​Every year the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival invites a different filmmaker to be our Guest Festival Director to ensure that no single POV dominates our curation. Women are always on our shortlist, and two female filmmakers have taken the position, Victoria Negri (2017) and Christie Conochalla (2021)-- but that isn't enough. Over the years we have produced events with women-led organizations like New York Women in Film and Television, Alliance of Women Directors and the streaming platform Lesflicks, and one of the recurring themes in those conversations is simple parity.

​So for our Lucky 13th season we're doing something different: The 2023 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival will be curated by three women and a non-binary filmmaker, working in tandem. Any one of these filmmakers would make a great Guest Festival Director, so we are thrilled they've agreed to work together to curate the 2023 AoBFF.

We are happy to announce that Janet S Kim (she/her) will curate Documentaries, Shannon Morrall (she/her) will curate Narrative Shorts and the filmmaking team of Stacey Maltin (she/her) and Margarita "MARS" Zhitnikova (they/them) will curate Narrative Features.

SHANNON MORRALL is a filmmaker and actor currently pursuing an MFA in Film Production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Prior to enrolling she served as the Multi-Media Producer for the Cinema Life Film Festival Collective's inaugural season. Her stories tend to explore human connection, joy, and play, often through the escapism of grand adventure genres.

As a writer, her work has garnered recognition from Sundance (Ignite), ISA, and the Catalyst Content Festival. As a Director, she was recently awarded the $25,000 Natural Florida Film Grant to direct her first documentary film, which will premiere at the Oscar Qualifying AmDocs this spring. Her narrative shorts have screened and taken home awards at film festivals nationwide. As an actor, she trained at the American Conservatory Theater (SF) and the Stella Adler Studio (NY), with appearances Off-Broadway and on screen with independent short and feature films.

Beyond her artistic pursuits, Shannon worked as a women's rights representative at the United Nations and has a Bachelor's degree in International Politics and Mandarin Chinese from Fordham University.

ShannonMorrall.com

MARS (they/them) is a non-binary performer, writer and producer. Born in Stalingrad, Russia, MARS came to America with their family as Jewish refugees when they were six. They found acting and creating to be a salvation of sorts, to see the world from many angles and to figure out what drives their characters. MARS is passionate about leaving the world better than they found it, for everyone. Through their art they strive to cultivate empathy and action. MARS Co-Founded BMM to tackle their mission from all sides. Most recently MARS appeared on the final season of NBC’s acclaimed show New Amsterdam and as a lead character in the award-winning feature film Triple Threat, distributed by Gravitas Ventures. Zasha, the screenplay they co-wrote was a finalist for the Sundance Development Track in 2022. MASHED, a digital series, which they performed in and produced with their partners at BMM has won awards at Bushwick FF, Nashville FF, and Buffalo FF. They have also served as a judge for Revolution Me FF and Run & Gun FF.

STACEY MALTIN (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker and performer. She has been creating antics on stage since she was eight and after graduating NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she realized that she wanted to create new and authentic stories from the ground up. After a stint living in Tel Aviv, she became immersed in the film world and became passionate about directing gritty and entertaining projects. Through her work she strives to show that humanity is nuanced and empathy is universal. Stacey Directed, wrote, and starred in the feature film Triple Threat which, after winning several awards on the festival circuit, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures in 2022. She Directed the mini-series MASHED which has won awards at Series Fest, Nashville FF, Bushwick FF, and Buffalo FF. Her first feature film Landing Up, was a finalist for the Tribeca All Access Grant and was distributed by The Orchard. Her feature script The Other Side, was produced as a radio play by The Black List starring Darren Criss. On the acting front, she can be seen in the newest season of The L Word: Generation Q. She is a proud member of Film Fatales.

Margarita Zhitnikova (they/them) & Stacey Maltin (she/her)
BestiesMakeMovies.com
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The 12th Annual Art of Brooklyn Film Festival marked our return to a full slate of in-person screenings — and what a slate it was! Over 70 new films from Brooklyn and around the world, screening in venues across the borough (including opening night in Cobble Hill Cinemas.) Special events like our legendary Launch Party, filmmaker workshops, and
our first-ever live music/film event (featuring an original score for the 90th anniversary of Jean Cocteau's landmark silent film The Blood Of A Poet) marked just some of our 2022 highlights.

Enthusiastic audiences and filmmakers were thrilled to meet each other face to face again, and we loved the supportive energy each event generated. To increase the accessibility of our 2022 selections, we used our state-of-the-art virtual platform to screen encores of all our films that streamed across the globe.

We want to thank all our filmmakers, volunteers, partners, and guests for making our 12th edition extra special. See you next year!

Outstanding Cinematography: 
BREAKFAST AT THE BODEGA
Directed by Marina Barham

Outstanding Sound: 
ECHO’S ANSWER
Directed by Cat Tassini

Outstanding Editing:
Mike Enright for NIGHT AT DOWNTOWN BEIRUT

Outstanding Musical Score:
Hope For Agoldensummer for FISH STORY

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: 
Nicolas Calero, Shah Motia, Adrienne Lauren in THE GAME

Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Short:
Katie Vincent in HOMEBOUND

Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature: 
West Liang in SILENT RIVER

Outstanding Animation: 
CHILLY & MILLY Directed by Will Caballero

The Dark Side Award: 
DARK TALES FROM CHANNEL X
Directed by Manny Serrano and Lindsay Serrano

The Vanguard Award: 
BEATINGS OF THE DEVIL
Directed by Bradly Dever Treadaway

Outstanding Comedy: 
PUSS
Directed by Leah Shore 

Outstanding Drama: 
’TIL MORNING
Directed by Ana Moioli and Ryan Cairns

Outstanding Short Documentary: 
JUST A BROADWAY BABY: MARY ELLEN ASHLEY
​Directed by Patrick A Riviere

Outstanding Feature Documentary:
MORE THAN ACADEMICS
Directed by Elizabeth Mealey and Dejinay Reed

Outstanding Director of a Narrative Short: 
Shannon Morrall for BRIDGE

Outstanding Director of a Narrative Feature: 
Nick Thompson for SKAGIT

Outstanding Narrative Short: 
I’M FINE Directed by Justin Ho

Outstanding Narrative Feature: 
SILENT RIVER Directed by Chris Chan Lee

Outstanding Screenplay: 
PICK written by Bernhard Riedhammer 

Audience Choice: 
SHAMROCKS Directed by Greg Lofrano

The 12th Annual Art of Brooklyn Film Festival returns June 1-12, with a full schedule of over 70 new films at in-person screenings across the Borough... and with virtual premieres and encore screenings that can be watched anywhere!

We are especially excited to come back to Bay Ridge. We've been proud to have a festival night at the Mary White Ovington school since 2014. We had to go online f0r '20 and '21, but 2022 is live and in person!

AoBFF co-founder Anthony DeVito says "I'm so happy we're back at Mary White Ovington this year. Not just because I only live 4 blocks away, but because audiences in 11209 are great, and they come out to support young filmmakers. It's always a really fun night."

We've scheduled a block of new, short documentaries at 7PM and a comedy block at 9PM. Each block includes a Q&A session with the filmmakers, and of course photos in front of our festival backdrop. 

And we have created a special discount code: Use inperson22 at checkout for 25% off all tickets! 

Full schedule, film guide, tickets and passes HERE

Now you can go to the movies — and the movies can come to you.

The 2022 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival (June 1-12) is showing over 70 new indie films in-person in venues across the Borough... and around the world, with three virtual premieres and virtual encore screenings!

The 2022 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival (June 1-12) is bringing people back to the movies… and bringing movies home to the people. Over 70 new films can be seen in-person across Brooklyn, and AoBFF is also offering its entire season online with virtual encores and special streaming premieres. This new hybrid format gives audiences the most flexibility to #supportindiefilm.

Cofounder Anthony DeVito said,"Producing our 2020 festival online during lockdown was tough, but there were unexpected upsides. We connected with audiences all over the world and three of our feature premieres got distribution. For us, nothing beats watching films in a theater, but we didn't want to give to give up the accessibility of streaming. So this year we're doing both!"  

And, for the first time ever, AoBFF will screen virtual premieres of features from the UK, San Francisco and Taiwan complete with filmmaker Q&As just like our live events. "The way forward is to give audiences as many options to watch as possible. Now you can go to the movies and the movies can come to you," said DeVito.

Festival Highlights Include:

​Silent River (East Coast Premiere)
Chris Chan Lee's uncanny David Lynch-ian new feature opens AoBFF '22 at Brooklyn's historic Cobble Hill Cinemas on June 1.
TRAILER & TICKETS

Dark Takes From Channel X (NYC premiere) -- plus more Horror!
Welcome to the dark side with this award-winning new horror anthology featuring curses, creatures and stalkers. And that's only the beginning of our horror and thriller films!
EXPLORE THE DARK SIDE

Short Docs and Comedies in Bay Ridge!
'True Stories' Block and Cracked Comedy Shorts come to 11209 on June 10.
BAY RIDGE NIGHT

The Blood Of A Poet 90th Anniversary Screening — with new, original score composed and performed LIVE by Brian Bonz!

A unique multimedia event: Our 90th Anniversary Screening of Cocteau's avant-garde silent classic THE BLOOD OF A POET with an all-new live score commissioned by The Art of Brooklyn. One night only and the beautiful new venue The Atlantic BKLN!
TICKETS

SHAMROCKS
(San Francisco) Barry is a low-level crook who takes what he wants when he wants. Watch as this criminal buffoon's selfish actions impact the lives of a group of people over St. Patrick's Day weekend in San Francisco. A love letter to crime films and classic film noir. 

GHOST AMBER
(United Kingdom) In the wake of analogue film’s great vanishing from the commercial film industry, a celluloid ghost materialises inside the ruins of a mysterious phantom cinema, beginning a phantasmagoric drift through death, rebirth, and the bardo like spaces in between. Blending animation, documentary, archive material and supernatural horror, Ghost Amber is a meditation on the inescapable nature of impermanence.

​HIDEOUT
​(Taiwan) Drug dealer Guo-hao hopes to make enough money so that he and his girlfriend can leave their life of crime behind. One day, he is contacted by Michael, a drug broker, with an offer to buy a batch of rare cocaine. On the day of the exchange, however, Michael is found dead, and the drugs are already gone. The owner of the cocaine threatens to kill Guo-hao if he fails to come up with the drugs or money. At the same time, Uncle Ma dispatches his henchmen to recover the loan. In the middle of the night, Guo-hao receives a phone call from a mysterious man claiming to be in possession of the lost cocaine, telling Guo-hao he has a new deal for him.

Narrative Features:

Dark Tales From Channel X
74 Minutes | United States | 2021
Horror, Thriller, Scifi, Lgbtq+, Body Horror  
A babysitter, Cassie, finds an old TV set in the basement which pulls her into the world of The Viewer; an anonymous entity in a mask who broadcasts seven stories of horror from monsters under the bed and ominous stalkers, to ancient curses and personal demons in this anthology.
​
Ghost Amber
60 Minutes | United Kingdon |  2021
Animation
Directed by Tim Grabham
In the wake of analogue film’s great vanishing from the commercial film industry, a celluloid ghost materialises inside the ruins of a mysterious phantom cinema, beginning a phantasmagoric drift through death, rebirth, and the bardo like spaces in between.

Hideout
119 Minutes  | Taiwan  | 2021
Crime, Mistery, Thriller 
Directed by Yen Kuang Chen
Drug dealer Guo-hao hopes to make enough money so that he and his girlfriend can leave their life of crime behind. One day, he is contacted by Michael, a drug broker with an offer to buy a batch of rare cocaine. Guo-hao teams up with long-time buddy Da-wei to borrow money from local crime boss Uncle Ma to complete this deal. 
On the day of the exchange, however, Michael is found dead and the drugs are already gone. The owner of the cocaine threatens to kill Guo-hao if he fails to come up with the drugs or money. At the same time, Uncle Ma dispatches his henchmen to recover the loan. In the middle of the night, Guo-hao receives a phone call from a mysterious man claiming to be in possession of the lost cocaine, telling Guo-hao he has a new deal for him…

Rock Paper Scissors 
100 Minutes | United States | 2021
Thriller, Horror
Directed by Doug Bollinger
Sam and Missy Wagner have reached a crossroads in their mundane, suburban relationship. One night of horrific events lead them down a path of fear, retribution, and renewal.  

Silent River
121 Minutes | United States | 2022 
Supernatural Spychological Drama
Directed by Chris Chan Lee  
On the road in a desperate attempt to reunite with his estranged wife, Elliot takes respite at a desert motel. He encounters Greta, a mysterious woman bearing a striking resemblance to his wife. Elliot soon discovers her secret and descends into a mind-bending journey that forces him to question exactly who she is and where they are. Haunting and hallucinogenics, “Silent River” is a layered and nuanced film that boldly challenges the very notions of reality and illusion. 

Shamrocks
106 Minutes  | United States  | 2021
Crime, Comedy
Directed by Greg Lofrano
Shamrocks tells the story of Barry a low-level crook who takes what he wants, when he wants. We soon learn that he owes money to Donato, a local loanshark. In order to pay his debts, Barry sets up a plan to rob the home of the Joneses, a host family that his Au Pair "girlfriend", Luisa, works for. 

Skagit
104 Minutes | United States |  2021
Psychological Horror 
Directed by Nick Thompson
Four friends leave Seattle for a weekend in a remote, rain-soaked corner of Washington State's rustic Skagit Valley. The foreboding October landscape begins to warp their minds, plunging each of them into alternate realities where they must grapple with personal demons, sexual tensions, and a sinister natural world as they claw their way back to sanity.

Documentary Features: 

Cycle of Memory 
72 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Alex Leff
Cycle of Memory follows filmmaker Alex Leff and his Younger sibling Koby as they try to uncover the past and capture the present, in order to be remembered in the future. Guided by old photographs of teh 1945 trip, they search for places aged by time. But while searching for Grandpa Mel’s past, the two are confronted with their own fraught history. If they’re going to complete the turbulent journey, they’ll have to face their own emotional potholes and tumultuous relationship.  With the help of a grandmother learning to l ive alone for the first time, Mel’s lifelong friend and co-adventurer on the bike trip, and a family collection spanning 1950s film reels to 1990s video tapes, Cycle of Memory explores the importance of intergenerational connection, healing apinful pasts, and leaving a meningful time capsule for the future. 

More Than Academics
93 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Elizabeth Mealey
Dejinay Reed is a 7th grade English teacher defying the status-quo curriculum that prioritizes test scores over social-emotional literacy and independent thought. Under her guidance, Harlem charter school students learn their love languages, repair family relationships, and start their own small businesses, all while the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter uprising combine to make 2020 the most challenging school year in recent history.   

Nasima
86 Minutes | United States | 2020
Directed by Heather Kessinger 
A little girl’s dream of riding the waves threatens to change the course of history for an entire nation. Selling trinkets on the beach, 7 year old Nasima’s attention is caught by something out on the water and immediately she is transfixed: surfing has come to Bangladesh. Nasima instantly knows what she wants and that is to surf the waves. She will become the first female surfer in Bangladesh, a place where women don’t even swim in public, let alone ride waves.

Squatters
89 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Catalina Santamaria
At the end of the 1980s, two abandoned buildings in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhoods of the "truquito" and the "maroma" were occupied by a group of young artists, mostly immigrants, who renovated them and turned them into self-sustainable homes outside the boundaries of the law. Santamaría gathers records from multiple sources to chronicle the transformation of Puerta 10 and Umbrella House based on the stories of their singular protagonists. Part of the material in this documentary comes from video recorded by them during the renovation of the buildings in order to document a community that built these houses by hand in order to inhabit them in their own way. This film pays homage to that desire by showing some of the difficulties that come with being a collective utopia, including fragility in the face of time and the looming threat of the system.  

The Sun Rises In The East
58 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Tayo Giwa
The Sun Rises in The East chronicles the birth, rise and legacy of The East, a pan-African cultural organization founded in 1969 by teens and young adults in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Led by educator and activist Jitu Weusi, The East embodied Black self-determination, building more than a dozen institutions, including its own African-centered school, food co-op, newsmagazine, publisher, record label, restaurants, clothing shop and bookstore. The organization hosted world-famous jazz musicians and poets at its highly sought-after performance venue, and it served as an epicenter for political contermporaries such as teh Black Panther Party, the Young Lords and the Congress of Afrikan People, as well as comrades across Africa and the Caribbean. In Effect, The east built an independent Black Nation in teh heart of Central Brooklyn. 


Film As Art - Experimental & Non-Linear Shorts:

ArtMinute1 - The Perfect Selfie
4 Minutes | Denmark | 2019
Animation
Directed by Asta Wellejus & Teddy Kristiansen
The story is about the Danish painter Jens Juel, who through his travels and inspiration from the old masters (Rembrandt) gains a unique inspiration and expertise. This is shown in the light/ colors he gathers on his travels and a special light/ glow that emerges from his brush.

Beatings of the Devil
8 Minutes | United States | 2021
Experimental Documentary
Directed by Bradly Dever Treadaway
"Beatings Of The Devil" is based on the concept and weather event called sunshowers, or, as my grandmother would often say when it rained while the sun was shining, “The devil is beating his wife”. This wildly inappropriate, and outdated colloquial phrase, which resonated deeply within me as a child, provides a point of departure and interpretation for this work.

Caprice x²
4 Minutes | Austria | 2021
Animation
Directed by Claudia Ungersbäck
Forms and gestures, situations over a copy (is_t) existance. marks and notes happening while light resounds.

Chiaroscuro
7 Minutes | United States | 2022
Experimental
Directed by Asia Vo
Chiaroscuro is an immersive sound and video installation that follows an anonymous glowing figure as they traverse an empty, black and unknown plane.

Collage 38.2 (Version Multiple)
4 Minutes | Spain | 2021
Experimental
Directed by Luis Carlos Rodriguez
Collage 38.2 is an Intervention (construction / deconstruction), in the form of an audiovisual collage, on the film in the public domain: Of Human Bondage (1934) by John Cromwell.

Echo’s Answer
3 Minutes | United States | 2021
Music Video
Directed by Cat Tassini
This is a proof of concept video for "Echo's Answer," a feature-length psychedelic reimagining of the life and legacy of Trish Keenan of Broadcast. Although Keenan died in 2011 at only 42, the enchanting world she created with her music, writing, and art lives on through her influence on other artists. This film is an answer to that echo.

Haptic Memory 
1 Minute |  United States |  2021
Animation 
Directed by Mike Enright
Paint on glass with monotype animation. The images are captured with Dragonframe stop motion software and composited together in Adobe After Effects. This piece is part of research into the tension between hand made and digital animation.

Ma1nframe
5 Minutes | United States | 2021
Music Video
Directed by Qieer Wang
MA1NFRAME is the story of an artificial intelligence created to bring us together as a planet after so many millennia of divisiveness. 

Pursuit of Sadness
3 Minutes | United States | 2020
Poetry
Directed by Lea Wülferth
‘Pursuit of Sadness’ is an audiovisual collaboration built around the following repeating words displayed on screen and interspersed with other images: he gets himself a balloon / he lets it fly away / he flees to the attic / he cries.

Secrets of the Galleries
7 Minutes | United States | 2022
Experimental
Directed by  Peter Meng
This is your ticket to unlock the secrets in the galleries of Mount Kilimanhattan. Follow the Arthouse players as they go beyond the realm and revel in this magical, mystical world.

Social Distancing 
5 Mintues  | United States | 2022
Animation
Directed by Kayoko Nakamura
Social Distancing is a video piece, visualizing the data of the Covid 19 pandemic, and the audio is also converted from the numerical values of the data. It explores new ways of communicating with the audience by presenting the data in a different perspective.

The Animal 
9 Minutes | United States | 2021
Animation
Directed by Nora 6592
A poem that explores girlhood through the lens of poverty and alienation in the American South.

The Dark Forest
10 Minutes | United States | 2021
Videopoetry
Directed by Martin Del Carpio
“To honor the memory of his father who passed away in 2019, Martin Del Carpio opts for the medium of film once again, and delivers his most lyrical work to date. At once deeply personal, carefully veiled in a delicate fabric of pure emotions, and absolutely immersive in its dreamlike, mysterious beauty, ‘The Dark Forest’ transmutes its author’s innermost life into an admirable piece of introspective cinema.”

The Sixteen Showings of Julian of Norwich 
8 Minutes | United States | 2020
Animation
Directed by Caroline Golum
This actor-less, handmade work is an exercise in texture and tableaux, depicting the visionary experience and historic significance of the first woman to write a book in English.
  
Three Pride Flags
2 Minutes  | United States |  2022
Music, Animation
Directed by Tom Bessoir
Inspired by Jasper Johns in anticipation of the joint retrospective exhibitions at The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Philadelphia Museum of Art, this is three pride flags permutating at different speeds. Music by Matthew Fritz.

Universal Frequencies 
2 Minutes | United States | 2020
Experimental
Directed by Paul Arsenault
The history of the universe through 1590 hand painted frames. 

Utera
5 Minutes | United States | 2021
Experimental
Directed by Alexandra Tahereh Kaucher
The director’s thoughts on her influences as a young girl to want children.

Narrative Shorts:

Always for the First Time
20 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by John Caliendo, Victoria Meade
Loosely based on the first meeting of surrealist writer Andre Breton and surrealist artist Elisa Latte Elena Bindhoff Enet.

Angst
10 Minutes | Austria | 2021
Sci-Fi
Directed by Béla Baptiste
In a distant future fear has been completely eradicated in order to find relief and peace beyond the hectic pace of life. That's where Bobby comes in: selling pills to those who wish to get back in touch with their primal instincts.

Bitten, A Tragedy
20 Minutes | United States | 2021
Horror
Directed by Monika Estrella Negra
Bitten, a Tragedy follows Lydia, a Black queer woman living in Philadelphia. At a Philly rave, ancestral warfare wreaks havoc on the bloodline of an unfortunate party goer, connecting Lydia to a world of blood, ritual, secrets and vengeance.

Breakfast at the Bodega
15 Minutes | United States | 2021
Comedy
Directed by  Marina Barham
A talented young Brooklynite/Palestinian-American attempts to live out his dreams of becoming a French pastry chef despite his first-generation father's wishes. Struggling to fill his first big order for a gig, tensions arise when the father forbids him from using their family bodega to cook.

Bridge 
15 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Shannon Morrall
When her grandfather passes away, a young girl sets off on a quest to find him and bring him home. "Bridge" explores a child's journey experiencing grief and loss for the first time.

Bygone
8 Minutes | Spain | 2022
Thriller
Directed by Mickey Tetrov
A young woman wakes up in the middle of an apocalyptic, deserted world. As she meanders through the abandoned remains, she encounters a looming presence.

Cameo
16 Minute | United States | 2021
Thriller
Directed by Ryan G. Kelly
A graduate student questions her reality after she receives a mysterious necklace.

Community Service 
15 Minutes | United States | 2020
Dark Comedy
Directed by Grayson Tyler Johnson
A young man gets too drunk one night and is arrested in the street. He now must perform community service, delivering spaghetti to home-bound adults throughout Brooklyn. The last stop on his route is Shecky…

Daytrip Massacre
11 Minutes United States 2021
Horror, Comedy
Directed by Artie Brennan & Anthony Giordano
In the late 1970's a group of young adults go camping near the old abandoned Freak Show Camp. Legend has it, the bearded lady's son, a half-fish-half-child monster called "Fishboy" still roams the woods slaying anyone in his stream. Will they make out? Probably. Will they make it out? Probably not.

Detour
15 Minutes | United States | 2020
Drama
Directed by Bobby Webster
Two broken people have a chance encounter one night in New York City.

Fish Story
20 Minutes | United States | 2021
Comedy, Drama
Directed by Annique Witdoeckt
A grieving father and daughter struggle to connect, until Mom returns…as a fish.

From Water Comes Melon 
13 Minutes | United States | 2021
Sci-Fi
Directed by Micah Vassau
A woman finds the last watermelon on earth. 

Homebound
19 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Usher Morgan
HomeBound is the story of Jamie Rockwell, a woman burdened by severe agoraphobia. After losing her therapy dog, she must muster the courage within, not only to find her dog, but ultimately, to find herself.

I’m Fine
17 Minutes | United States | 2019
Dramady
Directed by Justin Ho
Allyson and her father join after years of separation and are both forced to revisit their past together.

In Defense of Civil Society
8 Minutes | United States | 2021
Dark Comedy
Directed by Rafeh Mahmud
A (non)Muslim refugee becomes entangled in government-subsidized terrorism!

In the Mountains
6 Minutes | United States | 2021
Animation
Directed by Wally Chung
A couple goes on a hike and run into some trouble.

It’s Very Common 
11 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Megan Hessenthaler
Set in a queer collective house in Brooklyn, NY we spend a day or so with Amanda as she lives through the miscarriage of what would have been her second child. Led by her need to keep things light around her daughter we witness as she manages heavy feelings with help from her wife, roommates, and her signature dry wit.

Later Daters
12 Minutes | United States | 2021
Comedy
Directed by Fred Shahadi
A widower decides to re-enter the dating world only to discover he's in way over his head.

Lioness
7 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Molly E. Smith
Barricaded in a motel room, a mothers determination and primal instincts kick in to protect her child's innocence.

No Way Out
11 Minutes | United States | 2021
Horror
Directed by Caleb Bergner
Jack, a young man suffering from sleep deprivation is studying for an exam. After receiving some bad news and falling asleep, Jack finds himself greeted by disturbing figures in a reality separate from his own.

Puss
9 Minutes | United States | 2020
Comedy
Directed by ​​Leah Shore
Samantha desperately wants to get laid, but is finding it to be difficult for some reason.

Sally 
5 Minutes | United States | 2022
Comedy
Directed by Phillip Russell
After his car breaks down, a man seeks refuge at a seemingly abandoned mansion.

Sold
20 Minutes | United States | 2022
Drama
Directed by Christopher Thompson
A Downtown Artist struggles with his newly found sobriety.

‘Til Death Due Us Part
6 Minute | United States | 2020
Dark Comedy
Directed by Taylor Coriell
Bride-to-be Jill wakes up on the morning of her wedding, and starts to believe that everything she touches, dies.

‘Til Morning 
15 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Ana Moioli
'Til Morning is a coming of age short film about Julia, a Brazilian student in New York City. When Julia can't pay for her tuition, she has to choose between surrendering to her conservative family and selling herself to a stranger.

The Game
21 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Aldo Vassallo
Set in early 2000’s suburbia, The Game portrays a bewilderingly tense period in eight year old George’s life. One night, as he attempts to drown out his parents' constant and escalating conflicts by gluing his eyes to his Gameboy, he's startled by the sound of a deafening scream coming from his mother's bedroom. Based on a true story.

The Walk Up
12 Minutes | United States  | 2021
Comedy
Directed by Nick Brown
When a young woman from Texas moves to Manhattan, her ambition and independence are shaken by the long six flight walk up to her apartment.

The Smartest Dumb Girl
13 Minutes | United States | 2021
Comedy
Directed by  Angie Comer
With a flood of mischief, a woman with an acute sense of entitlement is persistent in her goal to get a discount for a murder-for-hire scheme from a prickly and foul-mouth female assassin.

Treehouse
25 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by William Austin
A reclusive construction worker is stricken with grief after witnessing the sudden, tragic death of his brother. Tortured by guilt, he struggles to build a treehouse—the unfulfilled dream of their childhood.

Wake
11 Minutes | United States | 2021
Drama
Directed by Andrew Patrick Torrez
As Jackie mourns her husband's death at his own wake, her best friend Gwen is on hand to console her amidst an unforgiving family as Jackie discovers the truth behind his untimely death.

Your Silhouette
15 Minutes | China | 2021
Directed by Haoyue “Caroline” Wu
The boy runs for his dream; The girl runs for her own life
They tries to connect with each other that ignores the gap between them which is caused by their family background. They are the medicine for each other, but they still need to face the reality.

Short Documentaries: 

Adam Milner Takes Care of the Details 
9 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Lorena Alvarado
From flower petals to eyelashes, plastic gemstones, a friend’s hair or Babybel cheese wax casing, Brooklyn-based gay artist Adam Milner mixes and matches an unexpected range of objects into artworks that explore our often fraught relationships with the things that fill our lives.

Breaking Ground
6 Minutes | United States | 2022
Directed by  Phil Garrison
The story of Fred Moore, America's first black soldier to become a prestigious Tomb Guard in Arlington National Cemetery.

Chilly & Milly 
9 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by William David Caballero
Chilly and Milly is an animated documentary exploring a father’s chronic health problems as a diabetic with kidney failure, and his wife’s role as his eternal caretaker.

DOPO YUMEmories
14 Minutes | United States | 2022
Directed by Jordan Galland
The short documentary explores Dopo Yume, a NYC-based rock band that gained traction in the late 90s, early 00s, but never quite took flight. Told through home videos and present day narration from the band’s lead singer, we experience his memories of the highs and lows, the friendships and community that formed around the music and the role that fate and tragedy played.

From Darkness to Light: The Peter Krueger Clinic 
40 Minutes | United States  | 2021
Directed by Joe Fox
“From Darkness To Light” is a documentary film that tells the story of the Peter Krueger Clinic (PKC) – one of the first HIV/AIDS clinics in the United States, which was established at Beth Israel Hospital in 1989.

Just a Broadway Baby: Mary Ellen Ashley
24 Minutes |  United States | 2021
Directed by Patrick A Riviere
A short documentary film about the career and life of Mary Ellen Ashley who made her Broadway debut in 1943 in The Innocent Voyage (as Mary Ellen Glass) and went on to do the entire run of the original Broadway Production of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman. Her career has spanned 80 years and includes: opening for headliners in Vegas; performing on Broadway, and starring in regional theatre, radio, film and early Television.

Manji
39 Minutes | Japan | 2022
Directed by Yousuke Kiname
MANJI follows Reverend TK Nakagaki, a Japanese Buddhist priest living in America for the past thirty-five years, as he travels the globe on a mission: to reclaim the swastika as a symbol of peace.

Night at Downtown Beirut
10 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Mike Enright
A quasi-documentary short about the quasi-legendary East Village punk bar, Downtown Beirut, shot and assembled in 1990 and rebuilt in 2021.

Slow Burn & The Muse
15 Minutes | United States | 2021
Directed by Darah Golub
Two songs, many years and one fruitful night tell the story of a singer/songwriter's road to success.

The Savior of Coney Island 
10 Minutes | United States | 2022
Directed by Gary Beeber
Meet Dick Zigun, “Honorary Mayor of Coney Island” and learn about the beginnings of Coney Island USA.

The Brother Mike Tapes
12 Minutes |  United States |  2021
Directed by Rodd Perry
Michael Cohen secretly recorded his parents growing up, then animated their conversations decades later.

Unattached
3 Minutes | France | 2021
Directed by Fanny Texier
A young French woman on the precipice of youth and adulthood releases her long hair as a symbol of her femininity.

2022 Screenplay Competition:

Finalists:

Centurions — Written by Sally Stubbs 
Pick — Written by Bernhard Riedhammer
Sergeant Freeman — Written by Gloria J. Browne-Marshall
The Puppeteer — Written by Alexander Julian III

Semi-Finalists:

Lost Memories — Written by Bernhard Riedhammer
Prudence — Written by Sally Ann Hall
The Comeback — Written by Maurice Hicks
The Faerie Rings — Written by Zina Brown
The Heart Lies Slain — Written by Dario Marcucci and Luca Zamparini

Quarter Finalists:

American Street — Written by Eugene Martin
Amy & Angel — Written by Robert Craig
Arthur’s Yearbook — Written by Jim Norman 
At The Mercy of Faith — Written by Samuel Taylor 
Control — Written by Jacob Davis
Deep Hush — Written by Kristy Walsh
Fatal — Written by Gregory Cala
Namaste — Written by Lora Grillo
The Mojave Experiment — Written by Chinisha Scott
Wake Me Up — Written by Karen Wang

Honorable Mentions:

Avalon Farms Academy — Written by Sierra Blanco
Known Unknowns — Written by John McCloskey
Money Tree — Written by Isaac Ballesteros Barba

Become a volunteer at the 12th Annual AoBFF and help us celebrate all things indie film!

The 2022 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival (June 1-12) is very excited to be returning with a full slate of in-person screenings, parties, & events featuring the best emerging filmmakers from the Brooklyn NYC scene, across the country and around the world. And we need your help to make it great!

We're looking for motivated, reliable volunteers to help us with production tasks including:

• Set up and break down our ticketing and merch tables
• Set up and break down our pop-up banners, signage, and step-and-repeats
• Scan in ticket holders and usher guests

AoBFF is a big part of NYC's cultural calendar. Volunteering is a great opportunity for people starting their careers in the NYC film community. Every volunteer also gets a VIP Pass to attend every screening and event for free. We'll do an orientation meeting over Zoom to get you ready before the fest.

AoBFF is always a fun event that supports and celebrates diverse independent artists. Many past volunteers have gone on to work on film projects with collaborators they met at our festival. And much of our staff started out by volunteering with us!

We will schedule shifts based on your availability. Our weeknight blocks are 7PM to 9PM and 9PM to 11PM, and our weekend blocks start at 2PM and go every 2 hours until 11PM. We will have a schedule of screenings available soon showing every event and slot. Because we are a live event with a small dedicated staff, it's important that you only apply if you're confident you can attend the festival in person on the dates and times you commit to. 

Our 2022 venues include Cobble Hill Cinemas, Sunset Park High School and the Mary White Ovington School in Bay Ridge.
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(Please use our form below to apply)

ABOUT US:

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is a 501c3 nonprofit organization proudly supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, and the NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs. All donations are tax deductible. 

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is a unique event that brings Brooklyn’s celebrated film and media makers together with their peers across the country and around the world. The award-winning AoBFF is a filmmaker-focused event, platform and showcase for exciting emerging creators and established voices. We partner with film distributors and media organizations, host world-class talkbacks, create innovative programming for networking and skill building, and screen for enthusiastic audiences across Brooklyn.
 
Founded by working artists in 2011, AoBFF has had over a dozen festival premieres get theatrical distribution to date — and one became an HBO series. We've held events in nineteen different venues in nine neighborhoods across Brooklyn (so far,) often partnering with local businesses and organizations to reach the widest possible audience.

Award-winning filmmaker Brian Ratigan has been named Guest Festival Director for the 2022 season of the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival  is excited to announce that award-winning filmmaker Brian Ratigan has been selected as Guest Festival Director for its 12th season in 2022. Ratigan said, "AoBFF always provides so many opportunities for artists while cultivating a supportive community. I am honored to be chosen to work with Art of Brooklyn for 2022.”

Every season the Art of Brooklyn selects a different filmmaker from around the world to curate their festival. Executive Director Joseph Shahadi said, "This year's search brought us into conversation with fantastic candidates from all over, but Brian was the clear choice for next season and we couldn't be happier he agreed." 

The founder and principal at Non Films — a label for ephemeral animation and experimental cinema — Brian screens at festivals internationally. A significant voice in the Brooklyn indie film community, his fascinating work was curated at AoBFF twice, and he has attended the festival as a filmgoer in person and virtually. The Alabama-born filmmaker is also Director of Animation for Kumar Pictures where he designs animation and motion graphics, and co-manages Chaotic Cinema.

"Brian is the first experimental filmmaker to take the reins at the festival.” Shahadi said, a position previously held by award-wining filmmakers and programmers Christie Conochalla, Alan McClane Alejos, Sean Mannion, Victoria Negri, Dave Chan and Eric Trenkamp. “The past few years have required looking at everything in a new way and cinema reflects that. Brian is the perfect choice for this moment.”

In addition to being a successful filmmaker Brian is an experienced festival programmer and juror, having worked for Slamdance, Chicago Underground Film Festival, Animation Nights New York, the Film & Video Poetry Society, and the London Indie Festival, among others. Film programming has been central for Brian since the beginning of his career. He began exploring his love for the avant-garde and independent film in his hometown of Birmingham, AL, creating digital and 16 mm visual projections for ambient music artists and hip hop collective LOBOTOMIX while curating screenings at the Sidewalk Film Festival.

About The Art of Brooklyn
The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is an annual event designed to connect Brooklyn's diverse independent filmmakers with peers around the world. Founded by artists in 2011, AoBFF has been named Brooklyn Creative Group of the Year, One of the Top Seven American Film Festivals and One of the Five Notable Regional Festivals Worth Traveling For. Art of Brooklyn takes place in neighborhoods across the entire borough, including those underserved by art and culture dollars. AoBFF has produced film events in 20 ADA compliant venues, in 10 different neighborhoods, often partnering with area businesses and community organizations to boost economies and empower local audiences. Over a dozen AoBFF premieres have gotten distribution, and one became an HBO series.

Brain Ratigan said, “I look forward to collaborating with the incredible AoBFF team to make 2022 the best festival yet."