BUFFALO DREAMS FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2016
(October 27th, 2016) Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival will run 10 days this year: Friday, Nov. 4th – Thursday, Nov. 10th at Dipson Theaters Eastern Hills Cinema, located in the Eastern Halls Mall, and Friday, Nov. 11th – Sunday, Nov. 13th at the Screening Room, located in the Northtown Plaza. A total of 106 films from around the world will screen, including 31 features, and 30 out of town filmmakers plan to attend the event and participate in Q&A sessions with audience members. Festival co-founders Greg Lamberson and Chris Scioli believe the high number of filmmakers who travel to Buffalo to attend the festival distinguishes Buffalo Dreams. Pat Kaufman, former executive director of New York State’s Governor’s Office for Motion Picture & Television Development, will receive the Local Service Award for her contributions to growing the Western New York film industry; filmmaker Chris Cosgrave will receive the Local Hero Award; and veteran filmmaker Donald F. Glut, whose film Dances with Werewolves is one of several films having their World Premiere at the festival, will receive the Indie Genre Spirit Award.
Highlights of the festival include a Special Advance Screening of the 9/11 themed family drama Two for One, which was filmed in Buffalo and will be attended by director/star Jon Abrahams, screenwriter Michael Testone, actress Nicole Elizabeth Berger, and co-producers Matthew Quinn and Bethany Hedges; the World Premiere of the horror comedy Massacre on Aisle 12, which will be attended by co-director Jim Klock, co-producers Darrell Martinelli and Chad Ridgely (also co-writer), and cast members; and a 30th anniversary screening of the horror black comedy Street Trash, hosted by screenwriter and producer Roy Frumkes. In addition, legendary filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman will host the film festival premiere of Attack of the Killer Shrews, directed by Niagara Falls filmmaker Ken Cosentino. New York City filmmaker Joseph Fusco screens his award-winning Finish Line: The Rise and Demise of Off-Track Betting, one of several documentaries. This year’s festival also launches Buffalo Dreams Family Film Festival and the Young Student Filmmaker Award, designed to introduce filmmakers under age 17 to the film festival experience.
After a full week at the Eastern Hills Cinema, the festival moves to the Screening Room for that venue’s final weekend at its current location, with a slate of science fiction films including the comedy Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time, and the mind altering thriller The Tomorrow Paradox, celebrating its World Premiere.
Individual screenings cost $10/$7 for students, seniors, and military ID. Advance tickets are available at www.dipsontheaters.com, Eastern Hills Cinema. Day Passes good for an entire day cost $20, and the All Festival Pass, good for all 10 days, costs only $100.00. Day Passes and All Festival Passes are only available at the Eastern Hills Cinema box office.
The Schedule:
Friday, Nov. 4th at Eastern Hills Cinema
1:00 pm Block 1: North American Short Films
Eight of the best short genre films produced in the US and Canada: The Backpage (Horror; Q&A with Brandon Lescure); Glimpse (Horror): The Outage (Horror); Pluto (Drama); Burnt Popcorn (Horror); Inferno (Horror); Infirmity (Sci-Fi/Horror, Q& A with Kyle Hytonen); Alchemy (Fantasy, Q&A with Ian Kevin Scott).
3:20 pm Block 2: Finish Line: The Rise and Demise of Off-Track Betting (US, Documentary, 1 hr)
Buffalo premiere! Winner of the Workers Unite Film Festival’s Jury prize for Best Documentary Feature. An insider’s look at the history of New York State’s OTB, and the corrupt machinations behind its collapse, which left workers in financial distress and denied medical benefits. Q&A with director Joseph Fusco.
5:00 pm Block 3: Roy Frumkes presents Burt’s Bikers (US, Docu-drama, 1 hr)
Buffalo Dreams Family Film Festival: Special Guest Roy Frumkes (Street Trash, The Definitive Document of the Dead) presents a restored and re-edited version of his 1981 docudrama which first aired on NBC TV. At a time when films about mentally handicapped children were downbeat and patronizing, Burt’s Bikers presented an upbeat, humorous and character-driven docu-drama that depicts such children in an entirely different and positive light. Narrated by two-time Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson. Q&A with Frumkes.
7:00 pm Block 4: Two for One (US, Drama, 1 hr 50 mins)
Special Advance Screening of a warmhearted family drama filmed in Buffalo! After a NYC artist’s best friends die on 9/11, he adopts their young daughters and moves them to Buffalo, where he grew up. In the Queen City, all three must adjust to a new life while discovering what makes them a family. Co-starring Annie Potts, Scott Caan, Erika Christensen and local actor Stephen Henderson. Q&A with director/star Jon Abrahams, screenwriter Michael Testone, actress Nicole Elizabeth Berger, and producers Matthew Quinn and Bethany Hedges. Come early! Screens again Tuesday, Nov. 8th at 1 pm, and Wed, Nov. 9th at 7 pm.
10:00 pm Block 5: Tonight She Comes (US, Horror, 84 mins)
New York State Premiere. And now the screaming starts! An outrageous and clever horror film in the vein of Evil Dead 2. After a girl goes missing, two of her friends and a mysterious set of strangers find themselves drawn to the cabin in the woods where she disappeared. They will laugh, they will drink, they will kiss, and THEY MUST ALL DIE. Nudity, violence, gore, sexual situations, and proudly offensive material! Q&A with writer-director Matt Stuertz. Preceded by the equally outrageous short Little Dougie.
Saturday, Nov. 5th at Eastern Hills Cinema
1:00 pm Block 6: Buffalo Dreams Family Film Festival/Six Guys, 6,000 Miles (WNY, Documentary)
Three family friendly short films – Holiday of Holidays, Choices Determine Your Life and Sleepover – precede the Western New York Documentary Six Guys, 6,000 Miles. A one of a kind cross country trip by four program participants of People, Inc., a social group for young men with developmental disabilities, and two life coaches. Q&As with Young Student Filmmakers Sly Sundown and Elsie Logan, and documentarian Nick Cacciotti.
3:30 pm Block 7: Let Her Out & Bed of the Dead (Canada, Horror Double Feature, 3 hrs)
New York State Premieres. A double feature of two new horror films from Black Fawn Films, Canadian producers of The Drownsman and last year’s critically acclaimed Bite. Slick and terrifying, twice the chills for half the price! Q&A with cast members. Preceded by two episodes of the WNY webseries Mindflip.
7:15 pm Block 8: Massacre on Aisle 12 (US, Horror Comedy, 80 mins)
World Premiere! A hilarious horror comedy in the vein of Evil Dead 2 and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. A hardware store employee’s first night on the job, on Christmas Eve, is disrupted by the discovery of a dead body and a duffel bag full of cash. It’s The Treasure of Sierra Madre with tools! Q&A with co-director Jim Klock, co-producers Darrell Martinelli and Chad Ridgely (also co-writer), and cast members. Shorts: Peter-Peter (3 mins) and O Christmas Tree (14 mins)
9:30 pm Block 9: Roy Frumkes presents Street Trash (US, Cult Horror,1 hr 41 mins)
Special 30th anniversary screening of the black comedy cult classic horror film about melting winos! Q&A with our Special Guest Roy Frumkes, who wrote and produced this epic body horror film. Street rash contains nudity, violence, gore, ooze, sexual content, dis-memberment, and a subversive and offensive attitude. See it on a big screen, and BYOV – Bring Your Own Viper! Short: Out of the Box (4 mins)
Sunday, Nov. 6th at Eastern Hills Cinema
1:00 pm Block 10: Western New York Shorts (2 hrs)
8 great short films produced in Western New York : The Undersanta – (8 mins); 16 Days – Student short (15 mins); That’s My Baby – student ( 9 mins); Ranae (12 mins); Pastime (24 mins); Rose Colored (14 mins);
Beyond the Sea – student short (20 mins); Let the Wrong One In (18 mins).
3:20 pm Block 11: Lloyd Kaufman presents Attack of the Killer Shrews (WNY Comedy, 90 mins)
Hilarious comedy remake of the B movie monster movie, produced in Niagara Falls and directed by Ken Cosentino. Presented by our Special Guest Lloyd Kaufman. One of the funniest movies ever made in the area. Q&A with cast and crew, autograph signing.
5:45 pm Dreamer Awards
Free to the public. An in-theater presentation hosted by Kim Piazza of WBBZ TV’s Talk of the Town and Connie Caldwell (“Zelda” on Off Beat Cinema). Turn out to support local and visiting filmmakers, and our Local Service Award honoree Pat Kaufman, formerly the Executive Director of New York’s Governor’s Office of Film & Television Development.
7:45 pm Block 12: Dead Bullet (US, Crime Thriller, 90 mins)
New York State premiere! Outstanding crime thriller in the tradition of Breaking Bad. Desperate to turn his life around, a hard-luck gambler risks everything to sell stolen casino chips to a ruthless criminal. It’s the worst bet of his life. Q&A with Executive Producer Joshua Nitschke.
9:45 pm Block 13: The Night of the Virgin (“La Noche Del Virgen” Spain, Cult Horror, 1 hr 50 mins)
The craziest, most outrageous, and most over the top film of the festival, and a true gem for fans of Bad Taste Cinema, sure to become a cult classic. There’s comedy, there’s horror, there’s – that would ruin the surprise. On New Year’s Eve a lonely 20 year old virgin man goes home with a mysterious woman and the night becomes a whirlwind of blood, sweat and discharge. Heed our warning: this film contains sexual content, nudity, violence, gore, excessive bodily fluids, and is the equivalent of an NC17 rating. Subtitled in English.
Monday, Nov 7th at Eastern Hills Cinemas
1:00 pm Block 14: The Forest (Drama/Fantasy, Thailand, 1 hr 50 mins)
A beautiful film from Thailand, perfect for the art house crowd at Eastern Hills Cinema. A new teacher at a rural school and a deaf mute girl deal unravel a mystery while dealing with superstitious villagers. Exquisite cinematography and locations. Much of the film uses the local Isaan dialect, and the child actors were from local schools.
3:20 pm Block 15: Seizure (UK, Horror, 85 mins)
World premiere of a combination crime thriller/horror film from the UK. A ruthless gang of traffickers tale possession of a cursed Romanian girl. They flee to a safe house in rural England and are attacked by mysterious forces.
5:00 pm Block 16: Faux Paws (US, Comedy, 93 mins)
Ne York State premiere. Hilarious comedy about two gay werewolves fleeing oppressive authorities for the safety of Maine. Social satire galore, great comic performances.
7:00 pm Block 17: Dances with Werewolves (US, Horror, 90 mins)
World premiere of a terrific new werewolf film co-written and co-directed by Don Glut, an author, comic book writer and filmmaker who has delighted horror fans for decades. When Cassie flees an abusive relationship and falls victim to a moon-worshipping 600 year old Romanian Countess, a troubled paranormal investigator of Native American descent finds himself in a deadly love triangle. Featuring the late, great Angus Scrimm of Phantasm fame. Sexual situations. Short: Arach-NOPE-phobia (WNY, 7:30).
9:00 pm Block 18: Blood of the Tribades & Squatters (US/WNY Horror)
Blood of the Tribades, which features nudity, is a beautifully shot homage to the erotic Euro vampire films of Jean Rollin and Jesus Franco, and an authentic addition to the subgenre. Followed by Squatters, a terrifying and violent Rochester horror film that brings the Texas Chain Saw Massacre to Western New York. This is the New York State premiere of Tribades, and filmmakers Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein join us for a Q&A. The Squtters team will be on hand as well. Short: Bug Love (WNY, 7 mins 30 seconds)
Tuesday, Nov 8th at Eastern Hills Cinemas
1:00 pm Block 19: Two for One (WNY, Drama, 1 hr 50 mins)
A special matinee encore for the regular crowd at Eastern Hills Cinemas.
3:20-5:05 pm Block 20: International Short Films (1 hr 43 min)
The best short genre films from overseas: Playback (UK, 3 mins); Wolves (Spain, 12mins); The Frozen Eye (Belgium, 29 mins); Pyramids Hostel (France, 19 mins); Bloodhunters (Philippines, 15 mins); Creatures of Whitechapel (UK/USA – 25 mins).
5:20 pm Block 21: Midnight Delight (US, Comedy, 85 mins)
An American comedy consisting of 9 vignettes in which characters in a smoking lounge get into hilarious conversations with strangers.
7:00 pm Block 22: Game Changers (WNY Drama, 88 mins)
Western New York drama about two lifelong friends, former professional gamers now in their late 20s, who wrestle with whether to reclaim their former glory or move into adulthood. Q&A with writer-director Rob Imbs. Short: Another Day with You (web series, 2 episodes, 12 min)
9:20 pm Block 23: Three Short Features (1 hr 31 min)
Together We Stand: A Story About the 1958 Univeristy of Buffalo Football Team (WNY Documentary, 37 mins); Sienna’s Choice (Drama, 50 mins) and Condemned with You All (WNY Thriller, 47 mins).
Wednesday, Nov 9th at Eastern Hills Cinemas
1:00 pm Block 24: Web Series & Short Films (1 hr 45 min)
Some of the best web series and short films from the US and overseas. Web series: Faux Show ( 2 episodes);
Made in Misojen ( 2 episodes); RIP Missy Palmer (2 episodes). Shorts: A Friend Indeed (Canada, Young Student, 9 mins); The Smiling Man (US, Horror, 7 mins); Goblin Queen (US, Fantasy, 12 mins); A Night at the Movies (US, Fantasy,16 mins); Kookie (US, Horror, 9 mins)[ The Fisherman’s Wife (US, Horror, 10 mins);
Caucemar Capitonne (US, Horror, 9 mins)
3:05 pm Block 25: All the Wrong Friends (US, Thriller, 78 mins)
A darkly comedic thriller about a group of high school friends on a road trip who turn on one another when they try to cover up a murder. Short: Sparks (US, 8 mins)
5:00 pm Block 26: They Want Dick Dickster (US, Comedy, 90 mins)
Hilarious comedy about a Hollywood exploitation filmmaker who is hired to turn his cult classic into a porno.
7:00 pm Block 27: Two for One (WNY, Drama, 1 hr 50 min)
Evening encore of the family comedy-drama.
9:20 pm Block 28: Reunion (US, Thriller, 95 mins)
Expertly crafted, edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller about an escaped mental patient terrorizing a rock star, with a bravura performance by actress Maria Olsen (Paranormal Activity 3, Starry Eyes, Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief) . Short: Duffy’s Jacket (10 mins).
Thursday, Nov. 10th at Eastern Hills Cinemas
1:00 pm Block 29: The Dark Tapes (US, Horror, 95 mins)
Multi-award winning found footage horror anthology will get under your skin.
2:50 pm Block 30: Secret Santa (Canada, Horror, 78 mins)
Ho-ho-horror! Traditional slasher film with a holiday setting, shot in Ontario. Q&A with writer-director Mike McMurran. Short: Do You See What I See? (Canada, 14 mins)
5:00 pm Block 31: House on Ghost Hill Road (WNY, Horror, 90 mins)
Film festival premiere. Effective Western New York horror feature about paranormal investigators exploring a legendary haunted house. Q&A with the key filmmakers, D.A. Bush, Julye Bush & Ted Nappi.
7:00 pm Block 32: Screamers (WNY, Horror, 85 min)
Filmed in Rochester! When an internet company decides to investigate a series of “Screamer” videos, they are confronted with havoc and hell they could never expect. Ingenious take on the found footage genre, genuine scares. Q&A with the filmmakers. Short: Dogged (UK, 4 mins)
9:00 pm Block 33: The Outlaw 666: The Beast (2 hrs)
The sixth installment in Aceifer Genovese’s hugely popular local cult series mixes mythology, theology and UFOs in a surreal heavy metal stew. Short: The Shamblin’ Shack (WNY, comedy,18 mins). Short feature: Detective Randy Noir (WNY comedy, 39 mins).
Friday, November 11th at the Screening Room Cinema Cafe
1:00 pm Block 34: Action Shorts
The best action packed short films from around the world, including 3 westerns. Barrio Dos: Pintados (Philippines, 4 mins); A Western (US, 15 mins); Edge – local (WNY,12 mins); Shoot in Any Direction and You’ll Hit a Bastard (US, 13 mins); So Far (US, 9 mins); The Porter Brothers (France, 33 mins); Crying Wolf (UK, 19 mins).
3:15 pm Block 35: Animation & Music Videos
The best animated shorts and music videos from around the world, including the locally produced animated SF opera short feature Libertaria. Mayur (Singapore, animated music video, 5 mins); Circuit Sizzle (WNY Animation, 3 mins); Time Chicken (Animation, 6 mins); Sidereal Hearts (WNY Music Video, 4 mins); Lilac Corona (WNY Music Video, 4 mins); Libertaria: The Virtual Opera (WNY Animation, 55 mins); The Last Hate Song (WNY Music Video, 4 mins).
Saturday, Nov. 12th at Screening Room Cinema Café
Sci-Fi Saturday
1:00 pm Block 36: Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time (New York Premiere, 94 mins)
Hilarious sci-fi comedy jam packed with sight gags and SFX, co-starring Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5) and David Ogden Stiers (M*A*S*H, The Dead Zone). A real crowd pleaser for sci-fi and comedy fans alike! Plus we’re expecting the filmmakers for a Q&A! Short: Yo Soy Pedro (France, 11 mins).
3:30 pm Block 37: The Tomorrow Paradox (World Premiere, NYS, 98 mins)
Fantastic time travel thriller about a man who discovers the drug he uses to sleep transports him in time. Thoughtful and dramatic, a film David Cronenberg and Philip K. Dick would approve. Filmmaker Q&A is planned! Short film: Laserpope (4 mins).
Sunday, Nov. 13th at Screening Room Cinema Café
Sci-Fi Sunday
1:00 pm Block 38: Diverge (Buffalo premiere, NYS, 80 mins)
Contemporary time travel thriller about a man who learns he alone has the power to save the world from a post apocalyptic fate – at his own hands. Stunning cinematography with a mind blowing third act.
Short film: Sputnik (23 mins). Short film: Reality Check (19 mins)
3:30 pm Block 39: Shortwave (New York State premiere, 86 mins)
Filmed in Western New York! A sci-fi-horror-thriller hybrid with incredible cinematography. and an ending that packs a gut punch. All four of these SF films have in common terrific acting. Short: Avant (France, 13 mins)
