Press releases

Best of Fest @ Brooklyn Museum's 1st Saturday

March 6 program includes: "The Virgin Diaries", a 57 min. documentary by American Director Jessica Woodworth. "It all begins with a controversial kiss of the hand. Fatiha is on the verge of marrying the man her grandfather chose for her long ago. But in the eyes of Islam, even a kiss of the hand is forbidden before marriage.

"BMA's 'First Saturdays' is an event that has been hugely successful in bringing people of diverse ethnic and social background together and it's a great opportunity for BIFF to develop new Brooklyn audiences" said BIFF founder and director Marco Ursino. First Saturdays draws an average of 7,000 attendees per event.

"As a collaboration, this is a match made in heaven. BIFF discovers fascinating and beautiful films, while the Museum provides a comfortable, easy-to-reach venue," said Mona Smith, Adult Programs Manager at the BMA

2004 Pre-Festival showcases at BMA include:
Saturday March 6: BIFF at 1st Saturday: "The Virgin Diaries"
Saturday April 17: BIFF at 1st Saturday: 2003 collection of shorts (program TBA)
Saturday May 1: BIFF at 1st Saturday: "Brooklyn Mermaids" and "Brooklyn Stories"
Saturday May 15: BIFF and BMA present a collection of films by Brooklyn Artists (program TBA)

Through tremendous community support, long-term corporate sponsorship, flawless productions, and impressive programming, BIFF has built upon each year's successes. BIFF exposes and promotes local and international filmmakers while feeding its audiences with the best independent films the world has to offer. "We are a truly independent film festival and it shows both in the programming and all our operations," says Ursino.

For the 2004 edition, BIFF has already received 1,000+ films from more than 60 countries. The festival estimates to exceed last year's number of submissions and gladly announces an increase in the number of films to be shown in competition.

BIFF is a festival for and by independent filmmakers. BIFF's mission is to discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for the arts. BIFF is a non-profit organization.