Brooklyn Film Festival Announces 25th Edition: UNTHINKABLE

Brooklyn Film Festival, New York's longest running international-competitive film festival, has announced its 25th edition, Unthinkable. BFF, a Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival, received 2,694 films from 91 Countries for its 25th edition, and will program the selected film premieres into 35 two-hour program blocks.

This year, BFF will be staged from June 3-12, online via the festival website, as well as in-person at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with select programs also showing at Union Docs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The video server will once again be hosted by Cinesend. Along with the film screenings, BFF is planning to bring back the BFF Exchange, a day dedicated to panels, pitch sessions and a happy hour (venue TBA). The 2022 film lineup will include approximately 150 film premieres, and all details will be announced soon on the festival's website.

BFF divides all films into six categories: Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation. BFF's selection criteria, a 25-year-old set of rules, constitute the true festival's trademark: participating films cannot be older than two years; films are selected from submissions only; all films in the festival participate in the awards competition. Even the smallest film can win the top festival award: the Grand Chameleon.

BFF Executive Director Marco Ursino said of 25th BFF, themed Unthinkable, "It is undeniable that we are living in divisive times, where every political and social current creates and follows its own fabricated truth. In such a world, any profound statement is destined to please some, while it offends others. What we used to define reality, has been carefully hidden, to the point that it has become almost unthinkable. With our 25th edition, BFF wants to reignite the audience's imagination, offer an opportunity to revisit reality, and reinforce the Unthinkable, by presenting 150, uncensored film projects from every corner of the world."

The 2022 advertising campaign will be created by MullenLowe New York. The Executive Creative Director, Ricard Valero, said of the partnership, "We are huge supporters and fans of independent film. It is imperative to help BFF position indie filmmaking as the cultural necessity it is, and spotlight the power of truth-telling in film today. We support their ambitions, champion the opportunities they provide to the community, and respect their creative bravery." He further said about the campaign, "Independent cinema opens an honest conversation about everything around us. That's why the Brooklyn Film Festival invites us to leave our preconceived notions at the metaphorical door, and experience something from a different perspective. Our campaign will try to inspire people to be open, curious, and be pushed."

BFF is also happy to announce that the 18th Annual KidsFilmFest will also be staged online for the entire 10-day festival, and at Windmill Studios on Saturday, June 4 starting at 1pm. KidsFilmFest this year will present two programs of films, tailored for young viewers: age 3 to 7, and 8 to 15. The films are all rated "G" and consists of numerous animated shorts, documentaries and live-action films.

BFF's list of sponsors for 2022 include: WNET's All Arts, Brooklyn Film Society, Windmill Studios, Cinelease, Herc, Upper Market Gallery, Quebec Government, PRG, Xeno Lights, AbelCine, Be Electric, Sixpoint, Final Draft, MPE, Big Screen Plaza, Broadway Stages, Media Services, Yelp, Lentini Communications, The Pod, Papapietro Perry, and Noble Jewelry.

About the Programmers

Feature Narrative programmers: Brazilian-born-turned-New-York filmmaker Emilia Ferreira's debut feature, "The Unattainable Story," premiered at the New Directors Competition at the Mostra-São Paulo International Film Festival. She was the feature programmer for the narrative section of the 20th Brooklyn Film Festival and an advocate for women in film as the co-founder of WIFT/Brazil. Sarah Bex Rice is a media archivist, writer and video artist that has worked in many different capacities with filmmakers and festivals both local and worldwide, including the Edinburgh Film Festival, Glasgow Film Festival and Indie Street Film Festival.

Animation Programmer: Julia Cowle, is an independent filmmaker, illustrator, animator and comedy writer.

Short Narrative Programmer: Michael Barringer is a writer, director, and educator based in Brooklyn. BFF 2022 marks his first year as narrative shorts programmer, and he couldn't be more excited to join the team. He teaches screenwriting and film production at ESRA International Film School and Atlantic Acting School, and he is currently pursuing his MFA in directing at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College.

Feature Documentary Programmer: Barbara Vásconez is the Program Manager at New York Women in Film & Television. Before joining NYWIFT, she held the position of General Manager at the Quad Cinema for three years. She has worked for a variety of film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Rooftop Films, Hamptons Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, and DOC NYC. Barbara has a degree in Film and Video Production from the School of Visual arts in NYC.

Short Documentary Programmer: Andrew Lewis is a filmmaker based in New York. Working in both documentary and narrative, he has had films screened at NoBudge, New York No Limits, American Documentary Film Festival and at various other festivals. He's taught workshops in DIY Filmmaking and a class in directing at Fashion Institute of Technology. He has an M.A. in Film and Media from The New School.

KidsFilmFest Programmer/Director: Nina Fry, originally from London, England, has lived in Brooklyn, NY for the past 10 years. She is a director of plays and operas, with an emphasis on new work, that explores the complexities of the human experience.

About BFF

The organizers of the Brooklyn Film Festival 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 and to encourage the rights of all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of independent filmmaking; to promote artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure. BFF, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

For more information about the festival, visit here.

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