Skip to main content

© 2019 Niagara County Community College | All rights reserved.

NCCC Film & Animation Festival

NCCC Film & Animation Festival 2023

Saturday, May 6, 2023 | 11:00AM – 5:00PM

The NCCC 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 NCCC 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 NCCC’s Digital Media Department, Animation Department, and the NCCC 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.

Film Fest 2023

Film submissions are due by April 1, 2023

Submit Film

The 2023 Festival

Keynote Speaker – Greg Lamberson

Director of nine feature films (including Slime City, Johnny Gruesome, and Killer Rack), author of 15 published books, and co-founder of the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival, Greg Lamberson recently completed his biggest film to date, “The Guns of Eden,” an indie action-thriller. He is renowned for his outspoken and passionate support of film production in Western New York.

Greg Lamberson

2023 WNY Filmmaker of the Year – Chris Cosgrave

Chris Cosgrave started out producing amateur comedy videos on VHS with his friends in the mid-1990s. His first foray into serious filmmaking was Hands Like Suitcases, a 20-minute action movie shot on video with funds provided by the Niagara Council of the Arts. Cosgrave directed, co-wrote, edited, acted, and coordinated stunts and special effects for the film, which won the award for best drama at the inaugural NCCC film festival in 1998, and first prize in the Videomaker Magazine/Panasonic filmmaking contest. Since then, he’s racked up credits for his visual effects work on such films as Gave Up the Ghost, Sepulcher, Dick Johnson and Tommygun vs. the Cannibal Cop, Killer Rack, The Mongolian Connection, and Widow’s Point. Most recently, he served as cinematographer and visual effects supervisor for the action film Guns of Eden.

Chris Cosgrave

Free Film & Animation Workshops

There will be free film & animation workshops available throughout the day. These workshops include:

  • Improvisation Techniques for Film Auditions & Scenes – Bob Bozek
  • Voice Over 101: The Basics of Professional Voices for Visual Media – David Autovino
  • Special Effects Makeup: “Dark Fantasy, Gore, & More” – Maria Friend
  • Making it in the Film Industry Jay Vinitsky
More Workshop Info

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” by Alexander Bubnov
Ukraine

First Prize – Music Video
“Astronaut” by Pierre Ponchant
France

First Prize – Experimental
“Attentionspam” by Kilo Watts, The Drone
United States

First Prize – Comedy
“Tino’s Pizza – New Crap” by Benoit Créac’h & Julia Gaudard
Germany

First Prize – Drama
“Circle in the Woods” by Rebecca Snowden
United States

First Prize – Horror
“Script” by Piero Cannata
Italy

First Prize – Documentary
“Jayro” by Wojciech Lorenc
United States

716 Awards

Best Western New York High School Student Film
“Amica” by Mira Haley Steuer
Drama
Clarence, NY USA

Best Western New York College Student Film
“Capture Tomorrow” by Brayton Lydell
Drama
Buffalo, NY USA

716 People’s Choice Award
“The Banana Manifesto” 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)

Music Video
BARBARA CREUTZ, “How Can I Tell You” (France)

2019 716 Awards

People’s Choice
“Best of the Festival” Award

KALI CROISDALE, “Party Animal”
Best College Student Film
JACOB LITERRE, “The Beauts of Buffalo”
Best High School Student Film
SERGEY JOSEPH, “Not 4 Nothing: But 4 Something”

2019 Western New York Filmmaker of the Year

HOPE MUEHLBAUER

Contact

NCCC Film & Animation Festival
Email: NCCCFilmFestival@gmail.com
Facebook: NCCCFilmFestival