A big thank- you!

Thank you for a most wonderful event! Marvo has been honored to be a part of your 8th Anniversary Beloit International Film Festival. The festival provided not only the opportunity to share our project with your audience, but also to meet some of the great people in your community. I enjoyed meeting David at the event last evening, along with a host of others affiliated with the festival.

With special regards,
Sam

Samuel Koltinsky
Executive Producer, America’s Darling: The Story of Jay N. ‘Ding” Darling
Marvo Entertainment Group LLC

Hi there!

We’ve been meaning to drop you a note to thank you for a great experience. We were honored to have “LoveTown” as part of the mix. Your Wisconsin film-going audiences were enthusiastic and appreciative, and we also truly enjoyed getting to know some of the other great filmmakers there that weekend.

Thanks again and best of luck to you and BIFF in the future!

Ann-Janette, Jay and the crew from “LoveTown”

Ann-Janette Webster
Pioneer Productions Inc

Thank You BIFF

I just wanted to express my gratitude for what was an amazing festival. Thank you so much for selecting On The Verge and promoting it the way you did. Comedy sometimes isn’t received so well in the festival circuit. I am impressed that as a team, you have confidence in your festival’s identity to be out front and put forth such a diverse and rich collection of stories. To have On The Verge be part of that makes it all the more special to me.

Thanks again for everything, it was a great festival run by great people! From the staff, to the venues, to the engaged community and audiences – Wisconsin truly has a gem in BIFF!

I’m a huge fan!!

Pete Balistrieri
Writer/Director/Producer
“On The Verge”

BIFFYs Awarded to Top Films

Human frailty, perseverance, fears and hope are all recognized in this year’s Beloit International Film Festival award winning films. The coveted 2013 BIFFYs were presented at the Launch Party initiating the eighth annual festival which will continue through Sunday in Beloit, Janesville and Rockford.

The award winners were chosen from among the 120 films in this year’s festival.  More than 400 films were submitted for consideration this year.

The 13 prizes recognize the films and the filmmakers, many of whom were on hand to receive their awards.  They range from awards for soundtrack and screenplay to the top films in each category of feature, documentary, short and animation.

Best Feature film:
The BIFFY went to Azooma, a South Korean film (subtitled). It is the story of a young mother who seeks revenge for the rape of her 10 year-old daughter. Disappointed by the indifference of the police, she decides to chase down the rapist herself. South Korean filmmaker Jiseung Lee was on hand to receive the award.

Best Documentary:
The honors went to Fambul Tok (Family Talk) which tells the story of healing in post-conflict Sierra Leone through intimate stories of perpetrators and victims in an unprecedented program of tradition-based truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies. The award went to U.S. filmmakers Sara and Rory Kennedy.

Best Short Film: (under 45 minutes)
This went to Treasure, a sweet coming-of-age Asian film starting with the universal question: What is time? The film explores the concept of time between two generations. The 11-minute film from Singapore (subtitled) is the work of Sun Jun Hui and is part of Short Slot 2 at BIFF.

Best Animation:
The BIFFY for animation went to Kirsten Lapore for her American-made film, Bottle. The six-minute film is animated on location at a beach, in snow and underwater.  This stop-motion short details a transoceanic conversation between two characters via objects in a bottle. It is part of Short Slot 1 at BIFF.

Best Student Film:
The award went to The Vampire Formerly Known as Dracula, a campy journey with Dracula as he attempts to assimilate into a modern society. Part of Short Slot 4, it was created by Nate Schardin, a Milwaukee Area Technical College student.

Best Wisconsin Film:
The award went to Little Red and Milwaukee filmmakers Tate Bunker and Miles O’Neil. This hauntingly beautiful adventure film is a contemporary retelling of the childhood Little Red Riding Hood tale as a wolfish stalker pursues preteen Milwaukeean ‘Red’ on her whimsical runaway to Florida. Happily ever after does not come easily or without a price.

Executive Directors Award – Best Actress, Hannah Obst:
Little Red turned out to be the only double award winner this year as the annual Executive Directors Award went to Hannah Obst for her portrayal of Red, the eleven-year-old girl from Milwaukee at the center of the film.

Best Screenplay:
This award went to QWERTY. The American made R-rated comedy is the creation of filmmakers Bill Sebastian and Jeremy Truelove and screenwriter Juliet McDaniel. In it, the socially outcast, but verbally gifted Zoe, when not eating, drinking and dreaming Scrabble, works a lonely job at the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles screening personalized license plates for hidden dirty words or messages. While shopping she meets Marty, a down-on-his-luck security guard in the midst of a career-changing public meltdown.

Best Soundtrack:
The honors went to Fuzz Track City and filmmaker Steve Hicks. This R-rated film is a rockin’ fast, fun mystery that’s full of surprises. A fresh neo-noir with a retro vibe of a classic 70′s detective flick, it is built around private dick, Murphy Dunn whose only comforts are a rundown car, clothes and a haircut he’s kept since high school.

Student Filmmaker Award:
Local students who participated in the BIFF 2013 Student Filmmaker Showcase Program were also recognized with the award for best film going to Josh Vincent, and Jacob Cullum., homeschooled students from Janesville for their film Prince Charming. A witty five-minute silent film that effectively uses 3-D animation and special effects, to tell of a prince who abducts a princess, suggesting that being whisked away by Prince Charming may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

 

Three special awards for film achievement.

The Josh Burton Award:
Recognizing the creative talents of the late local actor and director, went to Last Stop: Salvation, a Turkish film (subtitled) by Yusuf Pirhasan. The dark comedy tells the story of the inhabitants of Saadet Apartment who are about to get a lesson in grass roots revolution as they welcome a new tenant into the building who will change their lives forever.

The Ken Hendricks Award for Excellence:
Honoring the man who, with his wife Diane, inspired the Beloit International Film Festival, was awarded to Refuge: Stories of the Selfhelp Home, a documentary created by Ethan Bensinger and Beth Sternheimer.  The film reaches back more than 70 years to give a voice to the last generation of victims of Nazi persecution and tell the story of this singular community in Chicago that has provided a safe haven to more than 1,000 Central European Jewish refugees and survivors.

The BIFF Power of Film award:
This went to 50 Year Old Freshman, a documentary from Deborah J. McDonald about a 50 year old Masters Hall of Fame swimmer, recruited by perennial college swimming powerhouse, Diablo Valley College, to join their swim team. It explores the universal themes of hardwork and discipline and examines the attitude that remaining relevant and vibrant as one ages is a state of mind. It is part of Double Feature 6 at BIFF.

Film Screenings

All the winning films will have multiple screenings during BIFF and screenings will be added for sold-out films. Tickets are $8 plus fees and are now on sale online. Tickets are $9 including fees at the Box Office located at Visit Beloit, 500 Public Ave. and at the door.

The 2013 Beloit International Film Festival is sponsored by the Hendricks Group in association with Beloit College and with funding from Visit Beloit. It is supported and underwritten by many local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Let the fun begin!

It’s time to kick back and spend the next four days immersed in fantasy, critical issues, love stories and parties as the Beloit International Film Festival celebrates its eighth season.

Come and experience the glamour of the annual Blackhawk Bank Launch & Laurels party, Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Eclipse Center. Hundreds of guests will enjoy the hors d’oeuvres and a pay bar as they get to meet many of the 100 filmmakers and the musicians from the bands selected for the new BIFF Plus Music late night entertainment.

At 6:15 p.m. you will want to be there as the coveted BIFFYs are presented to the winning films and filmmakers. This year 13 awards will be presented.

And all Launch & Laurels guests are invited to stay after the event and awards ceremony for a complimentary screening of “Little Red,” a finalist film in this year’s festival. The filmmakers will be in attendance.

MORE INFO ON THIS EVENT

Tickets for Launch and Laurels are $10 and are available at the door.

In keeping with a philosophy of offering something for every taste, The Beloit International Film Festival has announced that it will launch a major new festival program this February: BIFF + MUSIC.

BIFF + MUSIC will offer audiences an opportunity to hear new bands and singer songwriters on three stages in downtown Beloit on Friday and Saturday nights, Feb. 15-16 starting at 10 p.m. The plan is to present 18 carefully selected groups, nine each evening. The groups will perform one-hour sets at Merrill and Houston’s Steak Joint in the Beloit Inn, and Suds O’Hannahans and the new Riley’s Sports Bar on Grand Ave.

There will be a $5 cover charge for each venue starting at 9:30 PM. Patrons will also have the opportunity to purchase a $10 wristband at each location that will provide admission to all the venues for the night.
“Since we announced our plans to add this element to BIFF this year, we have received 174 submissions for consideration from interested bands from as far away as the UK,”, “This will add to our offerings and appeal to those here to see films as well as to another demographic that is interested particularly in music. It will expand our offerings and extend our program until 2 a.m. “

The bands will range from singer-songwriter solo artists to rock, alternative and jazz groups. “There was no restriction placed on the kinds of music we would consider. We promised a great audience and state of the art sound systems,”.

“This is an experiment but one which has a precedent at many of the top festivals in the country that have combined music and film such as South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the Chicago Music and Film Festival” says BIFF President Ron Nief. “It will replace the BIFF After Dark parties that have been popular in recent years. Changes like this keep us fresh and help to attract new audiences.”

More Information…

 

Starting Next Week:

The Beloit International Film Festival officially starts next week with the much anticipated Sneak Peek programs in Beloit, Janesville, and Rockford, Jan. 29-31. By week’s end, the online box office will be open and receiving orders for tickets.

With more venues than ever before and the addition of BIFF Plus Music programs bringing exciting late night entertainment BIFF 2013 is expected to draw large audiences and many new participants when the four day Festival begins on Feb. 14.

Sneak Peek Parties:

Those attending the Sneak peak parties will get the first look at the complete list and description of the more than 120 films along with great refreshments provided by the hosts. Attendees will receive the first copies of the BIFF 2013 Guide which have details on everything from where the BIFF Plus Music bands will be on Friday and Saturday night to where the filmmakers will be to talk about their films.

Box Office Opening Soon:

“We want everybody to get a look at the film descriptions and we will talk about the process because people need to start planning,”. “By Friday, the online box office will start accepting orders so it will be important to understand how to order tickets…we expect more than average sold out screenings this year.

Dates | Times | Locations:

Sneak Peek parties start at 5 30 on Tuesday at the Beloit Inn, on Wednesday at Franchesco’s Ristorante in Rockford, and on Thursday at The Speakeasy in Janesville. The Beloit Inn event is part of the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours programs and there will be a charge of $5. Sneak Peeks in Rockford and Janesville are

The 2013 Beloit International Film Festival is sponsored by the Hendricks Group in association with Beloit College and with funding from Visit Beloit. It is supported and underwritten by many local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Well, first it’s headed to the Chicago Boat, Sports & RV Show.

Working in cooperation with Paddle and Trail, the largest adventure sports outlet in the region. BIFF will be joining “Paddlefest” at the Chicago Boat Show – the biggest boating event in the Midwest at McCormick Place Jan. 9 – 13th.

BIFF will be part of the Paddle and Trail exhibit area where they will create a special film viewing room and provide an opportunity to see some of the films coming up at BIFF 2013. There will also be special drawings for ticket giveaways and accommodations.

Beloit area hotels and restaurants are working with BIFF to create special offers to encourage visits to Beloit. Visit Beloit promotional materials will be available to visitors.

During the Chicago Boat Show, BIFF, now in its eighth year, will announce a new element of the 2014 film festival featuring action films created with the GoPro sports camera. The versatile sports camera is used by skiers, surfers, sky divers and canoeists and others to catch breathtaking views of their adventures from a very personal viewpoint.

“This is an astounding cooperative program and just the kind we love to develop with BIFF,”. “Walter Loos, owner of Paddle and Trail, and his colleague Therese Oldenburg presented the idea to us and we jumped on it.

“The boat show has an audience of about 30,000 people in the Chicagoland area who love to travel and are looking for adventure. They also escape in droves to the natural beauty of Wisconsin every weekend. They sound like the right people for BIFF…and when we presented the ideas to the hotel managers, they agreed.”

The booth and film promotion will be handled by BIFF interns, BIFF staff and volunteers.

For more information, please go to the new BIFF website at www.beloitfilmfest.org.

The 2013 Beloit International Film Festival, Feb. 14-17, is sponsored by the Hendricks Group in association with Beloit College and with funding from Visit Beloit. It is supported and underwritten by many local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Sneak Peek – Beloit WI, Rockford IL, Janesville WI

Hundreds of films have been submitted, reviewed and scheduled. Filmmakers from around the world are making travel plans to be in Beloit. Viewing venues are upgrading, and the dates are set for hundreds of volunteer Ambassadors to get their assignments.

BIFF Program Debut

And in just a few weeks, film fans throughout the region will have the chance to find out what’s showing at BIFF 2013.

Three “Sneak Peeks,” highlighted by the release of the complete printed program for the Feb. 14-17 BIFF, will take place this year in Beloit, Rockford and Janesville during the last week of January. These “Sneak Peek” parties will offer a chance to see the trailers for some of the top films in this year’s Festival and start to make film selections in anticipation of the opening of the BIFF Online Box Office on Jan. 31.

Schedule & Location:

• Tuesday, Jan. 29, Beloit — 5:30 p.m. at the Beloit Inn (presented in cooperation with the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce and Merrill and Houston’s Steak Joint.)

• Wednesday, Jan. 30, Rockford — 5:30 p.m. at Franchesco’s Ristorante in Rockford in the popular Frank Sinatra Room (presented in cooperation with Blackhawk Bank)

• Thursday, Jan. 31, Janesville — 5:30 p.m. at The Speakeasy Restaurant in Janesville.

Growing Reputation — Greater Access to Films

“This year, we will have more features than ever and several additional venues. We are offering our Sneak Peeks a week later than in past years and we think that should help to provide an accurate final list for BIFF patrons,”, executive director of BIFF. “Once again, our growing reputation and affiliation with a number of nationally recognized festivals, has given us access to features, documentaries and shorts that are generally seen only at the leading festivals in North America and provided us with great connections to leading filmmakers, a number of whom are planning to be here.”

Great Venues for Sneak Peeks

Tue. Jan 29th, 2013

The Sneak Peeks provide the flavor of what is to come, both in the films and in the fun. All three restaurant hosts will be putting out an impressive spread of hors d’oeuvres with a cash bar. The Beloit Inn will host the hospitality center for the visiting artists and sponsors during BIFF.

Rockford’s Franchesco’s – the first venue to sell out last year— will offer “Dinner and a Movie” specials on Friday and Saturday evenings of BIFF.

 

 

Thu Jan 31st, 2013

The Speakeasy on Rt. 51 in Janesville will offer films in two function rooms each night of BIFF while food and drink are available at the bar and in the dining room.

The 2012 Beloit International Film Festival is sponsored by the Hendricks Group in association with Beloit College and with funding from Visit Beloit. It is supported and underwritten by many local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Eighth season marks expansion

The Beloit International Film Festival will mark its eighth season Feb. 14-17, expanding this year to more than 15 venues in Beloit, Janesville and Rockford.

“The quality and the quantity of the films submitted this year has been outstanding,” according to the founding executive director of BIFF. “We have been more selective than ever before and the choice has been challenging. This year for instance we will have almost 30 feature films and an amazing selection of unique documentaries along with our shorts and animation films.”

Meet the filmmakers

More than 100 filmmakers are expected to be on hand as well as leaders in the film festival industry who will attend and do presentations for filmmakers and students.

Venues

There will be nine familiar Beloit settings for films, many with new and improved projection equipment. They include…

• Bushel and Peck’s Local Market,
• Bagels and More,
• Domenico’s,
• Nikki’s Café,
• La Casa Grande
• Rotary River Center
• Eclipse Center – Center Court
• Two Beloit College settings
  • Wilson Theatre
  • Hendricks Art Center 

The Beloit Inn will house the Filmmaker Hospitality Lounge and will host the opening Sneak Peek party on Jan. 29.

Rockford

Rockford’s Franchesco’s Ristorante will once again provide the setting for dinner and a movie Friday and Saturday nights and will host the Rockford Sneak Peek party on January 30. For the first time, Katie’s Cup coffee house in downtown Rockford will offer films throughout the weekend.

Janesville

In Janesville, The Speakeasy Restaurant will again offer two screening venues and will be the setting for the Janesville Sneak Peek party on Jan. 31. They will be joined by the Janesville sponsor and BIFF Year Round setting at the Rock County Historical Society which will offer films throughout the weekend.

An exciting addition this year will be The Janesville Armory where film fans will be able to enjoy dinner and a movie on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as a special Sunday afternoon show.

Sneak Peek

The community will get the first look at the films and schedule at the Sneak Peek parties at the end of January. The program will be distributed at that time and the online box office will open for ticket sales

Opening Night

Launch & Laurels Sponsor

BIFF will celebrate opening night on Valentine’s Day with the Blackhawk Bank Launch and Laurels party at the Eclipse Center. This will be a chance to meet many of the filmmakers and catch the buzz about the “Biffy” award winning films. Awards to the filmmakers will be presented that evening.

Festival Events

Films will start Thursday evening, Feb. 14 and continue through Sunday, starting each day at noon. Friday evening will be highlighted by a special film presented in cooperation with the Beloit Regional Hospice.

Silent Film Showcase Sponsor

Saturday night will once again celebrate the purest form of film when the BMO-Harris Silent Film Showcase brings together the forces of BIFF and the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra for a showing of one of the silent classics of comic genius Harold Lloyd.

Classic Film Sponsor

Sunday afternoon will see a popular classic film at the First National Bank/Charter Communications Closing Party, introduced by BIFF Honorary Chair David Zucker.

BIFF Latino & ASL films Sponsor

The balance of BIFF will be filled with truly memorable films and such diverse programs as the “BIFF Latino” films and several American sign Language films in the BIFF for the Deaf program.

Kids @ BIFF Sponsor

The award-winning Kids@BIFF program will include presentations for thousands of school children of all ages.

More To Come

There are many more exciting, special elements of BIFF 2013 that will be announced in the coming weeks. There will be new elements added almost daily here on the BIFF website.

Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook so you’re in the loop on updates as they happen.

The Beloit International Film Festival is made possible by The Hendricks Group and presented in association with Beloit College with a generous grant from Visit Beloit.

We’re talking with Sammy Kriegstein, Founder and Artistic Director for the LA Music Video Festival. We’re looking forward to LAMFS’s participation in this seasons’ BIFF.

In the weeks ahead we’ll wrap up the festival schedule so you can see where-n-when LAMFS programming will be presented. Stay tuned.

The LA Music Video Festival

Sorry Darlin’. Hate to break it to you like this. Yes, there’s another BIFF… in Boulder CO. (in fact there are still others) Be that as it may, a reminder about Snowmen, the movie this weekend at the Lincoln Tallman house in Janesville and early discussions about collaborating with the BIFF in Boulder CO. Nifty eh? Stay tuned.