WILLiFEST Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary

We're back!!! We are celebrating our 5th year with a kick-off invitation only (Sorry!) cocktail party this Thursday in Williamsburg which will be followed by our Opening Night Screening at the Williamsburg Cinemas. This year WILLiFEST presents the premiere of director Malindi Fickle’s drama Suck It Up Buttercup.

Friday brings a full day and night of  screenings at two venues, Williamsburg Cinemas and returning partner El Puente.

Friday also features an Industry Panel on the popular topic of crowdfunding at WILLiFEST Central located in the lower level of Sandbox. This panel presented by Crowdzu and moderated by writer/director/producer, Jim Jermanok will feature filmmakers Anthony Arkin, Jayce Bartok, Rob Fortunato, writer and biographer Felicia  Lin, and musician Billy Chrissochos of the band Porphyra. You can learn more about our panelists at http://www.willifest.com/2014/panels. Refreshments will be served. So come on down if you would like to learn the nitty-gritty of rewards-based crowdfunding. Space is limited! So bring your festival pass or RSVP for free via Meetup.


Friday night brings our first annual Pitch Contest. Presented by UHE-TV, this competition allows for one lucky filmmaker or screenwriter to get their film or TV series idea produced and broadcast. The event is being held at Barber Bart with drinks sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery.

Saturday kicks off with a block of family films at El Puente at 11:30 am. Over at Barber Bart, Donna Drake, host of the TV show LiVE it UP!, will be shooting an episode of her show from 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm. The taping will include interviews with filmmakers and musicians, peppered with live music performances.

Another Industry Panel, Getting the Part: Tips for the Working Actor, presented by Center for Active Learning, will take place at Videology at 2:00 pm, preceded by an hour of networking at the same venue. Panelists' information can be found online. This panel is free with a WILLiFEST Full or Saturday pass. You can also buy tickets at Eventbrite or at the door.

Screenings continue all day Saturday at Williamsburg Cinemas and at El Puente venues till midnight. Saturday will also feature our fifth annual Student Film competition over two back-to-back screening blocks at the Williamsburg Cinemas. The future of film is in their hands.

Sunday is wrap-up day. This year’s Closing Day film, showing at 1:00 pm at El Puente is the Spanish comedy caper from the Dominican Republic De Pez En Cuando (Once Upon a Fish) directed by Francisco Valdez. Our final event at 5pm at El Puente will be our annual Awards Ceremony where trophies will be handed out in recognition of the best feature and short films, actors, directors, documentaries, student films, music videos, soundtracks, commercials, and screenplays.

Congratulations to all our 2014 Screenplay Competition Winners!

Tickets and passes for WILLiFEST 2014 are still available at http://www.willifest.com/2014/tickets. Directions to all venues can be found on our website at willifest.com/2014/venues. The complete schedule can be seen at willifest.com/2014/overview. This year’s film line-up is at willifest.com/2014/films and our 2014 sponsors can be seen at willifest.com/2014/sponsors.