Brooklyn Film Festival Reveals Their 2013 Line Up

It was just yesterday that I was extolling the pluses of watching movies in a place like Brooklyn, what with the fifth Annual BAMcinemaFest happening there in June. Well Today, and not to be out done (because no one is stepping on anybody's toes) the Brooklyn Film Festival lays bare (Oooh Lala) their 2013 slate of programming. From May 31st to June 9th, indieScreen and Windmill Studios NYC are the locales where you NYC readers can take in the sights and sounds of such movies as the Martial Arts Documentary Dragon Girls, The Slamdance Audience Award Winner Hank And Asha and the homegrown Opening Nighter HairBrained. Take a gander at the full list of titles below.   

BROOKLYN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
FILM LINE-UP FOR MAGNETIC EDITION:
MAY 31 - JUNE 9, 2013

BFF Alumnus Billy Kent's World Premiere HairBrained,
Starring Brendan Fraser, Parker Posey, Alex Wolff & Julia Garner
To Open Festival on May 31


Robin de Jesus, Greta Lee, Alex Wolff and Teddy Bergman in HairBrained. Photo Courtesy of HairBrained LLC.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, May 7, 2013 - Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) is proud to announce the film line-up for its 2013 festival, themed MAGNETIC.
 The competitive event will run from May 31 through June 9 in
Williamsburg at indieScreen (289 Kent Avenue) and for the first time at
Windmill Studios NYC (287 Kent Avenue). The festival will present over
100 films from 24 different countries including 33 World Premieres, 26 USA Premieres, 20 East Coast Premieres and 22 New York Premieres. These
 films were selected from over 2,000 submissions coming from 111
countries. Tickets will be available soon for advanced purchase online,
and the complete festival schedule will be posted soon as well. Check
back at http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/tickets/.

BFF
 will operate one screening room at indieScreen and one at Windmill
Studios NYC throughout the festival. On May 31, the Opening Night film
and World Premiere of BFF alumnus Billy Kent's HairBrained will
 be screened at indieScreen and Windmill Studios NYC simultaneously at 8
 p.m. and the after-party will be celebrated at both indieScreen and
Windmill Studios NYC starting from 10 p.m. And the Closing Night film
will be BFF alumnus Dan Eberle's World Premiere of Cut to Black on June 9 at 8 p.m., followed by the Awards Ceremony at 10 p.m.

BFF Executive Director Marco Ursino said of the 2013 edition, "Magnetic
 is our study on all those invisible forces that bring people together
or push them apart. It is our invitation to analyze and scrutinize the
elements that surround us and to read between the lines while
questioning the motives behind them. With Magnetic,
 we intend to create a field where filmmakers from different parts of
the world attract each other into collaborations and partnerships. Magnetic
 will be a multi-layered competition between the positive and the
negative, where the real prize will be a Brooklyn breakthrough."

BFF
 will award the winners with prizes totaling over $50,000 in film
services and products. Prizes include a seven-day theatrical release at
indieScreen for both Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature
 award winners.

BFF's
 primary goal is to connect filmmakers to distribution companies and
expose them to the media. Films that have premiered at BFF in past years
 went on to be released theatrically and in other ancillary markets such
 as home media, On Demand and web streaming. Prestigious recent alumni
include Suki Hawley and Michael Galinsky's Battle for Brooklyn (shortlisted for a 2011 Academy Award nomination), Katie Dellamaggiore's Brooklyn Castle (selected by P.O.V. for a nationwide PBS broadcast in 2013), Kelly Anderson's My Brooklyn (one of the most successful DIY releases of 2013 so far), Lawrence Michael Levine's Gabi On The Roof in July and Daryl Wein's Breaking Upwards.
 Numerous films from the Brooklyn Film Festival have gone on to be
nominated for and win awards by both the American and British Academy
Awards.

Opening Night Film:

HairBrained (USA) Dir. Billy Kent - World Premiere
Brooklyn Film Festival alumnus Billy Kent (The Oh In Ohio -  BFF 2006 Audience Award) returns with his latest feature film HairBrained, a madcap coming-of-age comedy filmed in New York and starring Brendan Fraser, Alex Wolff, Julia Garner and Parker Posey.
 When 14-year old genius/outcast Eli Pettifog (Wolff) is rejected from
Harvard, he ends up at Ivy-League wannabe Whittman College. It's hate at
 first sight. Eli's 41-year-old dorm mate Leo (Fraser), a former gambler
 whose world has imploded, has dropped out of life to enroll in college.
 This odd duo become unlikely friends.  http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1323

Closing Night Film:

Cut to Black (USA) Dir. Dan Eberle - World Premiere
BFF 2008 alumnus Dan Eberle (The Local)
 , writes, produces, directs and stars as a disgraced ex-cop hired by a
wealthy former friend to rid his estranged daughter Jessica of a
stalker. Shot in lavish black and white tones, Cut to Black is a gorgeous cinematic tribute to classic noir, set against stark, gritty urban modernity.
http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1319

Narrative Feature Highlights:

Detonator (USA) Dir. Damon Maulucci & Keir Politz - East Coast Premiere
Starring Lawrence Levine, Joe Swanberg, Sophia Takal, Ben Fine and Robert Longstreet
A
 story of revenge and deceit over the course of one long night in
Philadelphia when Sully, the former frontman of a prominent Philly punk
band, confronts his troubled past. With Brooklyn Film Fest alumns
Lawrence Levine and Sophia Takal (2010 Best Feature - Gabi on the Roof in July).
http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1318

Somewhere Slow (USA) Dir. Jeremy O'Keefe - East Coast Premiere
Jessalyn
 Gilsig - from 'Glee' and 'Vikings' - gives a fearless performance as a
woman on the edge in this intimate, raw and at times funny tale of two
unlikely outlaws fleeing from life on a road trip through New England. http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1324

Flying Blind (UK) Dir. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz - New York Premiere
A
 passionate post 9/11 love story of an older woman with a younger Muslim
 man in a world where security is paramount and nothing is what it
seems. A timely exploration that raises questions about the new reality
of drone strikes and urban terror plots. http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1320

Sleeping with the Fishes (USA) Dir. Nicole Gomez Fisher  - World Premiere
Brooklyn
 filmmaker Nicole Gomez Fisher tells the story of Alexis Fish (Gina
Rodriguez), a woman whose life as she once knew it no longer exists.
After the death of her cheating husband, Alexis returns home to pick up
the pieces.   http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1344

Narrative Feature Line-Up (In Alphabetical Order):

A Wife Alone (USA) Dir. Justin Reichman - World Premiere
Black Out (The Netherlands) Dir. Arne Toonen - East Coast Premiere
Cut to Black (USA) Dir. Dan Eberle - World Premiere
Detonator (USA) Dir. Damon Maulucci & Keir Politz - East Coast Premiere
Emmanuel and the Truth About Fishes (USA) Dir. Francesca Gregorini - East Coast Premiere
Flying Blind (UK) Dir. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz - New York Premiere
Giraffes (Jirafas) (Cuba) Dir. Enrique Álvarez - USA Premiere
HairBrained (USA) Dir. Billy Kent - World Premiere
Hank and Asha (USA) Dir. James E. Duff - East Coast Premiere
Sado Tempest (Japan) Dir. John Williams - East Coast Premiere
Sleeping with the Fishes (USA) Dir. Nicole Gomez Fisher  - World Premiere
Soft in the Head (USA) Dir. Nathan Silver - New York Premiere
Somewhere Slow (USA) Dir. Jeremy O'Keefe - East Coast Premiere

Documentary Feature Highlights:

Dragon Girls (Germany) Dir. Inigo Westmeier - USA Premiere
Winner, 2013 Hot Docs Best International Feature
Dragon Girls tells
 the story of three Chinese girls training to become martial arts
experts far away from their families and homes. Their intense daily
regimen takes place at the Shaolin Kung Fu School, located right next to
 the Shaolin Monastery in central China, where Kung Fu originated.
http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1331

Mr. Angel (USA) Dir. Dan Hunt - New York Premiere
Buck
 Angel was born female yet knew he was male on the inside. This intimate
 documentary follows him for six years, tracing his aspirations to
become a porn star. A moving story about universal lessons of
acceptance, which also challenges our notions of gender and sexuality.
http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1384

Without Shepherds (Pakistan) Dir. Cary McClelland - New York Premiere
A
 rare and essential glimpse into the turbulent reality of Pakistan
today, following six Pakistanis who are navigating different aspects of
society, including Imran Khan - a former cricket star who is now
competing in the first national election in ten years.
http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1378

Furever (USA) Dir. Amy Finkel - New York Premiere
Brooklyn
 filmmaker Amy Finkel explores the growing world of pet memorials, where
 grieving pet owners engage in taxidermy, cloning, mummification,
freeze-drying, and many other methods to keep the memory of their pet
alive. http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=1367

Documentary Line-Up (In Alphabetical Order):

Ben: In the Mind's Eye (USA) Dir. Iva Radivojevic - New York Premiere
Caffe Capri (USA) Dir. Casimir Nozkowski - World Premiere
Cavedigger (USA) Dir. Jeffrey Karoff - East Coast
Dragon Girls (Germany) Dir. Inigo Westmeier - USA Premiere
Exit Point (Poland) Dir. Jagoda Szelc - USA Premiere
Eternal Amazon (Brazil) Dir. Belisario Franca - USA Premiere
Forbidden Voices (Switzerland) Dir. Barbara Miller - New York Premiere
Furever (USA) Dir. Amy Finkel - New York Premiere
Glass Eyes of the Locust Bayou (Canada) Dir. Simon Mercer - USA Premiere
A Hole in the Sky (France) Dir. Antonio Tibaldi & Àlex Lora Cercós - USA Premiere
Miles & War (Germany/Switzerland) Dir. Anne Thoma - USA Premiere
Mr. Angel (USA) Dir. Dan Hunt - New York Premiere
Not For Sale (USA) Dir. Matthew C. Levy - New York Premiere
The Real Motel Life (USA) Dir. Winnie Cheung - World Premiere
The Rink (USA) Dir. Sarah Friedland - New York Premiere
Rogalik (Poland) Dir. Pawel Ziemilski - USA Premiere
Scattered (USA) Dir. Lindsay Lindenbaum - USA Premiere
Venom & Fire (USA) Dir. Brandon Faris - USA Premiere
Without Shepherds (Pakistan) Dir. Cary McClelland - New York Premiere

Short Films:

The
 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival will present a selection of short films
from some of the finest emerging talents in the world, with films coming
 from Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Honduras, Germany, France and New York
 City that explore topics ranging from the apocalypse and the dystopian
future to amateur porn and ice skating cults. For the full line-up,
visit: http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/2013/index.asp?cid=2

Experimental Films:

The
 Experimental competition of the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival presents a
daring selection of films from the vanguard of cinema, with edgy new
work made in Singapore, Turkey, Paraguay and Brazil screening alongside
the World Premieres of several new works by Brooklyn artists. For the
full line-up, visit: http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/2013/index.asp?cid=4

Animation:

For
 the past two years, the Best Animation Award winner at the Brooklyn
Film Festival has gone on to win at the British Academy Awards. This
year's selection of films includes a stellar lineup of wildly creative
new work from some of the finest animators working today, including a
World Premiere from the Rauch Brothers, two Brooklyn Film Festival
alumni who work with StoryCorps, a Brooklyn-based group that has aired
many films on P.O.V. For the full line-up, visit: http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/2013/index.asp?cid=5

Special Events:

Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) is proud to announce two returning special events at the 2013 festival: BFF Exchange and the 9th annual kidsfilmfest, as well as one new special event, a partnership with Mecal, International Short Film and Animation Festival of Barcelona.
 With these events, BFF continues to expand its demographic outreach and
 further its commitment to bring to Brooklyn the best films the world
has to offer.

The Festival will continue its BFF Exchange
 project, free and open to the public, aimed at giving filmmakers access
 to the wealth of industry expertise that the city offers. BFF Exchange
will be staged at indieScreen on June 8, and will feature a pitch
session for local documentary filmmakers, featuring Basil Tsiokos and
Andrew Catauro of POV, among others, a BFF Alums distribution panel, a
Short Film Distribution discussion led by Roberto Barrueco of Mecal, and
 a Microcinema in Brooklyn panel, all followed by a happy hour. For the
BFF Exchange schedule, visit: http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/events/exchange.asp.

Also on June 8, as an immediate follow up to BFF Exchange, BFF is proud to partner with Mecal, International Short Film and Animation Festival of Barcelona,
 on two programs: a feature-length documentary and a collection of
animated shorts. A party with a special guest DJ from Spain will follow.
 The screenings and the party are sponsored by the Consulate General of
Spain. Film line-up to be announced soon. To learn more about Mecal,
visit: http://mecalbcn.org/

On Saturday, June 1 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at indieScreen, BFF will present the 9th annual kidsfilmfest,
 which aims to discover, expose and promote children's filmmakers while
drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn. The film program is tailored
for children of all ages (films are rated "G"), and consists of numerous
 short animation, live-action and documentary films. A Q & A with
the filmmakers and a filmmaker's workshop usually follows each program.
Line-up to be announced soon at http://www.kidsfilmfest.org/news/.

BFF Screening Times:


Friday May 31
Windmill Studios NYC: 8:00
indieScreen: 8:00

Saturdays May 1 and May 8 | Sunday May 2:
Windmill Studios NYC: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00
indieScreen: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30

Monday May 3 through Friday May 7:
Windmill Studios NYC: 6:00, 8:00, 10:00   
indieScreen: 6:30, 8:30, 10:30   

Sunday May 9:
Windmill Studios NYC: 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00
indieScreen: 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00


About Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF):
 
The
 organizers of the Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF), have been staging
international, competitive film events since 1998. BFF's mission is to
provide a public forum in Brooklyn in order to advance public interest
in films and the independent production of films, to draw worldwide
attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema, to encourage the rights of
 all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of
independent filmmaking, and to promote artistic excellence and the
creative freedom of artists without censure. BFF, inc. is a
not-for-profit organization.
 
For more info about Brooklyn Film Festival, visit http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/.

BFF on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrooklynFilmFestival

BFF on Twitter: https://twitter.com/brooklynfest

For info about indieScreen, visit www.indieScreen.com.

For info about Windmill Studios NYC, visit http://windmillstudiosnyc.com/.