BiFF will present the 5th annual kidsfilmfest. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema on June 7th and at the New Museum in Manhattan on June 14th, 2009.  
 
BiFF was established in 1998 as the first international competitive film festival in New York. BiFF’s primary goal is to connect filmmakers to distribution companies and expose them to the media. Many films that have premiered at BiFF in past years went on to be released theatrically  and/or are available at video stores near you.  
 
BiFF awards winners with prizes totaling over $80,000 in film services, products, and cash. A single prize of $5,000 cash, the “Diane Seligman Award”, sponsored by Lowel Light, will be given to Best Documentary.  
 
For more info contact Lisa King, 646-234-5080: or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / brooklynfest.org

BiFF 2009 Brooklyn Heights Cinema Schedule:
Weekends (June 6, 7, 13, 14): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 pm shows
Weekdays (June 8, 9, 10, 11, 12): 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 pm shows
 

• < Prev