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SUNY Niagara Film & Animation Festival 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025 | 11:00AM – 5:00PM
The SUNY Niagara Film & Animation Festival is an annual event, held each spring on the college’s Sanborn campus. The festival brings together filmmakers and animation artists from all over Western New York and beyond. Topping the SUNY Niagara Film & Animation Festival is an international film competition, in which awards are given to filmmakers in a variety of categories. A $200 prize is awarded to the best films in the following categories: Drama, Comedy, Animation, Documentary, Music Video, Horror, and Experimental. Judges for the contest include filmmakers, animators, actors, musicians, and other professionals in the field. The event is sponsored by SUNY Niagara’s Digital Media Department, Animation Department, and the SUNY Niagara Digital Filmmakers Club, and the college’s Office of Student Life. Three additional $100 prizes are awarded to local filmmakers in the “Best of 716” category: Best High School Student Film, Best College Student Film, and Best of the Festival. And two $2,000 scholarships for best WNY High School Student Film & Animation.
Free Workshops to be announced on a later date!
2024 Film & Animation Festival Winners
First Prize – Animation
“The Monster”
Directed by Ruby Yang & Bomin Kim, Republic of Korea
First Prize – Comedy
“Home Policies”
Directed by Nick Smith, Fredonia, NY, USA
First Prize – Documentary
“Two Wars: The Road to Integration”
Directed by Steven Tedesco & Sean Donovan, Buffalo, NY, USA
“You’re NOT for ART!”
Directed by Lukia Costello, Buffalo, NY, USA
First Prize – Drama
“Memories Withered”
Directed by Rafael DeMoura, Marlton, NJ, USA
First Prize – Experimental
“Demi-Goddesses”
Directed by Martin Gerigk, Germany
First Prize – Horror
“Die Dame”
Directed by Taylor Martin, Tonawanda, NY, USA
First Prize – Music Video
“The Hamiltones – Entr’acte to The Hamiltones in Space”
Directed by John E. Toohill & Nicholas Reynolds, San Francisco, CA, USA
Best College Student Film
“He Has to Come Home”
Directed by Apollo Shepherd, Mobile, AL, USA
716 – People’s Choice Award
“Katie’s Ghost”
Directed by Richard Fysh, Niagara Falls, NY, USA
2024 WNY Filmmaker of the Year
Ken Cosentino Niagara Falls, NY, USA
2023 Film & Animation Festival Winners
First Prize – Animation
“The Lost Courier”
Directed by Ma Zidong, China
First Prize – Comedy
“A Vegan Love Story”
Directed by Daniela Di Salvo, Canada
First Prize – Documentary
“Jackass Love”
Directed by Michele DeLuca, USA
First Prize – Drama
“Simulacrum”
Directed by Taylor Martin, USA
First Prize – Experimental
“Harlem Nights”
Directed by Kaitlyn Lowe, USA
First Prize – Horror
“VRDLK: Family of Vurdulak”
Directed by Sam Chou, Canada
First Prize – Music Video
“Exotic Dimensions: A Maiden not Made of Clay”
Directed by Kohei Takeda, USA
716 – Best College Student Film
“I Had a Strange Dream Last Night”
Directed by Mira Haley Steuer, Clarence, NY
716 – Best High School Student Film
“Lost and Never Found”
Directed by Nicholas Joseph Buccarelli, Lockport, NY
716 – People’s Choice Award
“Lost and Never Found”
Directed by Nicholas Joseph Buccarelli, Lockport, NY
2023 WNY Filmmaker of the Year
Chris Cosgrave, Buffalo, NY
2022 Film & Animation Festival Winners
First Prize – Animation
“Red Fire,”
Directed by Mona A. Shahi
Tehran, Iran
First Prize – Comedy
“Hubbards,”
Directed by Kevin Ralston
Long Island City, NY
First Prize – Documentary
“Visiting Ben Shemen,”
Directed by Miriam Harris
Aukland, New Zealand
First Prize – Drama
“Mr. Sisyphus,”
Directed by Jedi Joongoo Kang
Buffalo, NY
First Prize – Experimental
“The Long Goodbye,”
Directed by Heidi Neff
Bel Air, MD
First Prize – Horror
“Halloween: A Short Dance Film,”
Directed by Malik Thompson
Burlington, NJ
First Prize – Music Video
“Oyasumi – Lullaby of Flames,”
Directed by Arisa Wakami
Tokyo, Japan
Best College Student Film
“Mr. Sisyphus,”
Directed by Jedi Joongoo Kang
Buffalo, NY
716 – People’s Choice Award
“Maya,”
Directed by Richard Fysh
Niagara Falls, NY
2022 WNY Filmmaker of the Year
Sam Qualiana
2021 Film & Animation Festival Winners
First Prize – Animation
“Hostess”
Directed by Alexander Bubnov
Ukraine
First Prize – Music Video
“Astronaut”
Directed by Pierre Ponchant
France
First Prize – Experimental
“Attentionspam”
Directed by Kilo Watts, The Drone
United States
First Prize – Comedy
“Tino’s Pizza – New Crap”
Directed by Benoit Créac’h & Julia Gaudard
Germany
First Prize – Drama
“Circle in the Woods”
Directed by Rebecca Snowden
United States
First Prize – Horror
“Script”
Directed by Piero Cannata
Italy
First Prize – Documentary
“Jayro”
Directed by Wojciech Lorenc
United States
716 Awards
Best Western New York High School Student Film
“Amica”
Directed by Mira Haley Steuer
Drama
Clarence, NY USA
Best Western New York College Student Film
“Capture Tomorrow”
Directed by Brayton Lydell
Drama
Buffalo, NY USA
716 People’s Choice Award
“The Banana Manifesto”
Directed by Azalia Muchransyah of Williamsville, NY
Past Film & Animation Festival Winners
2019 International Film Competition
Animation
PHIL GOMM, “Red & the Kingdom of Sound” (UK)
Comedy
PAOLA BERNARDINI, “Solitaire” (USA)
Documentary
ANIL TOKUR, “Rising Puppets of the Limitless Sky” (Turkey)
Drama
Vikkramm Chandirramani, “The Perfect Murder” (India)
Experimental
MIN DING, “Fox Spirit” (USA)
Horror
MICHAEL RICCI, “The Greeting” (USA)
BARBARA CREUTZ, “How Can I Tell You” (France)
2019 716 Awards
“Best of the Festival” Award
KALI CROISDALE, “Party Animal”
JACOB LITERRE, “The Beauts of Buffalo”
SERGEY JOSEPH, “Not 4 Nothing: But 4 Something”
2019 Western New York Filmmaker of the Year
Contact
SUNY Niagara Film & Animation Festival
Email: SUNY NiagaraFilmFestival@gmail.com
Facebook: SUNY NiagaraFilmFestival