The Brooklyn International Film Festival (BiFF) is an independent film festival held every June in Brooklyn, New York. Started by Marco Ursino, Susan Mackell, and Mario Pegoraro in 1998, its mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema." Its base is South 4th Street, Williamsburg.
The not-for-profit festival operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation. Since its inception the festival has grown exponentially, exceeding the boundaries of its Brooklyn base.
BiFF also oversees the annual KidsFilmFest, a program that reaches out to children and families. The New Museum in Manhattan has incorporated our kids programs in their First Saturdays for Families.
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In 2009, the festival took place at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights where two screening rooms operated side-by-side featuring 81 two-hour film programs. Nightly networking after-parties took place at various locations in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Previously, the festival has been held at Brooklyn Lyceum, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn Museum, Steiner Studios, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Brooklyn Historical Society.
Roughly half of films submitted and shown are by US filmmakers, while approximately 20% are European. The remaining 30% come from other parts of the globe. In 2009, the festival received 2,780 films for consideration from 110 countries.
BiFF awards filmmakers over $80,000 in prizes in the form of cash, film services, and products. It accepts around 25 feature narratives, 30 documentaries, 45 short subjects films, 20 experimental films, and 30 animated works. Over 30 screeners help BiFF to review the entries, and there are 25 judges (or, five per category).
The fee for submitting films before November 30 is $30, after which fee rises to $50. Alumni filmmakers are exempt from paying this fees. The fee is also waived in several other cases. Accommodation for participating filmmakers is provided by a festival sponsor, Hotel Chandler, Manhattan.
2008 winners
- Grand Chameleon Award: Fix (Tao Ruspoli)
- Best Narrative Feature: Fix (Tao Ruspoli)
- Best Documentary - Diane Seligman Award – Carny (Alison
Murray)
- Best Narrative Short : On the Line (Reto
Caffi)
- Best Experimental Film: Flying Lesson (R. Chamecki, P.
Harder, A. Lerner)
- Best Animation: 24 Frames (Brad Pattullo)
SPIRIT AWARDS:
- Feature: Apollo 45 (Giordana Giulivi)
- Doc: ABC Columbia (Enrica Colusso)
- Short: The Line (Kent Basset)
- Experimental: Nighwalking (Ellen Blom)
- Animation: Hezurbeltzak, A Common Grave (Izibene
Onederra)
- Best New Director: Kevin Tucker for The Unidentified
Every year, BiFF creates a "Best of Fest" package to take to different venues as a festival showcase. In the past, these films have been shown in other parts of Brooklyn, in Manhattan, as well as at the Havana Film Festival and the Museo Arte Contemporanea in Rome.
Executive director Marco Ursino has been immersed in the entertainment industry in both the US and Italy for the past 33 years. Beginning in Italy in 1976, he has appeared as an actor in various video projects for Italian TV. He has written several screenplays, worked in production design, and produced independent documentaries and feature films, including his own, Clouds of Magellan, which he wrote and directed. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Director of programming Mario Pegoraro won Best Short film at the 1993 Venice Film Festival. He also produced the international "City of Water Project" in collaboration with architects from around the globe. He joined BiFF following a successful career in film production, distribution and new media development in 1998.
Director of development Susan Mackell has 19 years of public relations experience working on the PR program for the American College for the Applied Arts in London and Atlanta, Georgia. She has also produced several film projects.
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