NCCC Film & Animation Festival

Keynote speaker for the festival was Debbie Rochon, legendary horror movie actor, writer, producer, and director, best known for her intense, off-kilter roles in Tromeo and Juliet, Hellblock 13, and American Nightmare. Rochon offered a free workshop at the festival entitled “Horror Acting 101—Don’t Be Scared!” Rochon had her directorial debut with the horror film Model Hunger, which was shot in Buffalo, NY.  She also wrote regular columns for the horror fan magazines Fangoria and Asylum and, recently,  gave critically acclaimed turns in works inspired by classical writers; Tales of Poe (Edgar Allan Poe), Mark of the Beast (Rudyard Kipling) and Colour from the Dark (H.P. Lovecraft).

Special guest at the 2022 festival was Lynn Lowry, veteran actress, and producer, best known for her film roles in George A. Romero’s The Crazies and David Cronenberg’s Shivers. Lowry presented screenings of her films Ready for My Close-Up, and Mindflip—The Prequel. Along with Debbie Rochon, Lynn was available for Q&A, pictures, and autographs.

Also appearing at the 2022 festival was Buffalo native Matt Fleckenstein, a multiple Emmy-nominated writer/producer with 16+ years of experience developing, writing and producing Kids’ and Family Television. In addition to creating the hit Nickelodeon show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Matt has written for and produced a string of hit live-action and animated series, including iCarly and Clifford The Big Red Dog.  Matt is currently prepping to break ground in Buffalo, NY for his brainchild project, Buffalo Studios, a state-of-the-art filming facility which will support all aspects of production, including animation, VFX and virtual production.

The 2022 NCCC Film & Animation Festival’s “WNY Filmmaker of the Year” award was presented this year to director, writer, producer, and actor Sam Qualiana of Lockport, NY. Sam is best known for his films Snow Shark, The Legend of Six Fingers, and Lake Effect. Most recently, Sam served as the unit production manager for the made-for-TV movie Romance on Ice, directed by Fred Olen Ray. Filming for the movie took place in Buffalo and East Aurora.