Buffalo Niagara Film Festival

» Bill Cowell, Founder of The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival is proud to announce a victorious return for #2.

Bill pledges that this will be a spectacular 2nd year with large events and big surprises to be talked about for years to come. Enjoyment to all, and to all an enjoyable plight. See you soon.

For Info on our Board of Directors
please click here

Community Block - BUY TICKETS

"Channels - Stories from the Niagara Frontier" is Squeaky Wheel's (Buffalo's media arts center) newest production program which matches documentary filmmakers with grass roots initiatives and groups to document cultural and social movements that significantly impact the Buffalo region, but are underreported by mainstream media. The documentaries produced by Channels give community groups a tool to succinctly and effectively address problems and issues through the powerful medium of documentary film.

"Prisoners are People, Too," "A Deck of Cards," and "Growing Green in Buffalo, NY" are made by established local film-makers in our community during our Channels- Stories from the Niagara Frontier 2007 program while the other six films are Buffalo Youth Media Student Films, made by High School students as part of Squeaky Wheel's Buffalo Youth Media Institute in 2007. These films are valuable, because not only are these students learning how to make documentary film for the first time, they learning about the history of Buffalo and tackling current issues that remain in our community -- for instance, this 2007 group focused on Buffalo's Waterfront.

---

Prisoners Are People Too! (TRT: 12 mins. 5 sec.) (2007)
Directed by: Doug Ruffin
Produced by: Karima Amin and Squeaky Wheel
(TRT: 12 mins. 5 sec.)
(2007)

Prisoners Are People Too! features interviews with reformed offenders and prison justice workers, including Karima Amin, founder of Prisoners Are People Too!. Prisoners Are People Too! is an organization that works to enhance the community’s awareness of prison and criminal justice issues. The challenges of reentry have been a high priority. These challenges include substance abuse, housing, social skills, family relationships, mental health, education, independent living skills, voting, and employment. Filmmaker Doug Ruffin is a documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on the history and culture of the East Side in Buffalo.

This film was funded in 2007 by Squeaky Wheel’s documentary initiative program “CHANNELS: Stories of the Niagara Frontier”.

A Deck of Cards
Directed by E.S Wochensky
Produced by Ana Klapakis and Squeaky Wheel
TRT: 14 mins.
(2007)

A Deck of Cards focuses on the students who are part of Circle of Friends a program whose mission is to naturally facilitate interaction between high school peer groups of students with and without disabilities to assist in bridging the gap of isolation. It is substantiated in research that lack of social skills is the number one reason students with disabilities are not able to maintain employment. Hence, in addition to traditional curriculum, social skills are equally as important in the adult lives of all students. Subsequently, a local chapter of Circle Of Friends was established at Bennett High School as an inclusion initiative. The Bennett High School chapter of Circle of Friends was implemented by special education teacher and student advocate, Anna Klapakis. This short documentary captures the students as they interact, play games, and talk about their experience and changing attitudes about (dis)abilities and life in general. Filmmaker Seth Wochensky has been described by Ozarks Regional Magazine as “one of America’s most talented and perceptive rural filmmakers.”

This film was funded in 2007 by Squeaky Wheel’s documentary initiative program “CHANNELS: Stories of the Niagara Frontier”.

Growing Green in Buffalo, NY
Directed by Meg Knowles
Produced by Massachussettes Avenue Project/Growing Green and Squeaky Wheel
TRT: 18 mins.
(2007)

Growing Green in Buffalo, NY follows Growing Green youth participants throughout the year as they plant tomatoes, build a straw-bale green house, and educate themselves and others about growing and eating healthy foods in their community. Experimental and documentary filmmaker Meg Knowles most recently won the Best Experimental Film Award with her film Walk at the 34th Athens International Film & Video Festival.

The Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) nurtures the growth of a diverse and equitable community food system to promote local economic opportunities, access to affordable, nutritious food, and social change education. Growing Green is a core program of MAP. Started in 2003, Growing Green provides young people with opportunities to change their lives and their community. Learning from each other, Growing Green challenges youth to recognize their role in community and to use their talents to positively impact their community.

This film was funded in 2007 by Squeaky Wheel’s documentary initiative program “CHANNELS: Stories of the Niagara Frontier”.

The Infected District (08:12)
Directed and produced by: Joe Felong
When a detective finds the old case files for Buffalo’s Canal Street District, better known as the “The Infected District”, he explores the city’s dark past, discovering crimes that occurred during this historically notorious area along Buffalo’s waterfront in the late 19th century. Among the brawls, drugs, liquor, prostitution and gambling that occurred in the area, the most brutal, bloody, and sensational crimes were the Gaffney shooting, the Morrisey stabbing and the murder of John Ott, which come alive in this historical noir short.