Dec 4, 2014
(November 27th, 2014) After 5 weeks of pre-production and 4 weeks of filming in East Aurora, Niagara Falls and Buffalo, “The Alcoholist” recently wrapped principal photography.
Working with New York producer Justin Martell, European based movie company Explorer Entertainment from Rome, Italy came to Western New York to lens this thriller.
Martell is no stranger to Upstate New York and the Buffalo Niagara Film Office. This is a return visit for him after realizing the benefits of shooting here while making Lloyd Kaufman’s Return to Nuke ‘Em High in 2012.
“The cinematic look of Western New York is stunning,” said Martell. “I love shooting here because of the varied locations, the cooperation and the people who make up this community.”
“Filmakers from around the world are taking notice of Western New York State and all of the advantages it provides us.”
Actor Bill Moseley
“The Alcoholist” stars Bret Roberts ( The Night Stalker, Pearl Harbor) , Gabriella Wright (The Transporter Legacy, True Blood), and Bill Mosely (The Devil’s Rejects, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2). It tells the story of Daniel (Roberts) a chronic alcoholic, broken by the loss of his wife and child and obsessed with avenging their death. Under a false identity, he has taken residence in the house across from the man (Moseley) who took his family away in a car accident months prior. Wright plays a determined volunteer who wants to help Daniel overcome his Alcohol Addiction.
Many members of the local film community were enlisted as actors and crew and local vendors provided the necessary gear, catering and logistical support.
Movie goers around the world will soon see the beauty of our area on the silver screen including scenes shot at Niagara Falls, Knox Farm in East Aurora and many Buffalo area streets.
An April 2015 release is expected for “The Alcoholist.” It will first be seen in Europe and then hopefully make it’s way to America later next year.
Nov 10, 2014
(November 10th, 2014) The Romans produced by Black Rose Films was a big winner at last nights Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival currently being held at Dipson Eastern Hills Mall Cinemas. Jon Cesar took home best performance by a Western New York Actor, Korey Green recieved best Western New York Director, and Romans as whole took home best Western New York Feature. The Romans will get an encore screening this coming Thursday, 11/13 at 9:30 pm due to last Fridays Sold Out Show.
(L-R) Romans Assistant Director Durand McCloud, Actor Tony Little, Actor John Caesar, Script Supervisor Sandy White, Writer/Director/Producer Korey Green, and Writer/Producer Larry Quinn.
Here is the complete list of winners following last nights awards ceremony:
2014 Dreamer Awards
Kim Piazza, WBBZ TV (Left), Awards Host; Isaac Ezban (Mexico) – Best Festival Feature, Best International Feature, Best Director, Best International Ensemble Cast (Center) and Greg Lamberson (Right).
Best Festival Feature – El Incidente/The Incident (Mexico)
Best Action Feature – 6 Bullets to Hell
Best Science Fiction Feature – Channeling
Best Horror Feature – The Drownsman
Best Thriller Feature – Julia
Best Comedy Feature – Spyfall
Best Director – Isaac Ezban, El Incidente/The Incident (Mexico)
Best Screenplay, Feature – Michael Louis Calvillo, Athena
Best Actress – Ashley C. Williams, Julia
Josh McKamie, Ryan Bellgardt (Oklahoma) – Josh McKamie, Ryan Bellgardt, Best Fantasy Feature, Army of Frankensteins
Best Actor – Stephen Kendrick, The God Question
Best Ensemble Cast – The Shower
Best Cinematography – Olivier Merckx, 6 Bullets to the Head
Best Special Make-Up Effects – Call Girl of Cthulhu
Best Visual Effects, Feature – Army of Frankensteins
Best Animated Short – Monstro!
Best Comedy Short: Hellyfish
Best Horror Short: Killer Kart
Best Science Fiction Short: Meet Your Maker
Best Fan Film: Star Wars: Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Music Video:
Mulligan’s Island (Gold)
Delica-m: Mean Something (Silver)
Shane Cole, Burn Away (Bronze)
Special Awards:
City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown (Center), along with Buffalo Dreams Co-Directors Greg Lamberson (Left) and Chris Scioli (Right) after receiving the Buffalo Dreams Local Service Award.
Local Service Award – Mayor Byron W. Brown
Local Hero Award winner J. Garrett Vorreuter
Local Hero Award – J. Garrett Vorreuter
Filmmaker to Watch winner : Hope Muehlbauer
Lynne Hanson (Left) receives Filmmaker to Watch award from Buffalo Dreams Co-Director Greg Lamberson.
Filmmaker to Watch Awards: Hope Muehlbauer, Lynne Hansen
Indie Genre Spirit Award – Aceifer Genovese (Left) with Greg Lamberson(Center) and Chris Scioli(Right).
Indie Genre Spirit Award – Aceifer Genovese
George Pal Visionary Award – Isaac Ezban
International Awards:
Best International Feature – El Incidente/The Incident (Mexico)
Best International Ensemble Cast – El Incidente/The Incident (Mexico)
Best International Horror Short – Waterborne (Australia)
Best International Science Fiction Short – Ruby’s Skin (UK)
Best International Fantasy Short – Henry and the Midnight Dentist
Best International Comedy Short: Happy Birthday, Mr. Zombie (Belgium)
Best Action Short: Watch Over Me (UK)
Best Visual Effects, Short – Orbit Ever After (Ireland)
Western New York Awards:
Best Western New York Feature – The Romans
Best Western New York Director, Feature – Korey Green, The Romans
Mattew Lorentz – Best Western New York Screenplay, B.O.Y.D.; Best Original Screenplay, Rin of Terror
Best Western New York Screenplay – Matthew Lorentz, B.O.Y.D.
Best Performance by a Western New York Actor – Jon Cesar, The Romans
Best Performance by a Western New York Actress – Tilke Hill, Elizabeth Bathory
B.O.Y.D. Best Western New York Ensemble Cast:(Left to Right) Kyle Scritchfield, Christopher Brechtel, Greg Lamberson, Christopher Scherr and Christopher Marriott
Best Western New York Ensemble Cast – B.O.Y.D.
Best Western New York Medium Length Film – Scope of Practice
Best Western New York Short – Road Test
Sign screenwriter Lou Rera accepts Best Western New York Director, Short Award for Joe Blodgett.
Best Western New York Director, Short – Joe Blodgett, Sign
Drew Bialy & Chris Greco – Best Western New York Short, Road Test
Best Western New York Screenplay, Short – Drew Bialy, Road Test
Rhonda Parker – Norah Parker, Best Student Film, Friends Don’t Let Friends – Date Friends and Buffalo Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark. Lamberson
Best Western New York Student Film – Friends Don’t Let Friends – Date Friends
Best Western New York Micro-Short/Best Micro-Short – Nigel Eastman
Best Western New York Music Video – Will Graver, Find a Little Boogie
Best Western New York Special Make-Up Effects Winner- Ken Cosentino
Best Western New York Special Make-Up Effects – Ken Cosentino and Matt Lord, Within
Best Original Screenplay Award
Rain of Terror – Matthew Lorintz (Gold)
Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite – Ron Brawer and Shakir Farsakh (Silver)
Midnight Daisy – Jesse Vigil (Bronze)
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival continues screenings throughout the week at the Dipson Eastern Hills Cinemas. For the latest listings (Click Here)
Nov 3, 2014
(November 3rd, 2014) Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival, which runs this Friday, November 7th – Thursday, November 13th at the Eastern Hills Cinema, 4545 Transit Road in Williamsville, will recognize City of Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown and J. Garrett Verreuter, Director of Operations at Pierce arrow Film Arts Center and owner of the Film Collective, for their efforts on behalf of the film industry in the area. Mayor Brown will receive the festival’s Local Service Award, previously awarded to Buffalo-Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark and Buffalo-Niagara Film Office Director of Operations Rich Wall, and Verreuter will receive the Local Hero Award. The Dreamer Awards will be held in the theater beginning at 6:15 pm on Sunday, November 9th. Awards will be given to films competing in local, national and international categories.
“Our festival supports the current growth of film production in the region,” says Gregory Lamberson, who co-directs Buffalo Dreams with Chris Scioli. “Mayor Brown voted in favor of the film production tax incentive as a state senator, and as mayor has worked with Tim Clark and Rich Wall to help facilitate film productions in the area. Garrett came to Buffalo to study medicine but became inspired by the possibility of a real film industry here, and has dedicated himself to helping develop that industry.”
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival has a two-fold mission: to bring the finest independent films from around the world to Buffalo, and to spotlight the work of local filmmakers. This year’s event kicks off with the Buffalo premiere of The Romans, a contemporary urban take on the story of Julius Caesar, directed by Korey Green and executive produced by Larry Quinn, shot entirely in Buffalo.
In total, 70 films will screen over the course of the week, 19 of them features, including the spaghetti western 6 Bullets to Hell, starring and co-directed by Tanner Beard, and El Incidente/The Incident, a thriller from Mexico, written and directed by Isaac Ezban. Beard and Ezban will be among fifteen filmmakers traveling to Buffalo to screen their work for the festival. For a complete schedule, visit wwww.buffalodreamsfilmfest.com. For advance tickets, visit www.dipsontheatres.com.
Oct 27, 2014
(October 267th, 2014) Buffalo Film Expo (BFX), a one day educational event comprised of workshops aimed at professional and aspiring filmmakers, will be held Saturday, Nov. 1st from 10 am to 5:30 pm at the Holiday Inn Buffalo Airport, 4600 Genesee Street in Cheektowaga. Area film professionals serve as panelists covering screenwriting, producing, the NYS Film Tax Credit, cinematography, the business side of acting and gear. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID.
“The film industry in the Buffalo-Niagara region is growing,” says Gregory Lamberson, who organized the event with Chris Scioli. “This conference is aimed at people who want to learn more about the film making process, and people who want to participate in this growing industry in our region. Writers, producers, camera people and actors can all benefit from the information shared here. This is also a great networking opportunity: we encourage people to bring their business cards and head shots.”
BFX is sponsored by Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival, which runs Fri, Nov. 7th – Thurs, Nov. 13th at Eastern Hills Cinema; Buffalo Movie-Video Makers, the oldest amateur film society in the nation; and Adam Bloch Sound. Attendees will receive one free pass to see 6 Bullets to Hell, a new spaghetti western playing at Buffalo Dreams Fri, Nov. 7th at 9:45 pm.
The Pierce-Arrow Film Arts Center, 48 Hr. Film Festival, and regional production companies Pixelmander, LLC, White Lion Studios, Metroisha Productions and Martin McGee Productions will all have a presence in the banquet room. All speakers are subject to availability.
Schedule
10:30 am Screenwriting: Greg Stuhr (The American Side), Korey Green (The Romans), Greg Lamberson (Dry Bones).
11:40 am Producing Your First Feature: Bobby Gott (B.O.Y.D.), Elizabeth Nixon (Elizabeth Bathory) Brandyn T. Williams (Dwelling) and John Renna (Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs. the Cannibal Cop).
12:50 pm The NYS Film Tax Credit: Buffalo Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark, Rochester/Finger Lakes Film & Video Office Executive Director Nora Brown, Buffalo Film Office Director of Operations Rich Wall
2:10 pm Cinematography: Chris Santucci, Stephen Powell, Matthew Nardone and Tom Wills.
3:20 pm The Business Side of Acting (Casting/Presentation): Greg Stuhr, Bryan Patrick Stoyle, J. Garrett Vorreuter
4:30 pm Gear Talk: Chris Santucci, Tom Wills.
Buffalo Dreams website:
www.buffalodreamsfilmfest.com
Buffalo Film Expo on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloFilmExpo
Oct 21, 2014
(October 21, 2014) See the premiere of “Within” as it make it’s world premiere on Halloween night at the North Park Theatre, 1428 Hertel Ave in Buffalo, NY.
From Director Ken Consentino-
“Within” follows the story of five strangers who have been brought together by unforeseen circumstances during the outbreak of a highly contagious virus that brings the dead back to life. While attempting to cope and survive in a farm house, the group begins to learn about each other’s pasts. It’s not long before zombies are knocking on the door, hoping to get in so that they can devour human flesh!
This film is unrated, has some harsh language and lots of blood and gore. There is also loads of comedy and tongue in cheek references to classic films.“We did our best to make this a film that can be enjoyed by anyone, but our main audience is the zombie loving demographic,” says director Ken Cosentino, “there is a scene that’s a shot for shot remake of the eye gouge from Fulci’s ‘Zombie’, and a lot of other fun stuff.” The film starts Tyler Austin as Albert, Cynthia LaForest Gerber, Joseph Giambra, Madison Ranne, and nine year old Noah Wisniewski, all of whom are local to Western New York.
“The main character, Albert, is gay, and Tyler Austin is gay in real life, so this film really appeals to the LGBT crowd as well. It’s the first zombie film I’ve ever seen with a gay protagonist” says Cosentino, whose company Little Sicily Productions recently produced the comic book film “Crimson”, which is available in major retail stores in North America. “Crimson” was shot almost entirely in Niagara Falls.
Doors open at 9:30 pm and the movie starts at 10 pm. The film is 90 minutes long and will be followed by a Q & A with the cast and crew.
Tickets are $12 presale or $15 at the door, (unless you dress “head to toe” in costume, then they are $12). Guests are encouraged to come celebrate in costume. An after party will be held at 12:30 am at Fat Bob’s Smokehouse in Buffalo. There will be prizes for the best costumes and anyone who purchased a movie ticket will have the opportunity to party with the cast and crew.
