110 Films in 11 Days at Buffalo Dreams 2017

Oct 10, 2017

Diverse Programming and Attending Filmmakers Make for a One of a Kind Western New York Film Festival Experience

Buffalo, New York – Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival has announced its most ambitious lineup yet for its 2017 season: 110 films will screen over 11 days. The multi-genre festival, spotlighting the best independent films from around the world, runs Thursday, Nov. 2nd – Thursday, Nov. 9th at Dipson Theaters Eastern Hills Cinema in Williamsville, and Nov. 10th – 12th at the Screening Room Cinema Cafe in Amherst. The festival is the largest of its type in Western New York. One half of the 40 features screening are in the horror genre, with action, animation, comedy, documentary, drama, experimental, family, foreign, science fiction and thriller films represented among the rest

Highlights among this year’s slate include two documentaries from the festival’s Filmmaker of the Year, Adrian Esposito: the Buffalo-Niagara film festival premiere of Diffability Hollywood and the world premiere of Greetings from Tromaville!; the East coast premiere of Lloyd Kaufman’s Return to Return to Nuke Em High aka Vol. 2, filmed in Niagara Falls; the New York State premiere of Buckout Road, Matthew Currie Holmes’s Canadian film about a legendary haunted road in upstate New York; cult filmmaker Brett Kelly’s Countrycide; the film festival premiere of Todd Sheets’s werewolf epic Bonehill Road; Jon Keeyes’s sophiosticated horror thriller The Harrowing; Stephen Biro’s gory exorcism flick The Song of Solomon; and Black Fawn Films’ return to Buffalo with the its latest horror offering, The Heretics.

Festival co-founders Gregory Lamberson and Chris Scioli have scheduled “A Salute to Fred Olen Ray and Chris Olen Ray,” back-to-back screenings of Fred Olen Ray’s classic 1988 cult film Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers and Chris Ray’s recent terror fest Circus Kane. The father and son duo among the most prolific filmmakers in Hollywood, and have played an instrumental role in transforming Buffalo-Niagara into the most active area for film production in the state outside of New York City. The Rays will each do a Q&A.

This year the festival expands its weekday matinee selection of foreign films aimed at the Eatsern Hills Cinema’s regular arthouse crowd, with the exotic thriller You Go To My Head from Belgium/Australia/Germany; the political drama Palyadawasi from India; the coming of age musical All Because of Love from Taiwan; the fantasy Dominika from Russia; and the shot-in-one-take drama Immortality from Iran. Also aimed at the Eastern Hills crowd is the award-winning U.S. documentary Pieced Together, about quilt trails across America and the inspiration they have provided, directed by Julianne Donofrio, who will attend.

Other foreign films at Buffalo Dreams embrace the dark side, like the revenge thriller Offensive and the sensory horror film The Darkest, both from France. Montrak, a vampire/action film having its US premiere, and the action film One Shot Left, are both from Germany. The festival’s final stretch at the Screening Room includes a day of Canadian horror films (the anthology 3 Dead Trick or Treaters, the wilderness slasher film The Lone Paddler, and the psychological thriller Art of Obsession).   The closing day is comprised of four outstanding features from the UK: the animated paranormal docudrama Borley Rectory; the dark fantasy The Gatehouse; the supernatural thriller Charismata; and Dogged, a feature film derived from a proof of concept short which screened at the festival last year. Filmmakers from many of these selections will attend, creating a truly international film going experience.

Buffalo Dreams Family Film Festival presents two blocks of programming, Saturday Nov. 4th and Sunday Nov. 5thm at 11:30 am. On Saturday, writer Chris Parish (The King of Queens) presents Thrill Ride, a family adventure ala The Goonies based on stories written by his son. The musical fantasy Princess Sparkly Butt and the Hotdog Kid screens on Sunday Nov. 5th. Both films will be preceded by shorts, some of them produced by young students. All seats for the family films are only $5.

Other World Premieres include the comedy 666 PM, from the team behind last year’s Massacre on Aisle 12, and the locally produced drama Good Times Never Come. Admission for Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival is $10 per film/block ($7 for students, seniors and military ID), $20 for a Day Pass, and $100 for an All Festival Pass. Tickets will go on sale next week on the Dipson Theaters website, and the full schedule will soon be available at www.buffalodreamsfilmfest.com

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival

11 Days, 110 Films

40 Features, 70 Shorts and Short Features

Nov. 2nd – 9th at Dipson Theaters Eastern Hills Cinema

Nov. 10th – 12th at The Screening Room Cinema Cafe

Features (40)

3 Dead Trick or Treaters – Horror Anthology, Canada – Buffalo-Niagara Premiere

The 60 Yard Line – Comedy, US – Buffalo-Niagara Premiere

666PM – Comedy, US – World Premiere

All Because of Love – Musical, Taiwan – US Premiere

Art of Obsession – Psychological Horror, Canada – US Premiere

Blessed Are the Children – Horror, US – Buffalo-Niagara Premiere

Bonehill Road – Horror, US – Film Festival Premiere

Borley Rectory – Animated Paranormal Docudrama, UK – WNY Premiere

Buckout Road – Horror, Canada – NYS Premiere

Charismata – Horror/Thriller, UK – WNY Premiere

Circus Kane – Horror, US – Chris Olen Ray Salute

Countrycide – Horror, Canada – NYS Premiere

The Darkest – Horror, France – US Premiere

Darken – Science Fiction, Canada – NYS Premiere

Diffability Hollywood – WNY Documentary – Buffalo-Niagara Film Festival Premiere

Dogged – Horror/Thriller, UK – NYS Premiere

Dominika – Fantasy, Russia – WNY Premiere

The Gatehouse – Fantasy, UK – East Coast Premiere

Get My Gun – Revenge Thriller – Buffalo-Niagara Premiere

Good Times Never Come – WNY Drama – World Premiere

Greetings from Tromaville! – WNY Documentary – World Premiere

Hablar Con Los Muertos (Talk to the Dead) – Film Festival Premiere

The Harrowing – Horror/Thriller – NYS Premiere

The Heretics, Black Fawn Films – Horror, Canada – NYS Premiere

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers – Cult Classic – Fred Olen Ray Salute

Immortality – Drama, Iran – US Premiere

The Lone Paddler – Horror, Canada – US Premiere

Mercy Christmas – Horror/Comedy – East Coast Premiere

Mickey Reece’s Alien – Experimental Drama – WNY Premiere

Montrak – Action/Horror, Germany – US Premiere

Offensive – Revenge Thriller, France – NYS Premiere

One Shot Left – Action, Germany – NYS Premiere

Palyadawasi – Drama, India – NYS Premiere

The Phoenix Incident – SF, US

Return to Return to Nuke Em High aka Vol. 2 – Horor/Comedy, US – East Coast Premiere

Six-Pack Sam – Action/Crime/Thriller, US – World Premiere

The Song of Solomon – Horror, US – NYS Premiere

Thrill Ride – Family Adventure, US – NYS Premiere

The VelociPastor – Comedy, US – World Premiere

You Go To My Head – Thriller – Belgium/Australia/ Germany – East Coast Premiere

total

Short Features (4)

Pieced Together (Documentary, US)

Princess Sparkly Butt and the Hotdog Kid (Family, Canada)

Tangent Room (Science Ficton, Sweden)

The Outlaw 7: Death of SIXX (Fantasy, WNY)

Animated Shorts (5)

Fierce (France)

Light Sight (Iran)

Murder Zone (WNY)

The Pine Tree Villa (Germany)

The Servant (Iran)

North American Shorts (19)          

2BR02B: To Be Or Naught To Be

Banshee

Breaker

Bride of Frankie

The Call of Charlie

Candyland

Chronoception

The Eliminadora

The Hobbyist

Icarus

Imbroglio

The Last Hurrah

Once Upon a November

Off the Rails

Scraps

Slapface

The Tinwife

Walking Supply

Walk of Shame

International Shorts (16)

2AM (Australia)

Acheron (Germany)

Alfred J. Hemlock (Australia)

Black Ring (Turkey)

Blood Shed (UK)

Desfunctionary (Spain)

Einstein Rosen (Germany)

An Eldrich Place (Belgium)

Go Paul (Germany)

Hada (Spain)

Julkita (Mexico)

Near Keplar (Germany)

The Peculiar Sensibilities of Mr. Mahler (Germany)

Rahowa (Canada)

Strangers on the Road (Spain)

Zona-84 (Spain)

Western New York Shorts (9)

Punch Andy

Filling In

Hunted Pride

In the Death Room

No One Has to Know

The Pearl of Tia Megdelena

Tales of Darkened Light: A Friendly Wager

Venatus Mars

Wait

Micro-Shorts (11)

Daddy’s Girls (Canada)

Es Rever (US)

Ghoulish (Canada)

Metube2 August sing Carmine Burana (Germany)

Monster (US)

Mrs. Rafferty’s Red Roses (Canada)

Paul’s Bad Day (US)

Punch Andy (WNY)

Red Maze (US)

Still (UK)

The Summit (US)

Young Student / Student (6)

A Boy Named Sue (WNY)

Gone (US)

Greatest Zombie Movie Ever (US)

Sleeptalker (US)

Lily Hits the Road (Canada)

Human Outbreak (Australia)

Feature Film Premiere Status

World Premieres (5)

US Premieres (5)

East Coast Premieres (3)

New York State Premieres (10)

Western New York Premiers (3)

Buffalo-Niagara Premieres (4)

Film Festival Premieres ( 2 )

BUFFALO DREAMS FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO NUKE EM HIGH AGAIN

Aug 22, 2017

(August 22nd, 2017) Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival will host the New York State Premiere of Troma’s Return to Return to Nuke Em High aka Vol. 2, the second half of Lloyd Kaufman’s two-film sequel to the company’s cult classic Nuke Em High. The festival held the world premiere of the first re-boot two years ago. Return to Return to Nuke Em High aka Vol. 2 had its world premiere at Cannes. The series deals with students battling mutant monsters, oppressive authority figures, sexual urges, and good taste at a contaminated high school. Buffalo Dreams runs for 10 days, Friday, November 3rd – Sunday, Nov. 12th, at Dipson’s Eastern Hills Cinema and at the Screening Room Cinema Cafe.

“Buffalo Dreams is proud to continue its association with Lloyd and the Troma team,” says festival co-founder Gregory Lamberson. “The premiere for Return to Nuke Em High Vol. 1 was the craziest in Buffalo history! Lloyd shot his last three films, including Poultrygeist, in Buffalo-Niagara, making Western New York the Tromaville-away-from-Tromaville. We’ve recognized Lloyd and his wife, Pat Sweeney Kaufman, for their important contributions to our local film industry, and we’re thrilled to present the epic conclusion to this legendary franchise on the big screen at the Eastern Hills Cinema.”

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival previously announced it will host the world premiere of 666pm, the new horror comedy directed by Jim Klock, who co-directed last year’s audience pleasing Massacre on Aisle 12.

The festival’s mission is to present the best independent films from around the world in the genres of action, animation, documentary, drama, fantasy, horror, sci-fi and thriller.

Last year, Lamberson and his partner, Chris Scioli, integrated Buffalo Dreams Family Film Festival, spotlighting young student, family and children’s films, and this year the pair will launch the Lois Weber Award in recognition of excellence by female filmmakers, named after the first female filmmaker in the US. Author Jeff Strand will judge the Unproduced Screenplay Competition.

The Late Deadline for micro-short, short, short feature, feature and screenplay competitions is August 26th, via FilmFreeway and Withoutabox. Sponsors for Buffalo Dreams so far include Buffalo Comic-Con, Earplug Podcast Network, Ominous Press, Slab Pro, Sleeping Giant Collectibles, Thursday Night Terrors and WBBZ-TV.

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival:

www.buffalodreamsfilmfest.com

Trailer for Return to Return to Nuke Em High aka Vol. 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRQhTPDI0Gg

BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2017: OCT 6-9th

Aug 16, 2017

(August 16, 2017)  Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo International Film Festival (BIFF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit film festival serving Western New York is excited to announce its 2017 Festival dates, October 6-9th. All screenings and events are hosted locally in the city of Buffalo in partnership with The North Park Theatre, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Art Center, with additional venues to be announced soon.

BIFF’s 2017 festival has continued to enjoy increased interest from the creators of top-tier global films, with a 45% increase in submissions, from over 45 countries. This year’s festival will also feature exciting new programming; including a series of multi-media installations around the city of Buffalo, industry and academic panels, parties and performances. BIFF will announce it’s full line-up in conjunction with the re-launch of its website on September 1, 2017.

BIFF would like to extend its deepest gratitude to outgoing Executive Director Ray Guarnieri and to founder and Board Treasurer, Renee Russell who have chosen to leave their roles ahead of this year’s festival. In 2015 Mr. Guarnieri took over for founder and former Executive Director Edward Summer after he passed away, and has worked tirelessly to transform the organization from a small, regional festival into the nationally competitive, eponymous festival that it is today. Ray’s 2 years of service have been deeply appreciated by the organization and we look forward to his ongoing contributions to the film community in Buffalo and beyond. After 11 years of service, Ms. Russell will be transitioning to Director Emeritus and the board will continue to seek her wise counsel as it transitions to new leadership. John J. Fink, BIFF’s former Director of Programming has been appointed as Interim Executive Director.

For more information, please contact:
John J. Fink @ info@buffalointernationalfilmfestival.com or 973-615-3124

COLD BROOK: A Look Back at Bill Fichtner’s Directorial Debut

Aug 9, 2017

(July 28th, 2017) Western New York Native and actor William Fichtner has wrapped up his directorial debut with the feature film Cold Brook. Locations in Western New York included the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo State College, Main Street in East Aurora, and the Colonel Ward Pumping Station.

Cold Brook is “the story of two ordinary guys in a small town who embark on an extraordinary adventure. It’s a story about coming home; something everyone, everywhere has an innate desire to do.”

Along Fichtner himself, actors starring in Cold Brook included Kim Coates, Harold Perrineau,  Brad Heinke, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Robin Weigert.  Western New York natives Louis Mustillo and Charlene Amoia also returned home to take featured roles.

Behind the Camera with Cold Brook Producer Sara Shaak:

Behind the Camera with ‘Cold Brook’ Producer Sara Shaak from Buffalo Niagara Film Office on Vimeo.

Behind the Camera – Cold Brook Press Conference:

Behind the Camera_ The ‘Cold Brook’ News Conference from Buffalo Niagara Film Office on Vimeo.

CASTING CALL: The True Adventures of Wolfboy

Aug 9, 2017

Project: THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF WOLFBOY
Project Type: Feature Film
Union Status: SAG-AFTRA
Rate of Pay / Contract: Scale
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Email: wolfboycasting@gmail.com