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The Buffalo International Film Festival was founded in 2006, and takes place in October of each year in Buffalo, New York. It is also known as the Buffalo 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.[2][3] The festival now sponsors a yearly event celebrating the creation of the Movie Theater in Buffalo.[4]
It also made Buffalo the first city in the world to declare UNESCO World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage.[5]
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.
Board
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).[6]
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).[7]
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.
Awards and screenings
2007
The inaugural festival was June 13, 2007 and included "Student Films Across America."[8]
2008
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.
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 [9][10] It included the First Annual Al Boasberg Comedy Award given in honor of famed comedy writer Al Boasberg who was born in Buffalo.[11]
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
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.
Best of Festival
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
Best Drama
First Place: Starry, Starry Night (Taiwan) Tom Lin Shu-yu, ChinaLion
Second Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre) (Spain) NachoVigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg
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