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NFFTY (pronounced “nifty”), The National Film Festival for Talented Youth, is proud to announce the complete lineup for their 10th anniversary festival, taking place April 28 - May 1, 2016 in Seattle. In addition to a stellar lineup, NFFTY continues a commitment to supporting emerging female directors, with 40% of titles directed by women, a major accomplishment compared to Hollywood where women direct less than 9% of films. The 2016 selection includes 227 movies from 24 countries and 33 states, from filmmakers ranging from age 5 to 24.
NFFTY’s programming reflects the interests and concerns of the next generation, with films covering all topics and genres, from compelling and provocative, to hilarious and uplifting.
Highlights include:
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Opening Night Gala: presented by Volvo Car USA
The Opening Night kickoff lineup includes a stunning selection of short films, ranging from music video to animation. Program available to preview.
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Femme Friday: A collection of some of the strongest films from NFFTY female filmmakers around the world.
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The Human Race: Powerful documentaries that explore race and culture, including “There Will Be Boats,” a Norwegian film about volunteers who travel to Greece to assist with the refugee crisis; and “Hands Up,” a documentary that captures the spirit of the #BlackLivesMatter movement as it transcends state boundaries and into the hearts of millions of Americans.
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Closing Night’s Around the World in 10 Films: A global tour that includes titles from Romania, the United Kingdom, and the indigenous communities of the US.
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Masterclass by Oscar-Nominated Danish filmmaker Christian E. Christiansen: Christiansen is producer and director whose short film “At Night” was nominated for an Academy Award. He developed the short into the 2008 feature, “Crying For Love.” His 2001 film, “The Roommate,” was the first ever film directed by a Dane to go straight to number one at the American box office.
Although NFFTY searches the globe for the best new directors, there are some incredible gems from the Northwest featured in NFFTY 2016.
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“The Fawn Response” (Screening: Edge of Your Seat) directed by Wynter Rhys (16), about two serial killers arguing over who has rights to a certain victim, proves Winter’s tremendous promise as a director. It is available for preview and Winter is happy to arrange an interview about her work.
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“Ernie” (Screening: Cinematic Journey) and “Reincarnation, Inc.” (Screening: Centerpiece) directed by Hadley Hillel (19) are two inventive short films made by a PNW-born filmmaker who is currently studying at Chapman University. Both are available for preview.
With its panels, discussions, and networking opportunities, the festival has served as an incubator and proving ground for a generation of filmmakers, including Seattle-native Ben Kadie (20), who has participated in the festival every year. His work has gotten stronger each year; for 2016 he’ll be sharing his film “Bail” (Screening: Turn Back The Clock), a period piece about cross-dressing lounge singers in the ‘50s.
The 2016 program also includes an international collaboration between Bothell, WA resident Daniel Halligan and Norway’s Emilie K. Beck. The pair met at the NFFTY film festival two years ago. They created a music video project, called “Another Place Without You,” (Screening: Northwest is the Best) thousands of miles apart by sending each other pieces of the video via the internet.
NFFTY has also launched its first annual screenwriting competition in 2016: Story Starts Here. Screenwriters age 24 and under from around the world submitted scripts to receive feedback and for consideration to be featured at the festival as one of the finalists. The finalists will receive individual feedback from an esteemed panel of industry professionals who have built their careers on solid storytelling. The panel includes Chris Grunden (VP of Film Programming at HBO), Erica Sterne (Former Head of Post Production for The Weinstein Co.) and Wilbert Plijnaar (Storyboard Artist, “Ice Age,” “Despicable Me,” “The Princess & the Frog”). One finalist will be chosen to receive a $500 cash prize, announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on May 1. This year’s first finalists are: Claire Dimitriades, AJ Lodge, Zach Madden, Mattie Mcintosh and Judy Suh.
To talk to participating filmmakers or NFFTY staff, or obtain press passes, preview links, and high-resolution stills, please email Ryan Ann Davis at ryan@smarthousecreative.com.
More About NFFTY
Founded by three then-teenagers Jesse Harris, Kyle Seago and Jocelyn R.C. in 2007, NFFTY has since expanded its reach to an ever-growing number of young artists and audiences of all ages. It expects an audience of over 12,000 for 2016.
Tickets are available at nffty.org. The festival is held at the Cinerama (2100 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121) and Uptown Cinema (511 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109).
A Brief History of NFFTY
NFFTY was founded by Seattle native Jesse Harris, who, after producing and distributing his feature film “Living Life” as a college student, realized there was no festival specializing in presenting the work of young people. He teamed up with Kyle Seago and Jocelyn R.C., and in 2007 the first NFFTY took place as a one-night event, showing work from around the country.
By 2008 the festival was a three-day affair, with a full program of screenings, panels and two concerts.
In 2009 the organization began accepting international submissions, making the festival a truly worldwide event, and by 2011 NFFTY was officially the world’s largest film festival for emerging filmmakers.
Over the years NFFTY has featured the work of some truly tremendous talents with a strong group of alumni. Former NFFTY filmmakers are now working for prestigious companies such as Paramount, Pixar, HBO, Trigger Street Productions including Kevin Klauber who edited the Academy Award winning documentary “20 Feet From Stardom.”
Though Jesse has since moved on to pursue his own film projects, the festival now boasts award winning producer and nonprofit executive Stefanie Malone as the director of the organization. Under her leadership, in 2014 NFFTY created the Young Women in Film initiative, a year-round effort to support young female filmmakers around the world and in 2015 launched Works in Progress to support filmmakers as they work through the creative process. NFFTY also formally launched an in-house production company known as NFFTY Creative with the mission of connecting sponsors and brands with the festival’s most promising alumni to work on original branded content projects. The first major project, “A Supporting Role,” has earned multiple accolades including ADDY Awards and a Telly Award.
The organization hasn’t stopped growing. Last year the festival had a record breaking 248 films representing 30 states and 25 countries. The festival continued to support female filmmakers with a closing night screening called Femme Finale and a record 48% of the films screened at the 2015 festival directed by young women.
NFFTY now looks toward its 10th Anniversary festival, happening April 28 - May 1. Over 1,000 emerging filmmakers from around the globe submitted their work for considering in this major milestone of the festival’s history. The festival will also launch its first ever Screenwriting Competition to be operated as both a component of the annual event and also in the off-season.
Visit the official website, nffty.org for more information about this year’s event, and to purchase tickets.
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Chatelin Bruno 
