2014 AoBFF Wrap-up and Winners

The AoBFF Trophy, designed and forged in Brooklyn by Forerunner Creations www.forerunnercreations.com

The 2014 AoBFF is a wrap, and it was very, very good.

We stretched ourselves to the limit this year, expanding across Kings County from Brooklyn Heights to Clinton Hill to Bay Ridge to make good on our continuing mission to be the only film festival for the entire Borough. Our tireless squad of staff and volunteers rose to the challenge to make every screening a great experience for our filmmakers and audiences.

This was a year of “firsts” for AoBFF. We ventured out of a traditional theater space to screen our “Film As Art” program of experimental shorts in Clinton Hill’s Corridor Gallery — to a standing-room only crowd. And we had our first-ever screenings in Bay Ridge in 2 venues: the Mary White Ovington school hosted 200 enthusiastic fans of our “Brooklyn Born & Raised” block, which celebrated home-grown talent. We also teamed up with our new friends at brooklynONE Productions for 2 screenings at the historic St. John’s, aka the “Church of the Generals.” 11209 welcomed us in a big way and proved yet again that EVERY Brooklyn neighborhood loves indie art. And of course, Brooklyn Heights continued to be our hub, with St. Francis College graciously hosting us since 2011 and getting a chance to screen at Brooklyn Heights Cinema in its original historic space.

From our packed opening night party to our exciting awards ceremony, our filmmakers overwhelmed us with their enthusiasm and kind words. We heard again and again that AoBFF is different than other festivals; that we seem more like a community and how they could tell we respect them and work hard to give them a great experience. That means a lot to us because while we don’t have big budgets, we DO have a dedicated team of working artists and volunteers who know how a festival should run, and make it happen. Every smiling filmmaker and fan is another reminder that we’re doing it right.

Congratulations to every film in this year’s festival. The level of Brooklyn-centric talent continues to amaze and inspire us… and proves again and again that the Brooklyn film scene needed its very own major film festival.

And now, presenting the winners of the 2014 AoBFF:

Best Super Short: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF TOMMY CHAOS AND STACY DANGER directed by Michael Lukk Litwak

Best Short: BODIES IN IRREVERSIBLE DETRIMENT directed by Ben Lazarus

Best Feature: FOUND IN TIME directed by Arthur Vincie

Best Short Documentary: HERD IN ICELAND Lindsay Blatt

Best Feature Documentary: LEMON directed by Laura Brownson & Beth Levison

Best Animation: HOW YOU DOIN' BOY? VOICEMAILS FROM GRAN'PA directed by William D. Caballero

Dark Side Award: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS directed by Nick Sicurella

Vanguard Award: ENSEMBLE directed by TOOWA II

Best Director: Kevin McMullin for FIRST PRIZE

Jury Prize: AN HONORABLE MAN directed by Harrison P. Crown and William G. Utley

Audience Choice Award: HOW GREAT IT WAS directed by Ilja Willems

Thank you to everyone who helped make our fourth annual festival a success. Go Brooklyn!