GOTHAM SCREEN is an American cinematic event which became the newest addition to New York City's film festival scene.
After its debut in 2007 as a screenplay contest, Gotham Screen, or GSIFF International Film Festival, has been expanded to showcase shorts and feature films. 2012's festival took place in downtown Manhattan, at the Quad Cinema, from October 4–14.
This festival gives filmmakers the chance to have their work shown and critically judged in New York. Gotham Screen specializes in fresh voices and perspectives from local, national and international filmmakers. The mission of the festival is to create a positive industry and audience exposure for works that would otherwise not easily get seen. The concurrently held screenplay contest also holds regular readings throughout the year.
The festival's International Showcase will this year host a selection of European, Middle Eastern and Asian feature films, shorts and documentaries, while the New American Cinema section brings the latest in US shorts and independents.
About the festival The GOTHAM SCREEN film festival showcases new feature, documentary and short films from independent, first- or second-time directors as well as international releases making their East Coast or US debut. The festival focuses on new names and lesser known filmmaking regions. There is a $1,000 cash prize for Best Short Film.
The GOTHAM SCREEN Screenplay Contest is aimed at first and second time screenwriters and comes with a $2,500 cash prize for the winning screenplay. In addition, excerpts from selected contest entries will be performed live at a staged reading during the festival.
The 2012 Festival and Screenplay Contest was held in Manhattan from October 4–14, 2012, at the Quad Cinema, Tribeca Grand and other venues in downtown Manhattan.
2011 Festival Friday, October 14, 7:00 pm, Quad CinemaOpening Night Premiere: "Occupant (film)", US 2011, 86 min. WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Henry S. Miller, written by John Brett, with Van Hansis, Cody Horn, Thorsten Kaye, Steve Routman, Amy WilsonFriday, October 14, 1:00 pm, Quad CinemaFat Cows, Lean Cows, Documentary, Israel, 2011, 85 min. NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Meni EliasSaturday, October 15, 3:00 pm, Quad Cinema"The Cost of Creativity", US 2011, 55min. WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Jon BiddleSaturday, October 15, 7:00 pm, Quad Cinema"Sandcastle", US 2011, 96min. EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Boo Junfeng, with Joshua Tan, Elena ChiaSunday, October 16, 1:00 pm, Quad Cinema"L'Éspirit Du Vin", US 2011, 92 min. NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE Dir. Olympe MinvielleMonday, October 17, 7:15 pm, Quad Cinema"Jo For Jonathan", US 2011, 85 min. EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Maxime Giroux, with Raphaël Lacaille, Jean-Sébastien CourchesneMonday, October 17, 9:15 pm, Ten Days"Ten Days", US 2011, 76 min. WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Daniel Gonzales
2010 Festival The 2010 Festival and Screenplay Contest was held in Manhattan from October 7–17, 2010, at the Tribeca Cinemas, Tribeca Grand and other venues in downtown Manhattan.
2010 Awards Winners 2010 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Awards announced
The winning films and screenplays were announced at the industry brunch on the closing day of the 2010 Gotham Screen Film Festival, Sunday, Oct 17, 2010:
Best Feature Just Between UsRajko Grlić, directorBest PhotographyMeatViktor Nieuwenhuijs, Cinematographer/DPBest ActressMaxine Peake, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne ListerBest ActorMiki Manojlović, Just Between UsBest Short FilmTapewormMargaret Laney, directorSpecial Jury Mention - Acting in A Short FilmTapewormMadeleine Lodge, actressSpecial Jury Mention - Student FilmThe Birds UpstairsChristopher Jarvis, directorSpecial Jury Mention - Short Film ExperimentSomewhere Never TraveledBen Garchar, director
2010 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Screenwriting Awards
Best ScreenplayBlack Parables by Andrew Williams Flores - Winner of the $2,500 Circleframe Screenwriting Award, sponsored by Triboro Pictures.Best ThrillerFreedom at Midnightby Jeffrey RybackBest HorrorThe Life & Crimes of Dudley Segalby Barry KnellerBest Young Adult/FamilyStrikeby Lucinda ZiesingBest AdventureThe Revenge of the Black Clawby Dylan PaschkeBest DramaRelayby Louise BylickiBest ComedyThe Liquidatorby Ed Waugh & Trevor Wood
Festival lineup 2010 The 2010 festival lineup:
Thursday, October 7, 7:30 pm, Tribeca Cinemas Opening Night Premiere: Radio Free Albemuth, US 2010, 100 min. WORLD PREMIERE (of final film version)Dir. John Alan Simon, written by Philip K. Dick, with Jonathan Scarfe (Raising the Bar), Shea Whigham (Fast & Furious), Katheryn Winnick (Killers), Alanis Morissette, Hanna Hall (The Virgin Suicides), Ashley Greene (Twilight)Friday, October 8, 7:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasMeat, Netherlands, 2010, 85 min. US PREMIEREDir. Victor Nieuwenhuijs and Maartje Seygerth, with Nellie Benner, Hugo Metsers, Titus Muizelaar9:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasLelleBelle, Netherlands, 2010, 85 min. US PREMIEREDir.: Mischa Kamp, with Anna Raadsveld, Benja Bruijing, Charlie Dagelet, Tom Van LanduytSaturday, October 9, 7:00 pm, Tribeca CinemasShorts Selection I9:00 pm, Tribeca CinemasThe War is Over, Macedonia/Switzerland, 2009, 95 min. US PREMIEREDir. Mitko Panov, with Enver Petrovci, Blerta Syla, Ljupcho Todorovski, Armond Morina, Muzafer Etemi, Selman Lokaj, Dritero Ame, Sylejman Lokaj, Sheqerie BuqajSunday, October 10, 6:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasA Shine of Rainbows, Ireland/Canada, 2009, 101 min.Dir. Vic Sarin, with Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, Rushmore), Aidan Quinn (Reckless, Desperately Seeking Susan), John Bell8:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasThe Secret Diaries of Miss Ann Lister, UK, 2010, 90 min. US PREMIEREDir. James Kent, with Maxine Peake, Anna Madeley, Susan Lynch, Christine Bottomley, Gemma Jones, Dean Lennox Kelly, Tina O'BrienMonday, October 11, 6:30 pmStaged Screenplay Reading of a winning entry of the Gotham Screen Screenplay ContestTuesday, October 12, 7:30 pm, Macao Trading Co.Shorts Selection IIWednesday, October 13, 7:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasShe Wolf Rising, US, 2010, 89 min. WORLD PREMIEREDir. Marc Leland, with Tiffany Shepis (Dirty Little Trick), Debbie Rochon (Terror Talk, Psychosomatika), Timothy Mandala (As the World Turns, Guiding Light), Ruby Larocca (Contact, The Quiet Ones)Wednesday, October 13, 9:30 pm, Tribeca CinemasPaprika (2006 film) - A tribute to Satoshi Kon, Japan, 2006, 90 min.Dir. Satoshi Kon (Anime)Thursday, October 14, 8:30 pmFilm Socialisme, France/Switzerland, 2010, 101 min.Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, with Patti Smith, Élisabeth Vitali, Christian Sinniger, Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Alain Badiou, Lenny Kaye, Catherine TanvierFriday, October 15, 7:00 pmShorts Selection IIIFriday, October 15, 9:00 pmSouthern District (Zona Sur), Bolivia, 2009, 108 min. Dir. Juan Carlos Valdivia, with Ninón del Castillo, Pascual Loayza, Nicolás Fernández, Juan Pablo Koria, Mariana Vargas, Viviana CondoriSaturday, October 16, 8:30 pm Closing Night Premiere: Just Between Us, Croatia, 2010, 87 min. US PREMIEREDir. Rajko Grlić, with Miki Manojlović, Bojan, Ksenija Marinkovic, Daria Lorenci, Nataša Dorčić, Nina IvanisinSunday, October 17, 11:30 amAwards Brunch at The Loft
Festival lineup 2009
The 2009 Festival and Screenplay Contest was held in Manhattan from October 20–25, 2009.
The highlights of the 2008 lineup:
Opening Night Premiere: Loft (2008 film) Belgium 2008 - Thursday, October 21, 8:30pm A sexy Belgian thriller, starring Koen De Bouw, Filip Peeters, Matthias Schoenaerts, Veerle Baetens, Laura Verlinden and An Miller; Dir.: Erik Van Looy. U.S. Premiere.
Closing Night Premiere: The Understudy (2008 film) US 2008- Sunday, October 25, 7:30pm A cool New York comedy, starring Marin Ireland, Paul Sparks, Aasif Mandvi, Richard Kind, Tom Wopat, Gloria Reuben, Reiko Aylesworth; Dir: David Conolly & Hannah Davis. New York Premiere.
Special Screening: The Belgrade Phantom, Serbia 2008- Saturday, October 24, 9pm A “Fast and Furious’ for the Socialist era” at the end of the 70s, starring Milutin Milošević, Radoslav Milenković, Marko Živić, Nada Macankovic; Dir: Jovan Todorović. U.S. Premiere.
Live Staged Reading: Tuesday, October 20, 7:30pm A selection of excerpts from finalists for the Circleframe Award of the Gotham Screen screenplay contest are performed live on stage. Free Event.
2009 Awards Winners 2009 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Awards announced
The winning films and screenplays were announced on the closing day of the 2009 Gotham Screen Film Festival, Sunday, Oct 25, 2009:
Best Feature SalawatiMarc X Grigoroff, directorBest DocumentaryThe Belgrade PhantomJovan B. Todorovic, directorBest PhotographyLoft (2008 film)Danny Elsen, Cinematographer/DPBest ActressSalina Safuan, SalawatiBest ActorEduard Fernández, El Vestido (The Dress)Best Short FilmEl Encargado (The One In Charge)Sergio Barrejón, directorSpecial Jury MentionThe Moon Inside YouDiana Fabianova, director
2009 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Screenwriting Awards
Best ScreenplayCoal Hard Cash by Arthur Schurr - Winner of the $2,500 Circleframe Screenwriting Award, sponsored by Triboro Pictures.Best DramaThe Congo Redemptionby Ken Straw and Joey O'ConnorBest ComedySink or Swim: The Saga of Shore Break Rentalsby Keith StrausbaughBest Romantic ComedyFRENCHING aka OOH LA-LAby Marie RoseBest Family/Children'sChancesby Jeff Trently and Anthony StittBest Action/AdventureGrafby M. Roman Rosales & Peter LoffredoBest ThrillerCleo Parkerby Michel Palmer
Festival lineup 2008 Opening Night Premiere Left Bank Linkeroever Belgium 2008 - Thursday, October 30th, 7pm starring Eline Kuppens, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marilou Mermans; Dir: Pieter Van Hees
Closing Night Premiere Pretty Ugly People US 2008- Sunday, November 2nd, 7:30pm starring Missi Pyle, Melissa McCarthy, Josh Hopkins, Octavia Spencer, Dir: Tate Taylor
Special Screening How To Be UK 2008- Saturday, November 1st, 9pm starring Robert Pattinson, Rebecca Pidgeon, Jeremy Hardy; Dir: Oliver Irving
2008 Awards Winners 2008 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Awards announced
The winning films and screenplays were announced on the closing day of the 2008 Gotham Screen Film Festival, Sunday, Nov 2, 2008:
Audience AwardPretty Ugly PeopleTate Taylor, directorBest Feature The Other Half (L'Autre Moitié)Rolando Colla, directorBest DocumentaryFace AddictEdo Bertoglio, directorBest PhotographyLeft Bank LinkeroeverNicolas Karakatsanis, Cinematographer/DPBest ActressEline Kuppens, Left Bank LinkeroeverBest ActorRobert Pugh, Goodnight IreneBest Short FilmWord On The StreetNick Barbieri, director
2008 GOTHAM SCREEN Circleframe Screenwriting Awards
Best ScreenplayThe Virgin Of PoughkeepsieA romantic comedy, by Eva Konstatopoulos - Winner of the $2,500 Circleframe Screenwriting Award, sponsored by Triboro Pictures.Best ComedyThe Methodby Beth OvermyerBest DramaLone Scoutby Alan O'ConnorBest AdventureThe Legend of Jean Lafitteby C. Robert HollowayBest Children's/FamilyThe Magical Kingdom of Naga as Envisioned by the Princess Lenaby Tanya KleinBest HorrorBuzzby Mark CerulliBest ThrillerAmerican Gothicby Melissa Bruning
References
External links Gotham Screen Film Festival Moving Pictures Magazine Filmfestivalpost Filmfestivals.com Festival Guide