Buffalo International Film Festival
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.
== 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. The festival now sponsors a yearly event celebrating the creation of the Movie Theater in Buffalo.
It also made Buffalo the first city in the world to declare UNESCO World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage.
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).
Previous board advisors have included: 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.
== Staff ==
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).
== 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.
=== 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.
=== 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  It included the First Annual Al Boasberg Comedy Award given in honor of famed comedy writer Al Boasberg who was born in Buffalo.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
=== 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
=== 2011 ===
Approximately 80 films were screened. Audience Awards were given for the first time.World Premiere: Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles directed by Katina Dunn
Audience Award
Winner: Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles
=== 2012 ===
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
Third Place: A Case of Deceit (Canada)
Best Documentary
First Place: Ray Harryhausen: Special FX Titan (UK, France) Gilles Penso, Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation
Second Place: Somewhere Between (USA) Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Longshot Factory
Third Place: Alive Inside (work-in-progress) (USA) Michael Rossato-Bennett, Ximotion Media
Animation
First Place: My Neighbor Totoro (Japan) Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli
Foreign Language Film
First Place: Starry, Starry Night (Taiwan) Tom Lin Shu-yu, ChinaLion
Second Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre) (Spain)  Nacho, Vigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg
Best Science Fiction
First Place: Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre)  (Spain)  Nacho Vigalondo, Arsenico Producciones/Tugg
Best Short Film – International
First Place:  Behind the Concrete (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada)
==== 2012 Best of Buffalo ====
(all films in this category are made by filmmakers from Buffalo and Western New York)Feature Film
First Place: Zeus
Short Film
First Place: Take It Off – Anna Van Valin
Second Place: Viral Video
Honorable Mention:  Feeble Attraction; Exit 7A
=== 2015 ===
Best Narrative Feature
Gold Bison: Oblivion Season (Iran) directed by Abbas Rafei
Special Jury Prize: Abby Singer/Songwriter (USA) directed by Onur Tukel
Best WNY Feature
Gold Bison: Emelie (USA) directed by Michael Thelin
Special Jury Prize: Prescient (Singapore, USA) directed by Hann-Shi Lem
Best Feature Documentary
Gold Bison: A Courtship (USA) directed by Amy Kohn
Special Jury Prize: Aspie Seeks Love
Audience Award
Gold Bison: ...In The Dark (USA) directed by David Spaltro
Best Short Film
Gold Bison: I Scream Your Name
Special Jury Prize: Royal Women's Association
Best WNY Short
Gold Bison: Long John
Special Jury Prize: Aleatories From an Echo
Best WNY Student Film
Gold Bison: Mer Depre
Special Jury Prize: Locomotion
Supersnipe Award
Gold Bison: Detectives of Noir Town
=== 2022 ===
Best Narrative Feature
Relative directed by Michael Glover Smith
Best WNY Feature
Bunker directed by Adrian Langley
Best Feature Documentary
Terrible Children directed Shanti Thakur
BIFF Boundary Breaker Award
A Rising Fury directed by Lesya Kalynska and Ruslan Batytskyi
Bashira directed by Nickson Fong
Special Jury Prize
The Rules of LaCrosse directed by Joanne Storkan
Best Episodic Project
Mashed directed by Stacey Maltin
Best Animated Film
Lock the Gate directed by Sarah Lynn Galasso
Best Short Film
Colony Collapse Disorder directed by Amos Hozman
Best WNY Short
I'll Find a Way or Make One directed by Rebecca Fasanello and Teresa Castillo
Best Documentary Short
Winter 1984 directed by Tony Buba
Best WNY Student Film
Falling Up directed by Davis Cameron Chu
Tilke Hill Work-in-Progress Award
Diane Jones

== External links ==
The Buffalo International Film Festival