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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.
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.

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.

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