RECAP: The 27th Anniversary Edition of The Long Island International Film Expo

LongIsland.com

Attendees Experienced Local and Foreign Film Screenings, Celebrity Appearances, Informative Panels, A Star-Studded Awards Ceremony and Q & A’s with Top Filmmakers From Around The World.

Print Email

The Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) has concluded the 27th Anniversary presentation of the festival, which happened from July 9th - July 14th at the historic Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave in Bellmore.

Nominees and Winners

(Winners have an *)

Alan Fortunoff Humanitarian Film Award

*Harvey: Voice for the Voiceless

Best Cinematography

21 st Century Courtship

I Don’t Bite

Leverage

South Shore

*The Strangers Case

Best Editing

Daysleeper

Ivania

*Pre-Existing Freedom

The Strangers Case

Swiped (dir.Billy Kay)

Best Art Direction

21 st Century Courtship

Child Machine

*Dummy

Return Of The Näcken

The Strangers Case

Best Music Video

*Diabolus In Musica

In Your Head

Limbo

Tim Ruffo: Showdown

Best Long Island Film

Harvey: Voice For The Voiceless

Isotopia

So Shoot Me

*South Shore

You Left Me Alone

Best International Short

(non US-produced)

Bangs

Everything Is Fine

Gift

Ivania

*Seven Days And A Coke

Best International Feature

(non US-produced)

Books & Drinks

Child Machine

*Colibri

Look At Me

The Strangers Case

Best Horror

3 Easy Steps

The Consumer

Dummy

Moonlight Sonata With Scissors

*No Slasher Here

Best Actor

Don’t Pick Up (Keith David)

Hidden Flora (Luca Silver)

Ivy’s Dream (Anthony Robert Grasso)

*Not The Same Clarence (James Naughton)

Sugar (Rain Diaz)

Best Actress

Ivy’s Dream (Maggie Alexander)

I Was Gone For A While (Ana Coussirat)

*Scrap (Vivian Kerr)

Seven Days And A Coke (Rina Gri)

Best Director

*Don’t Pick Up (Jeremiah Kipp)

Hidden Flora (Ryan Rox)

Ivy’s Dream (Louis Leuci)

Scrap (Vivian Kerr)

The Strangers Case (Brandt Andersen)

Best Story

Conversion Of The Atheist

Grand Romantic Gestures

I Was Gone For A While

*S.P.I.C

Sugar

Best Short

Anomaly

Bangs

I Was Gone For A While

*Ivy’s Dream

South Shore

Best Documentary

Across America

*Forgotten Artisans of New York

Harvey: Voice For The Voiceless

Pre-Existing Freedom

So Shoot Me

Best Feature

Child Machine

Colibri

Hidden Flora

Look At Me

*Scrap

Midnight Madness Winner

*Dedly Wagons

Audience Award for Best Student Film

*The Dinner

Audience Award for Best Short Film

*The Self-Described Narrative of the Marvelous Travels and Campaigns of Great, Great, Great Uncle Lt. Col. Barry V. Manchester

Audience Award for Feature Film

*Screamwalkers

Jury Prize for Social Awareness Film

*Losing Lalo

Jury Prize for Best Animation

*Isotopia

Jury Prize for Best Choreography

*Leverage

Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Short Film

*Line of Fire

Best Screenplay

Winner:

*Code Demon – Mikel J Wisler

Runners Up:

*The Vintage – Scott W Perry

*DOT – Scott W Perry

Student Awards

*Best Student Film – You Look So Pretty and Vida (tie)

*Best Director – Vida (Maria Valdez)

*Best Editing – Dregs

*Best Story – Faccia Brutta

*Best Animation – Vainglorious

*Best Cinematography - Dregs

*Best Actor – Legacy Of Love (Rosario Amico)

*Best Actress – A Texas Mermaid Movie (Cassidy Butler)

LIIFE was proud to feature over 120 films this year, including 19 World Premieres, US Premieres, 28 New York Premieres and 50 Long Island Premieres! Plus, there were also 32 Female Directors. 

The Pre-Fest feature on Tuesday night at 7pm was the NY Premiere of “The Strangers Case”, a film currently creating international conversation, where tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries. 

There was a press conference on Wed. July 10th at 3pm at the Bellmore Movies with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Actor Lukas Hassel (The Blacklist), Academy award nominee Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull, Neighbors etc), and Emmy award winning actress, Jennifer Jiles, with others in attendance.

Then, the Wednesday Opening night film was the Long Island Premiere of “Colibri”, by Juanpedro David Salazar and Francisco Salazar originally from East Meadow, which tells the story of a young Colombian couple who are faced with a major change in their lives, where each one will go on a personal journey to right the wrongs of the past in order to build a stronger future.

Special screenings of note throughout the week included: the NY Premiere of “Child Machine” a fun Sci Fi/Comedy feature, the “Scared For Your LIIFE block that included “Screamwalkers”, alumni Sean Quincy King's unique shot-on-video 90s-styled horror feature, the NY Premiere of “Hidden Flora”, a coming of age queer trans-produced romantic dramedy from Writer/Director Ryan Rox, and a short doc on Long Island based NYS Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg entitled “Harvey: The Voice for The Voiceless”. 

The Closing day feature was the Long Island Premiere of “Scrap” starring Anthony Rapp and Vivian Kerr. Then, everything culminated at LIIFE Closing Awards Ceremony hosted by Kevin Brown (dotcom from NBC’s 30 Rock) with Lukas HasselJennifer Jiles and Sal Rendino (Billions) as presenters.

Panels included: Directors Audition panel, a Filmmakers Breakfast panel, the DP Expo (an open-room networking event where local cinematographers bring some of their camera equipment to display and discuss their methods and techniques, answer any technical questions, discuss their rates, and expand each other's network) and many more!

Festivals of the past have included such luminaries as the late Danny Aiello and Ed Asner, Blue Bloods’ Robert Clohessy and Abigail Hawk, Ralph Macchio, John Amos, Daniel Baldwin, Ally Sheedy, Catherine Curtin, Chad Coleman, Steve Buscemi, Ed Burns, Ilene Kristen, and so many more.

LIIFE has become a summer playground for filmmakers; with local and international film screenings, celebrity appearances, entertaining and informative panels, a star-studded awards ceremony, and networking galore. LIIFE is presented by the Long Island Film/TV Foundation (LIFTF) and sponsored by the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, Gold Coast Studios, and the County of Nassau. 

For more information on LIIFE please visit: www.LongIslandFilm.com.

Submissions for Scared for Your LIIFE, LIIFE's sister horror film festival are open at https://filmfreeway.com/ScaredforyourLiife.

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

YOUTUBE

INSTAGRAM