Welcome to NYLIFF.
2020 is almost over and we are hopeful this awful pandemic will be behind us soon. With that, and following the incredible success of our 2020 festival - yes you read that right - we wanted to share the following article from The Long Island Press and let you know we are moving forward with even bigger plans to present your films in 2021!
We DID IT! The second year two-day New York Long Island Film Festival which debuted Nov. 2019 at Seaford Cinemas returned on October 23 and 24 in 2020 at the Lindenhurst Moose Lodge in front of a live sold out crowd! Festival creator and Director Gerry Ferretti refused to follow suit as one by one film festivals went virtual, drive-in or shut down completely. Ferretti was committed to giving the filmmakers and their teams the opportunity to show their films, receive feedback and audience reaction and network with other creative minds and talents. Hearing a laugh in the right spot, hearing the audience reaction is pertinent to getting a film to be the best it can be just like a play on opening night. As a filmmaker and actor Ferretti and his team understand this. As Program Director, film judge and actress Katie Schrader stated, we felt the frustrations of the filmmaker and the performers in getting their work seen in 2020 and wanted to do something to safely change that”. Following all New York State social distancing guidelines and requiring face masks, the festival moved forward and became the first and only festival in New York to screen films in front of a live audience IN PERSON on a screen "just like movies are supposed to be seen" said Ferretti. With chairs spaced out 6 feet apart the audiences came and went for the various 3-6 film blocks throughout the days and nights. “This is a fantastic festival…so happy to be a part of it” said “Stray Dogs” actor Skyler Pinkerton who traveled from California to Lindenhurst for the festival. Patrick Devaney, director of “Identity Check” said “ our film has been accepted into 26 festivals in 2020, yet NYLIFF was the FIRST opportunity we had to show it in front of a live audience!” Committed to a diverse platform and billing itself as the “festival for everyone” NYLIFF continued to be open to all genres, budgets and subject matter. Returning filmmaker Phil Snyder may have said it best. “The folks at NYLIFF not only pulled this off under adversity… but the team proved for a second year in a row much they care about the filmmakers and their work.”
And Daryl Denner – Director of “Unspoken” said the folks at NYLIFF “made me feel like a part of a family and not just some stranger”
With even bigger plans for 2021 NYLIFF will be continuing at the Lindenhurst Moose Lodge as well as moving additional films into another nearby location. The festival will be held on October 21-24, 2020
The New York Long Island Film Festival. The festival that was created for EVERYONE! Our goal continues to be to give equal opportunity to ALL filmmakers, writers and artists who put their HEART and SOUL into their craft, especially those who may not have all the resources necessary to perfectly polish their work! Artists in the past were discovered for their unique talents and abilities even if all the technical aspects were not in place. Recognizing a great story, actor, script or any other artist while not yet perfected should be the job of those doing the evaluating. Whether you have a 10 million dollar indie or an ultra low-budget iphone short, we are interested in you. Think of us as the SUN Studios of Film Festivals! (Google it)
Now heading strongly into our third year, our growing team brings years of experience as writers, actors, musicians and of course filmmakers, dedicated to bringing the greatest talents to our big screens as well as discovering those hidden geniuses and gems out there. It is this standard of excellence and commitment we hope will establish us as the most innovative, all-inclusive festival in the New York area for years to come.
The festival will take place in Lindenhurst New York, on Long Island - less than an hour from Manhattan, with ease of travel by car or train.
We will be presenting Q & A with filmmakers, actors and business people and encourage networking, filmmakers young and old and brain-storming. We will be posting updates throughout the year on all the new developments we are preparing for 2021!
BRAND NEW FOR OUR THIRD YEAR: There will be PHYSICAL awards (Being designed now)for each category of films including actor/actress, director awards, best film, editing, cinematography and audience awards.
There will also be one of our favorite awards:
The Sun Studios Award - aka The Best with the Least Award - for the film that has "no right" to be as good as it is with the resources available to it.