Celebrate Diversity in Film with New York City’s WINTER FILM AWARDS! The 11th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival runs February 16-25 2023, and includes 73 outstanding films in all genres, a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, feature narratives, horror films, music videos, narrative shorts and web series. These include 9 student films and 26 first-time filmmakers. Filmmakers come from 21 countries and 40% of our films were made in the New York City area. Winter Film Awards is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of voices in indie film and our 2023 lineup is half made by women and half by or about people of color.

We showcase creative fresh voices from emerging filmmakers worldwide in all genres and lengths – feature length and shorts, narrative fiction, documentary, animation, horror, web series and music videos. Our mission is to promote diversity, bridge the opportunity divide and provide a platform for under-represented artists and a variety of genres, viewpoints and approaches. We believe that only by seeing others’ stories can we understand each other and only via an open door can the underrepresented artist enter the room.

Schedule:

Thursday, February 16, 2023

7:00pm: WFA 2023 Opening Night Kick-Off Bash & Networking Party - DOM New York

Thursday night kicks off Winter Film Awards 11th annual International Film Festival. Filmmaker's Reception & Opening Night Party! Come meet our amazing filmmakers and sponsors, make some new friends & industry contacts and get a photo on the red carpet! Enjoy complimentary welcome cocktails 7-8PM ... Espresso Martini, Moscow Mule or Spicy Martini. This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

Friday, February 17, 2023

5:15pm - 7:15pm: Evening Feature Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 7:00PM
-The Sprayer (Animated by Farnoosh Abedi, Iran/United States, 9 mins)
-Abuela Dalí (Short by Vega Halen, Spain, 10 mins)
-Bronx Magic (Music Video by Marta Renzi, United States, 5 mins)
-The Sisters Karras (Feature by Micah Stathis, United States, 82 mins)

7:30pm - 8:45pm: Discussion: How to Make a Frugal Feature Film - Cinema Village

You are absolutely ready and determined to make a feature film, but you have no money. While it certainly is a challenge, there is no reason you cannot make your movie on a laughably tiny budget. Speakers Mars Roberge and Steven deCastro have been making movies for years and have tons of useful advice to help you get started!
Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

9:00pm - 11:40pm: Night Features Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 11:25PM
-Lost & Found (Animated by Vivian Papageorgiou, Greece, 9 mins)
-What’s the Mark? (Short by Stacey Larkins, United States/Puerto Rico, 14 mins)
-Wherever You Go (Web Series by Eevin Hartsough & Andrew Beguin, United States, 12 mins)
-Surprise (Animated by Silvester Zwaneveld, Netherlands, 4 mins)
-Stars (Feature by Mars Roberge, Canada/United States, 108 mins)

11:45pm: STARS World Premiere After-Party - Pangea

World Domination Pictures and Winter Film Awards International Film Festival present the official after-party for the World Premiere of "Stars". Featuring DJ Marcus Glitteris, Xris Smack, Die J! Mars, Freddy Bastone, Jack James Busa, Ian Fford, Jeffrey Wengrofsky and Lenny Dee.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

12:00pm - 2:00pm: Documentary Day – Early Afternoon - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 1:45PM
-Inside the Beauty Bubble (Documentary by Cheryl Bookout & Cheri Gaulke, United States, 31 mins)
-Emergence (Documentary by Malcolm Randles & Ant Hoard, Kenya/South Africa/United States, 12 mins)
-Finding Light (Documentary by Paul Michael Bloodgood, United States/Israel, 60 mins)

2:15pm - 4:10pm: Documentary Day – Afternoon - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 3:55PM
-Rocco Up (Documentary by John Madere, United States, 22 mins)
-Go Through the Dark (Documentary by Yunhong Pu, China/United States, 78 mins)

4:25pm - 6:30pm: Documentary Day – Mid Day - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:15PM
-Studio Ukraine (Documentary by Jack Wingate, Germany/United States, 11 mins)
-Neither Here / Nor There (Documentary by Ley Comas, United States/Dominican Republic/Costa Rica, 15 mins)
-Keeping Olivia (Documentary by Daphne Yeager Ostendorf, United States/Italy/Germany, 85 mins)

6:45pm - 8:45pm: Documentary Day – Evening - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 8:30PM
-Fé (Faith) (Music Video by Felipe Sassi, Brazil, 3 mins)
-Black Mothers Love & Resist (Documentary by Débora Souza Silva, United States, 101 mins)

9:00pm - 11:00pm: Documentary Day – Night - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:45PM
-Grandma Perm (Documentary by Changhee Chun, Korea/United States, 17 mins)
-in·spi·ra·tion (Documentary by Patrick Crellin & Bethany White, Isle of Man/United Kingdom, 15 mins)
-There Goes The Neighborhood (Documentary by Ian Phillips, United States, 74 mins)

Sunday, February 19, 2023

11:45am - 2:00pm: Afternoon Film Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 1:45PM
-Echoes (Animated by Ivan Ordas, Spain, 6 mins)
-Four Walls (Web Series by Kgosana Monchusi & Menzi Mzimela, South Africa, 6 mins)
-We Mightas Well be Dead (Feature by Natalia Sinelnikova, Germany, 93 mins)

2:15pm - 4:15pm: Mid Day Film Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 4PM.
-Synthetic Love (Short by Sarah Heitz De Chabaneix, France, 24 mins)
-The Seasons - Four Love Stories (Feature by Paul Schwartz, United States, 82 mins)

4:30pm - 6:30pm: Bloody Sunday Shorts - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:15PM
-The Call of Water (Horror by Kaya Tone, United States, 19 mins)
-Love You Forever (Horror by Sepand Mashiahof, United States/Mexico, 21 mins)
-My Left Arm (Horror by Melissa Vitello & Christopher Sheffield, United States, 16 mins)
-Meantime (Horror by Guillaume Scaillet, France, 13 mins)
-Instincts (Horror by Israa Al-Kamali, United States, 7 mins)
-The Pit and the Pendulum - a Musicabre (Horror by Danny Ashkenasi, United States, 30 mins)

6:45pm - 8:45pm: Bloody Sunday Evening - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 8:30PM
-?obyra (Horror by Natalie Plaskura, Germany, 5 mins)
-Petunia (Horror by Miriam Olken, United States, 6 mins)
-Spoonful of Sugar (Horror by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, United States, 95 mins)

9:00pm - 11:00pm: Bloody Sunday Night - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:45PM
-10:35 (Animated by Alan Sánchez, Mexico, 13 mins)
-Yes, Mother (Horror by Jennifer Enskat & Cynthia Gray, United States, 5 mins)
-Peacock (Horror by Jaco Minnaar, South Africa, 90 mins)

Monday, February 20, 2023

3:00pm - 4:45pm: Animation Shorts Matinee - Cinema Village

-10:35 (Animated by Alan Sánchez, Mexico, 13 mins)
-Depths of Night (Animated by Step C, Hong Kong, 13 mins)
-Echoes (Animated by Ivan Ordas, Spain, 6 mins)
-Little Hurts (Animated by Debra Solomon, United States, 10 mins)
-Lost & Found (Animated by Vivian Papageorgiou, Greece, 9 mins)
-Pukkulapottas and Hours in the Forest (Animated by Takeshi Yashiro, Japan, 16 mins)
-Step Into the River (Animated by Weijia Ma, China/France, 15 mins)
-Surprise (Animated by Silvester Zwaneveld, Netherlands, 4 mins)
-The Sprayer (Animated by Farnoosh Abedi, Iran/United States, 9 mins)
-To the Future, with Love (Animated by Shaleece Haas, United States, 7 mins)

5:00pm - 6:45pm: Evening Shorts Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:30PM
-Revelation Ground (Music Video by Antje Duvekot, United States, 4 mins)
-The Principal's Assembly (Short by Jordan Ancel, United States, 18 mins)
-Pops (Short by Lewis Rose, United Kingdom/Germany, 20 mins)
-Panah (Short by Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian & Sana Norouzbaki, Iran/United States, 15 mins)
-The Letter Room (Short by Elvira Lind, United States/Germany, 32 mins)

7:00pm - 8:15pm: Discussion: Legal Issues for Filmmakers with Maria C. Miles, Esq - Cinema Village

Laws related to copyright, employment, licensing and contracts are super-confusing, but as a filmmaker you absolutely must know how to protect your work. Join us for an active discussion about what you need to know about the law.

How do you find the legal information about standard documents all filmmakers need?
When can you rely on google vs when should you really should get an actual lawyer involved?
How can you avoid the most often experienced legal issues?
What is covered by copyright?
In which cases do you need a contract with locations, music and actors?
What do you do if you get sued?
What are the milestones in film production where legal issues must be considered?

Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

8:30pm - 10:45pm: Evening Feature Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:30PM
-To the Future, with Love (Animated by Shaleece Haas, United States, 7 mins)
-Track-Memoria (Short by Malcolm Judah, Canada, 13 mins)
-Miss Viborg (Feature by Marianne Blicher, Denmark, 99 mins)

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

2:30pm - 4:45pm: Made in NY Shorts Matinee - Cinema Village

-A Man of His Time (Short by Estelle Parsons, United States, 28 mins)
-Bronx Magic (Music Video by Marta Renzi, United States, 5 mins)
-Consider the Sparrow (Short by Eliza Foss, United States, 25 mins)
-Revelation Ground (Music Video by Antje Duvekot, United States, 4 mins)
-Same Old (Short by Lloyd Lee Choi, United States/Germany, 15 mins)
-What’s the Mark? (Short by Stacey Larkins, United States/Puerto Rico, 14 mins)
-Wherever You Go (Web Series by Eevin Hartsough & Andrew Beguin, United States, 12 mins)
-Yellow Lines (Web by Series Megan Magee, United States, 13 mins)

5:00pm - 6:45pm: Evening Shorts Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:30PM
-Keep/Delete (Short by Kryzz Gautier, United States, 19 mins)
-First Semester of Second Grade (Short by Chengqing Zhu, China/United Kingdom, 21 mins)
-Raw Materials (Short by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly, Jamaica/United States, 33 mins)
-Same Old (Short by Lloyd Lee Choi, United States/Germany, 15 mins)

7:00pm - 8:15pm: Discussion: Distribution Strategies For Independent Filmmakers - Cinema Village

40-year distribution veteran Dan Gurlitz, the founder of Soundview Media Partners, is a specialist in establishing and/expanding distribution for independent features and documentaries. He will be discussing distribution strategies for both physical and digital media exploitation including:

The Continued Viability of Physical Media (DVD/Bluray)
The VOD Vernacular and the OTT / VOD playing field from TVOD, SVOD, AVOD to FAST.
The Modulating Non-Theatrical PPR and DSL Arena.

Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

8:30pm - 10:45pm: Evening Feature Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:30PM
-Little Hurts (Animated by Debra Solomon, United States, 10 mins)
-Depths of Night (Animated by Step C, Hong Kong, 13 mins)
-The Fragile King (Feature by Tristan Holmes, South Africa, 98 mins)

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

2:45pm - 4:45pm: Documentary Shorts Matinee - Cinema Village

-Emergence (Documentary by Malcolm Randles & Ant Hoard, Kenya/South Africa/United States, 12 mins)
-Grandma Perm (Documentary by Changhee Chun, Korea/United States, 17 mins)
-in·spi·ra·tion (Documentary by Patrick Crellin & Bethany White, Isle of Man/United Kingdom, 15 mins)
-Inside the Beauty Bubble (Documentary by Cheryl Bookout & Cheri Gaulke, United States, 31 mins)
-Neither Here / Nor There (Documentary by Ley Comas, United States/Dominican Republic/Costa Rica, 15 mins)
-Rocco Up (Documentary by John Madere, United States, 22 mins)
-Studio Ukraine (Documentary by Jack Wingate, Germany/United States, 11 mins)

5:00pm - 6:45pm: Evening Shorts Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:30PM.
-Censor of Dreams (Short by Léo Berne & Raphaël Rodriguez, France/Germany, 18 mins)
-Desert Lights (Short by Katherina Harder, Chile, 19 mins)
-The Guest (Short by Vignesh 'Kaushik' Vaithyanathan, United States, 15 mins)
-Mine (Web by Luisa Dantas & Randall Dottin, United States, 14 mins)
-Consider the Sparrow (Short by Eliza Foss, United States, 25 mins)

7:00pm - 8:15pm: Discussion: Set Decoration + Props for Filmmakers - Cinema Village

Props and Set Decoration are critical for your indie film, but what do you really need to know to do this properly? And, how do you become a Set Decorator or Prop Master? Join us for a discussion with members of the "Only Murders in the Building" team to learn what you need to know!

What are the different roles the Prop Master and Set Decorator play in a production?
How do you become a Prop master/ Set Decorator, and how do you find one if you are filming?
Sourcing vs Fabricating
Locations vs Stage builds
Explosions and Special Effects
Product Placement, Art and Brand Name Clearances
What is IATSE and why and artist would want to consider joining a Union?
Handling the Unexpected and still having fun!

Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

8:30pm - 10:55pm: Evening Feature Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:40PM
-Step Into the River (Animated by Weijia Ma, China/France, 15 mins)
-White Eye (Short by Tomer Shushan, Israel/Brazil, 21 mins)
-Wild Cat (Music Video by Katherina Harder, Chile, 3 mins)
-Mother of Color (Feature by Dawn Jones Redstone, United States, 86 mins)

Thursday, February 23, 2023

2:45pm - 4:45pm: Horror Shorts Matinee - Cinema Village

-Instincts (Horror by Israa Al-Kamali, United States, 7 mins)
-?obyra (Horror by Natalie Plaskura, Germany, 5 mins)
-Love You Forever (Horror by Sepand Mashiahof, United States/Mexico, 21 mins)
-Meantime (Horror by Guillaume Scaillet, France, 13 mins)
-My Left Arm (Horror by Melissa Vitello & Christopher Sheffield, United States, 16 mins)
-Petunia (Horror by Miriam Olken, United States, 6 mins)
-The Call of Water (Horror by Kaya Tone, United States, 19 mins)
-The Pit and the Pendulum - a Musicabre (Horror by Danny Ashkenasi, United States, 30 mins)
-Yes, Mother (Horror by Jennifer Enskat & Cynthia Gray, United States, 5 mins)

5:00pm - 6:45pm: Evening Shorts Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 6:30PM
-Abandon (Music Video by Jeff Hilliard, United States, 7 mins)
-The Unwritten Rule (Short by Kaye Spann, United States, 20 mins)
-Essentially Amy (Short by Ari Groobman, United States, 15 mins)
-A Man of His Time (Short by Estelle Parsons, United States, 28 mins)
-Seahorse (Short by Natalie Bruijns, Netherlands, 21 mins)

7:00pm - 8:15pm: Discussion: TRANS-Forming the Film Industry - Cinema Village

Curated by Ley Comas and Ireashia M. Bennett, this panel discussion explores the issue of creating safety, care and accountability on film sets from filmmakers with oppressed and under-represented identities. What are the best practices of care we can implement to restructure the hierarchical approach in the film industry? How are we centering instead of tokenizing? What does it mean to be accountable in our inclusivity? Join us as we explore these questions and learn from the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ filmmakers in the industry.
Come join the discussion! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

8:30pm - 11:00pm: Evening Feature Block - Cinema Village

There will be a Q&A Session with the filmmakers at 10:45PM
-Pukkulapottas and Hours in the Forest (Animated by Takeshi Yashiro, Japan, 16 mins)
-Theo (Short by Eduardo Bunster & Belén Abarza, Chile/Spain, 18 mins)
-Yellow Lines (Web by Megan Magee, United States, 13 mins)
-Solaris (Music Video by Julie Joseph, Belgium, 4 mins)
-Lost Cos (Feature by Robin De Levita, United States, 88 mins)

Friday, February 24, 2023

12:30pm - 1:45pm: Workshop: The Film Festival Doctor’s Guide To Navigating The Festival Circuit - NY Film Academy

Join The Film Festival Doctor, Rebekah Louisa Smith, who will be guiding you through how to get meticulously organised so you can start submitting your film to festivals and create a targeted festival strategy. She also shares with you some essential tips with regards to how to adapt the right type of mindset as you enter the world of film festivals.
Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

2:00pm - 3:15pm: Workshop: Social Media For Creatives - NY Film Academy

In today’s digital universe, creatives are expected to use social media to both showcase their work and find - and capture the attention of – their audiences. Join New York Film Academy instructor Lauren Brickman and Film Festival Department Director Crickett Rumley for a conversation about tips, trends, and things to avoid in enhancing your social media presence, from selecting the platforms that work best for your goals, to creating social media assets and campaigns and interacting with the platforms of other creatives and organizations.
Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

3:30pm - 4:45pm: Workshop: How to Craft a Low Budget Screen Story - NY Film Academy

Independent filmmakers creating low-budget features often focus on the bottom line, looking for ways to cut corners in production and post-production as they bring their films to life. But how can the choice of story itself, and the methods used to tell it, keep the budget down, both for fiction and documentary films? New York Film Academy professors and alumni (several with films in this year’s Winter Film Awards) will discuss ways to simplify storytelling and share what has worked and not worked for them in the past. Moderated by Crickett Rumley, Senior Director, New York Film Academy Film Festival Department, and featuring panelists Randall Dottin, Samantha Soule, Micah Stathis, and Daphne Yeager Ostendorf.

Come get all of your questions answered! This event is FREE and open to the public but you must

7:00pm: WFA 2023 Awards Ceremony + Gala Red Carpet + After Party - Club 230FIFTH

Winter Film Awards comes to a glittering close on February 24! Dance the night away at the most beautiful club in NYC! Winter Film Awards invites you to join us for the closing event of our 11th Annual International Film Festival! We are giving out awards to our best and brightest filmmakers, many of whom are traveling from countries all over the world in order to join us. FREE before 10pm 21+ with ID. Please dress to the occasion- no athletic wear, hats, or sneakers.
-7:00pm-9:00pm: Red Carpet
-9:00pm-10:00pm: Awards Ceremony
-10:00pm-2:00am: After Party

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Filmmakers Brunch

Let's close out the Festival with a relaxing brunch to connect and take a breath! This event is open to WFA2023 "Filmmaker" Badge Holders only.

Date: Thursday, February 16, 2023 - Saturday, February 25, 2023

Locations:

DOM - 287 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010
Cinema Village - 22 East 12th Street, New York NY 10003
NY Film Academy - 17 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10004
Pangea - 178 Second Ave, New York, NY 10003

Tickets:

$12.50/In Advance
$16.50/Door
$5/Door with Student ID. Screening blocks run 1½-2½ hours with a mix of shorts and feature-length films plus a 15-minute Q&A Session with the filmmakers.
Discussion Panels are FREE and open to the public. Parties are FREE and open to the public (21+ with ID)

Click here For Tickets

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