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Black Tie International:
The New York City International Film Festival Celebrates 9th Year
Photos By:  Rose Billings/Blacktiemagazine.com
 

Jean Shafiroff, Honoree and Robert Rizzo Founder of New York City International
Film Festival

Jean Shafiroff, Honoree and Robert Rizzo Founder of New York City International
Film Festival

Steve Stanulis, Winning Director, with R Couri Hay, and Lillo Brancato Film
"Wasted Talent"...A Real Winner!

Lucia Hwong Gordon

Actor Dash Mihok

Steve Stanulis and Lillo Brancato Prize winner for "Wasted Talent" Documentary

 Angel Christian Roman

 Rose Billings, Austin Rudd and Paris

On Friday, March 9^th, the New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) concluded their weeklong festival with a screening of Keely Shaye Smith and Pierce Brosnan’s Poisoning Paradise and annual award ceremony that included the presentation of a First Annual Philanthropy Award to Jean Shafiroff. The closing ceremony was held in New York’s Dolby Theater & Screening Room and was led by NYCIFF Founder, Roberto Rizzo and NYCIFF President, Caroline Johnson.

Tom Sierchio’s The Girl Who Invented Kissing, starring Dash Mihok and Suki Waterhouse was named Best Feature Film, and Steve Stanulis’ Wasted Talent, starring Lillo Brancato, was named the Best New York Documentary, while Jean Shafiroff was presented with the New York City International Film Festival’s Inaugural Philanthropic Award for Arts, Culture & Film for her contributions to New York’s arts community, and actress Natali Yura was named the recipient of the inaugural Rising Star Award.

The selected feature, Poisoning Paradise, which explores the dangers of testing genetically engineered seed corn and pesticides in Hawaii, was screened to a packed theater.

The award reception marked the end of the more than 30 screenings and events throughout the week of the festival, all raising funds for the NYCIFF Foundation, established to provide aid and scholarships to aspiring filmmakers, directors and performers around the world.  The full list of awards includes:

·         Best Feature Film, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Original Screenplay, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Director, Tom Sierchio, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Lead Actor, Dash Mihok, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Leading Actress, Suki Waterhouse, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Vincent Piazza, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Abbie Cornish, The Girl Who Invented Kissing

·         Best Documentary, Secrets of a Frozen Ocean

·         Best New York Documentary, Wasted Talent

·         Best New York Narrative Feature, Pentimento

·         Best International Feature Film, Mortal

·         Best Horror Feature Film, The Odds

·         Best SciFi Short Film, Rory Romantic

·         Best Documentary Short Film, Dancing Wheels

·         Best International Short Film, Faith

·         Best Short Film (Up to 15 Minutes), REX

·         Best Short Film Director, Igor Vynesvski, The Word

·         Philanthropic Award for Art, Culture & Film, Jean Shafiroff

·         Rising Star Award, Natali Yura

The New York City International Film Festival showcases filmmakers from around the world in two distinctive New York venues: The Dolby Theater & Screening Room and The Producers Club. Over five days, the NYCIFF screened 19 short films including one animation, and 13 feature length films. Ticket sales from the NYCIFF will benefit the New York International Film Festival’s Foundation for the Arts, which was established to provide scholarships and opportunities to aspiring filmmakers, directors and performers around the world.