New York Indian Film Festival

The festival highlights films from all over the world based on cultural Indian themes. Directors hail from all over the world - New York, Vancouver, India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and more. Many films have been selections to other prominent film festivals such as SXSW and Montreal, as well as the Oscar Winning short documentary film Saving Face. Find a window into contemporary Indian culture as it is experienced and disseminated around the world.

When: May 23-27, 2012
Where: Paris Theatre: 4 West 58th St, NYC (between 5th & 6th Ave).
Tribeca Cinema Theatre: 54 Varick St, NYC (at Laight St, 1 block west of Canal).
Skirball Center: 566 La Guardia Place, NYC (corner of La Guardia Place & Washington Square South).
Michelson Theatre: NYU Tisch Department of Cinema Studies, 6th Floor, 71 Broadway, New York City.Website:  http://www.iaac.us/NYIFF2012/schedule.htm

2012 Tribeca Film Festival Tickets On Sale!

The 11th Annual Tribeca Film Festival ticket packages are on sale now. This is the best way to get tickets to the most anticipated films premiering at the festival. Or, be adventurous and choose the "Programmer's Picks" package: 2 tickets to 6 different films based on answers you give in a questionnaire.  A great choice if you don't have any one thing you want to see.

If you only want to see one film, you'll have to wait til Monday, April 16, when single film tickets go on sale. If you buy with an American Express card, you'll get a 6-day head start and can purchase on April 10.  The Tribeca Film Festival lineup looks great this year! FestivalBuzz WILL be there!

Information about free Tribeca events such as the Industry events and Tribeca Drive-in (free movies projected outdoors) can now be found on the website.

When: April 18-29, 2012
Where: Movie Theaters throughout Downtown Manhattan
Website: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org

Craicfest Irish Festival

The annual Irish festival of music & film returns to the Tribeca Film Center and Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. Kids Fleadh on March 10 with goodie bags, short films, step dancing and music.


When: March 8-10, 2012
Where: Tribeca Cinemas (Laight Street at Varick Street)
Website: http://thecraicfest.com/
http://www.tribecacinemas.com/craic2012.html

NYC Bulgarian Film Festival

Bulgaria is not a part of Europe we pay a lot of attention to (mercifully they are not directly in the crosshairs with the current European debt crisis), but many films have won good reviews at festivals around the world. The New York version of the Sofia Independent Film Festival (also called The Bulgarian Film Festival over here) showcases 10 of the best films to come out of this small country in the past 2 years - veterans of Toronto and Cannes as well as smaller festivals.

When: February 21-25, 2012
Where: Tribeca Cinemas (Varick and Laight Streets)
Website: http://soindependentfilmfest.com/ny-2012/index.php

BAM Kids Film Festival

6 charming feature films are showcased in the 14th annual BAM Kids Film Festival. For the more fidgety, 6 shorts programs are also available, based on whimsical themes such as Who Knew?  and Let's Play! to the self-explanatory Animation Nations.  Free kid-friendly musical performances at BAMCafe help kill the time between screenings. Take your little one to some quality cinema and get them started early. Some or all showings  may sell out before the showing dates, so buy sooner rather than later if this is how you're planning to amuse the family.

When: February 4-5, 2012
Where:  BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave in Brooklyn)
Website: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=3935

2012 Brooklyn Israel Film Festival

This year's Brooklyn Israel Film Festival - hosted by Kane Street Synagogue in Carroll Gardens - features 3 Israeli films.  The first is The Debt, which I saw a month ago. It was very good.  The other two - Restoration and Dolphin Boy - received high marks at the 2011 Jerusalem Film Festival.

Tribeca Film Festival has had some other Israeli films that were fantastic over the past few years. The one I think of first is A Matter of Size, a lovely story about some overweight guys who find their niche in Sumo.  Netflix it. It's adorable.

When: January 26-29, 2012
Where: Kane Street Synagogue 236 Kane Street Brooklyn, New York 11231
Website: www.kanestreet.org/IFF

Second Moroccan Film Festival

A two-day film festival dedicated to the Moroccan film industry.

When: November 18-19, 2011
Where: Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick at Laight Street)
Website: http://www.tribecacinemas.com/calendar/132317123.html

Big Apple Film Festival

Dedicated primarily to New York indie filmmakers, the Big Apple Film Festival kicks off November 1 at the extremely comfortable and clean Tribeca Cinemas on Varick and Laight. The sort of films playing here feature some great actors in the movies that make you say "huh?" when you see them listed on IMDB, and then have to add to your Netflix queue.  Go, see them in the theater! Often the actors themselves will come! It's a blast.


When: November 1-6, 2011
Where: Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street @ Laight Street
Website: http://www.bigapplefilmfestival.com/

Inaugural HELLS KITCHEN FILM FESTIVAL

The mission of the New York Hell's Kitchen Film Festival
is twofold: one is to revitalize and bring attention to New York's Hell's
Kitchen as a community of artists and film enthusiasts by way of a digital film
festival at the Producer's Club which is located at the heart of Hell's Kitchen;
and two, to provide a fresh and exciting New York festival audience and setting
for independent filmmakers in America and around the world whose voices may
still be new, undiscovered or unheralded, creating invaluable exposure for works
that may have fallen through the cracks, are waiting to break through, or demand
further attention.

When: September 1-11
Where: Producer's Club, 358 W.44th St, New York, NY
Website:  www.newyorkhellskitchenfilmfestival.com

Get Tickets September 1: 2011 Forum Film Festival

Heads-up!  This year the screenings at the Forum on Law, Ethics & Culture Film Festival are $12-$15 each, with an overall pass available for $200. Quite a long way we've come from last year's online reservation no-charge system.  The opening night, where Too Big To Fail will screen at the HBO Theater, will feature Andrew Ross Sorkin. But really, the festival gets us talking about the sort of things we need to talk about: law, ethics, culture, etc. Half the fun is sticking around for the panel discussions with the special guests.

Ticket sales start September 1. Mark your calendars.


When:   October 14-20, 2011
Where:  Fordham University Law School (Lincoln Center), Premiere to be held at Time Warner Center HBO Theater
Website:  http://www.forumonlawcultureandsociety.org/film-festival/2011

St. Francis "The Art of Brooklyn"

A film festival celebrating Brooklyn premieres tonight! The Art of Brooklyn festival takes place at Founders Hall at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights. Being all about the ART of Brooklyn, there are local exhibits and local food and drink from local merchants. Pre-show receptions and After-show parties also feature local musicians. A great way to find some new local talent, at a reasonable price of $12 (online) or $15 (at door).

When: August 20th-27th, 2011
Where: St. Francis College Theater (180 Remsen St, Brooklyn)
Website: http://www.theartofbrooklyn.com

River to River Spreads Through Downtown Manhattan Again

Kicking off Sunday is the 10th annual River to River. Stretching out over a month and hitting venues all over lower Manhattan, this year's festival is pared down from last year but features a maddening breadth of acts, with a little theater, dance, an open artists weekend, and more thrown in.

When: June 19-July 16, 2011
Where: All Over Downtown Manhattan
Website: http://www.rivertorivernyc.com

BAM CInemafest Starts This Weekend

BAM hosts its annual CinemaFest at its historic building near the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues in Brooklyn.  25 features curated by the incredibly smart people at BAM, which curate some awesome retrospectives year round.

When: June 16-26, 2011
Where: BAM Rose Cinemas on Fulton St off Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn
Website: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1193

CRAICFest: Irish Cinema and Music Festival

An Irish themed music and film festival, the CRAIC features the best coming out of Ireland, with their unique sounds and perspective on life.  Films screen at Tribeca Cinema (54 Varick Street) while musical acts (a steal at $15 per night) perform at Mercury Lounge. March 9th, the festival's musical opener  -  internationally acclaimed Julia Feeney - will perform at Joe's Pub.

Kids are not forgotten. The Kid's Fleadh (pronounced FLAH) will go off March 12 at Tribeca Cinemas. Featuring the best of Irish short films, this event is free.

When: March 10th-14th, 2011
Where: Tribeca Cinemas (Film) 54 Varick Street, Joe's Pub (Music) Lafayette Street at Astor Place, Mercury Lounge (Music) 217 E Houston Street
Website: http://www.thecraicfest.com

New York International Children's Film Festival

Dedicated to making good children's film accessible, the 2011 New York International Children's Film Festival has begun and extends to March 27. Featuring child-accessible cinema from around the world (both short and full length features), you will find an appropriate, entertaining and enriching experience for your child, from toddler to teenager.  Coupled with talks aimed at making the elements of filmmaking accessible (such as green screen technology), the 2011 NYICFF is a smart approach to introducing the younger set to quality cinema.

When: March 4-27, 2011
Where: Various Theaters around Manhattan
Website: http://www.gkids.com

African Diaspora Film Festival

Films celebrating the African Diaspora. Both narrative fiction and documentaries from around the US and other countries are presented. Topics addressed include all aspects of life for people living in different parts of the African Diaspora. Most, if not all, of the directors themselves are African American. A unique perspective and a celebrated collection of moving stories.

When: December 2-4, 2010
Where: The Riverside Theatre @ 91 Claremont Ave @ W 120th Street
Website: The Riverside Theatre

CMJ Music Marathon and Festival

While the general public experiences this festival as a massive smörgåsbord of emerging and established musical artists with a sprinkling of film thrown in, this festival is a comprehensive music industry get together. Geeky FestivalBuzz is most attracted to the panels which talk in detail about different aspects of the music industry, including new and emerging revenue structures. A full pass to all venues, panels and film showings costs $495, but you may be able to purchase tickets to individual shows at the venues. Just try to get there soon, because the most popular shows will sell out before the performance.

When: October 19-23
Where: various venues around NYC
Website: cmj2010.com

Get Free Tickets Now: Fordham Film Festival

Fordham Law School hosts this legal-themed week of films, including current and past narrative and documentary works. Each night a special guest (from Jack Kevorkian to Sonia Sotomayor) will appear to comment on the film.  The event does require tickets, most of which are already down to rush (but which you can still register for... after the rush gets a certain amount of reservations, a waitlist begins), but the documentary Worse Than War still has general admission seating available. Get tickets now!

When: October 15-21
Where: Fordham University Law School 

140 West 62nd Street

Website: fordhamfilmfestival.org

New York Film Festival

Hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, this uptown stalwart finishes out the second half of the year, complimenting the Tribeca Film Festival more market-minded fare. Look for famous European masters as well as some more mainstream fare making its debut here (THE SOCIAL NETWORK and HEREAFTER open and close the festival, respectively). Wish we had an all access pass. Go see something that WON'T likely be coming to a theater near you anytime soon.

When: Friday September 24- October 10, 2010
Where: Lincoln Center
Website: http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/2010/

Not Your Typical Dinner and a Movie

The NYC Food Film Festival tries to take the idea of food and movies to a higher level, and it's succeeding. The movies are all food-themed but manage to include both documentaries and narratives (and why not? FB thinks fondly of food movies like Chocolat, Eat Drink Man Woman, No Reservations and Loose Cannons). The two coolest-sounding evenings are already sold out but tickets are available for the Great NYC Shuck & Suck (yes, they mean oysters) as well as the Sunday "It's Grits" brunch selection, a bargain at $35 a head.

When: June 23-27
Where: Locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Website: http://www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com