CIELA wins the Grand Chameleon Award

Best Narrative Feature – COYOTE

Best Documentary Feature – SWEETHEART DEAL

Best Narrative Short – CIELA

26th Brooklyn Film Festival “Human Times”, which was staged both indoor at Windmill Studios, Wythe Hotel, The Center for Fiction and online, ended on Sunday, June 11th with an award ceremony during which all the winners were announced. Three groups picked the competition’s winners: 1) The external panels of judges, 2) The festival Board of Directors, and 3) the Audience. Through the resources of industry-related sponsors, the winning filmmakers have been awarded prizes in cash, products and services. To learn more about the BFF selection process and to check the full award breakdown: visit our Winners and Awards & Prizes pages on our website.

CIELA picked up the coveted Grand Chameleon and the Best Narrative Short awards. COYOTE took home the award for Best Narrative Feature. The award for Best Documentary Feature went to SWEETHEART DEAL.

“The 26th edition of BFF was a wonderful journey, with a diverse and eccentric film program by a group of programmers who made the 2023 fest, Human Times, a truly remarkable adventure. A quirky, but optimistic trajectory, in a world that struggles to find a balance,” said Marco Ursino, Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director. “Thanks to indie filmmakers for helping us re-imagine a brand-new world.”.

PRIZES WERE OFFERED BY: Brooklyn Film Society, Blue Table Post, Cinelease, Xeno Lights, AbelCine, Be Electric, MPE, Media Services, Lentini Communications, Papapietro Perry Wine, Wythe Hotel, Bar Blondeau, Noble Jewelry.

And the winners are:

Grand Chameleon Award
CIELA by MAURICIO SIERRA

Best Narrative Feature
COYOTE by KATHERINE JERKOVIC

Best Documentary
SWEETHEART DEAL by ELISA LEVINE and GABRIEL MILLER

Best Short Documentary
THE BLAKE by COURTNEY SPOSATO and MARK SPOSATO

Best Narrative Short
CIELA by MAURICIO SIERRA

Best Animation
TULPA by PARIS BAILLIE

Best Experimental
VISION OF PARADISE by LEONARDO PIRONDI

Best New Director
CHERUBS by ANNE-SOPHIE BINE

Best Brooklyn Project
A BODY APPEARED AT THE LAKE TODAY by BRIAN RATIGAN

Spirit Awards
Feature Narrative: PRATFALL by ALEX ANDRE
Feature Documentary: ISRAELISM by ERIC AXELMAN and SAM EILERTSEN
Short Documentary: NINA & IRENA by DANIEL LOMBROSO
Short Narrative: RABOBESTO – OR HOW I SAVED A MONSTER by MARI MANTELA
Experimental: ARCHIVIA by ROSS WILSON
Animation: ZEB’S SPIDER by ALICIA EISEN and SOPHIE JARVIS

Audience Awards
Feature Narrative: FORGIVE ME FATHER by JAMES BIBERI
Feature Documentary: COPYRIGHT INFRINGMENT by DAVID SABSHON
Short Documentary: HOPE YOU FAIL by ALISON GRASSO
Short Narrative: SERIOUS PLAY by KATE MASON and LINDSEY PHILLIPS
Experimental: THE ABSURDITY OF THE BLACK FEMALE EXPERIENCE by VANESSA MAGIC
Animation: BUON FERRAGOSTO by CLAUDIA MIATELLO
KidsFilmFest: SPACEPUP by ABBIE BACILLA

Certificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer: APOLLO BAKOPOULOS for ALIGNED
Screenplay: REEMA MAYA for NOCTURNAL BURGER
Cinematography: SHADY HANNA for JUNGLEFOWL
Editing: BRITTANY KAPLAN for SWEETHEART DEAL
Style: GERALD ALAN DECKER for CUL-DE-SAC
Original Score: KRISTOFFER LO for MOOSA LANE
Actor Female: BRENDA CULLERTON for ENDLESS SEA
Actor Male: JORGE MARTINEZ COLORADO for COYOTE

About Brooklyn Film Festival (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, 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 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

For more info about the festival and the 2023 winners please visit: https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/winners

BFF Social Media Links: https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/follow.