The Manhattan Film Festival (MFF) is an annual film festival that was founded in 2006 by filmmakers: Philip J. Nelson and Jose Ruiz, Jr and is currently operated by Mr. Nelson and a team of filmmakers, journalists and exhibitors. It was founded as the Independent Features Film Festival. MFF is an annual event held at such venues as Symphony Space, Quad Cinema, the Academy Theater at Lighthouse in addition to smaller venues like the Producers Club and the Hunter College Lang Auditorium, where the festival holds its closing awards ceremony.
In 2012, the Manhattan Film Festival was named 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee: 2012 by MovieMaker Magazine. In response to increased submissions, the festival expanded its program from just under 150 selections to 163 in 2013.
According to the festival's press materials: The goal of the Manhattan Film Festival has always been to help independent filmmakers find an audience for their work and connect with like minded individuals in the indie film community. Every year, the festival works to program a diverse film lineup ranging from student filmmakers and first time directors/actors to the industry's most accomplished talent.
To further support the independent film community in New York, the festival offers a widely popular revenue sharing program through their affiliate sponsor ScreenBooker, a rarity with most American film festivals and one of the features of MFF that accounted for its inclusion on multiple "Top Fests" lists, including two lists from MovieMaker Magazine.
In July 2010, Manhattan Film Festival founders Philip Nelson and Jose Ruiz filed a lawsuit against the Tribeca Film Festival for theft of their innovative interactive concepts. Nelson said in a statement regarding the suit that he was "absolutely devastated" to discover Tribeca had launched its own virtual festival. "We have put our lives into building a platform that will level the playing field for independent film-makers," he said. "We trusted and looked up to Tribeca as a leader in the industry. Never did I think they would use our time, labour, skill, money, effort, and creativity for their gain."
During the festival's June 2013 season (year 7), the festival became the center of controversy in the indie film world when it kicked filmmaker Solvan Naim out of the lineup, several days before his film FULL CIRCLE was supposed to screen. While the circumstances surrounding the removal of the film are convoluted at best, the event sparked aggressive response from websites like indiewire.com, where the author, a representative of the Tribeca Film Festival, questions the purpose of having boutique festivals. It was later discovered that the more critical articles, like the piece published on Indiewire.com, was authored by a representative of the Tribeca Film Festival, one of MFF's rivals.
Notable films and awards
The festival created the Buzz Award in 2007, presenting it to Apostles of Park Slope. The filmmaker, Jason Cusato went on to form the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, one of the most popular independent film festivals in New York City.In 2011, the festival screened White Irish Drinkers, a film written and directed by John Gray. He is the creator of Ghost Whisperer, a CBS television series starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.2011, Jeff Stewart won Best Actor for his role in Under Jakob's Ladder. He is best known in the United Kingdom for his role as Reg Hollis in the ITV series The Bill. His win at the festival inspired stories in the British media, ranging from The Sun to the BBC. Stewart even got a story in the New York Times as The Chelsea Guest Who Wouldn't Leave when the Hotel Chelsea abruptly closed its doors in 2011.In 2012 the Film Heals Award was presented to a number of films, including Dreams Are Not Forgotten by Nigel Barker.In 2012 the festival introduced the New York Spotlight Award, a recognition given to a locally made film that features New York City in a compelling and inspiring way. The first recipient was filmmaker Eric Norcross for his film Caroline of Virginia. Eric went on to work with the festival in their 2013 season.In 2013 the New York Spotlight Award was given to two films: On The Radioman, which was received by Radioman himself and If These Knishes Could Talk.In 2013, Yuck! A 4th Grader's Documentary About School Lunch was screened at the festival. A 20-minute documentary by 11-year-old, Zachary Maxwell. As a student at P.S. 130 in Little Italy, Maxwell documented the less-than-appetizing school lunches. This documentary won the festival's Buzz Award. He was interviewed by such outlets as Good Morning America and the New York Times.A Box Came to BrooklynA Day’s WorkAll The DaysAmontilladoBar SongsBehind The MirrorCatching FirefliesClipped Wings They Do FlyFailure GroupiesFor FrancisFrogGet Happy!Glory Daze: the Life and Times of Michael AligGrandpa’s DebtorHello, My Name is Frank…I Dream Too MuchIllogoJetJoe’s DairyJoe’s WarLeaving CircadiaLilith’s SongLost PennyLove for PassionMy Brother’s GirlfriendMy Brother’s KeeperNew Generation Queens: a Zanzibar soccer storyOffice ConfessionsOvumPregoQueen MimiQuietusRandy DoeReflectionsSave the Putnam Nature TrailSchnitzelShaded Reflections - Best Original Title SongSimpler TimesStuck in TraffickSummitThat Bites!The Apple TreeThe Shattered MindThe Three EsTy’s ListWedgerinoWest 4th Street: A Portrait of a ParkWhy I’m Not on FacebookWriter’s CrampZizi & HoneyboyFilm Heals Awards (feature) - Transforming Loss, Colors: Banging in S.C.',A People Without a LandFilm Heals Awards (short) - A Life with Asperger's, ML4: A rare and Devastating DiseaseNew York Spotlight Award - Empire GypsyBuzz Award - The Hardest LoveFilm Preservation Award - Dollar NightBest International Picture - Living LegendsBest Short Narrative - Water DogsBest Comedic Short - Bingo Night!, Mani-PediBest Musical Feature - Waiting in the WingsBest Musical Short - NakedBest Feature Documentary - David & MeBest Alternative Short - Reflecting AdrienBest Alternative Feature - BeforeBest Sci-Fi Feature - Plato’s Reality MachineBest Family Drama - Lies I Told My Little SisterBest Comedy Feature Films - Chasing Taste, The Yank, Chu & BlossomBest Coming of Age Feature - The BackseatBest Children Short - Lunchbox LoserBest Dramatic Feature - The LivingBest Original Title Song - “Wisdom” by Siobhan Magnus - The Wisdom to Know the DifferenceBest Short Docs - Dollar NightFilm Preservation Award - Being George, Spoke: A Short Film About NYC BikesBest Historic Feature - Searching for CamelotBest Biography Short - CrisalidaBest International Thriller - Red GoldBest Dramatic Thriller - Dutch KillsBest Romantic Feature - Janie CharasmanicBest Social Issue Feature Narrative - SnapshotBest Social Issue Short Narrative - Park 51Best Family Short - The Devil Goes DownBest Sports Feature - Off the FloorBest Crime Drama - West EndBest Personal Narrative - WallaboutBest Art Short - The WreckBest Horror Short - Lucas CainBest Thriller Short - PenanceBest Feature Film Narrative - The Wisdom To Know The DifferenceFilm Heals - The Second Cooler, Sugar, Uprising, and Where Should The Birds FlyNew York Spotlight Award - On The Radioman and If These Knishes Could TalkBuzz Award - Yuck! A 4th Grader's Documentary About School LunchMFF Prestige Award - My Life as Abraham LincolnBest Comedic Short - Local CommercialBest Dramatic Short - Tinker and The FirebirdBest Action Short - Round TripBest Crime Short -Best Children's Short - : The Last PrankBest Comedic Feature - Isn't It DeliciousBest Dramatic Feature - The WordBest Adventure Film - The Legend of Jimi LazerBest Alternative Feature - Butterflies of Bill BakerBest Crime Feature - American BomberBest Coming of Age Film - Buffalo BoysBest Family Film - Surviving FamilyBest Editing - Hope's PortalBest Art Direction - Man Vs. UltramanBest Special Achievement in Production - Somebody Marry MeHonorable Mentions - Palace Living, Desistance, The Word Trader, Papa, A Perfect Day, A Mother's Love, Two Hours In The Dark, Forbidden Fruit, The Beginning and the End, Two Hundred Thousand Dirty, Little Brother, Thursday's Speaker.Film Heals Award - Born for the Stage, Dreams are Not Forgotten, Roadmap to AparthiedBest New Actor - NoraBest Musical - Welcome to HarlemBest Music Video - Bad IntentionsBest Short Documentary - Up and DownBest International Feature - A 7 Hour DifferenceBest International Short - Little KingBest Comedic Short - The BunglersBuzz Award - CelesteNew York Spotlight - Caroline of VirginiaBest Dramatic Short - A Father's PrideBest Horror Short - Melissa!Best Period Piece - Spirits of Saint PaulBest Comedic Feature - Worth the WeightBest Feature Screenplay - Eye of the HurricaneBest Short Screenplay - Hearts GambleBest Dramatic Feature - Hitting the CycleBest Dramatic Feature - White Irish DrinkersBest International Feature - The Wedding PartyBest Period Piece - Under Jakob's LadderBest Comedy Feature - The Three WayBest Feature Documentary - Fordson: Faith, Fasting, FootballBest Short - Hard to Come ByBest Student Film - Made OffBuzz Award - AppleBoxBest Actor - Jeff Stewart in Under Jakob's LadderBest Actress - Juliette Bennett in The CoupleBest Composer - Keith Patchel in CrumbleEmerging Filmmaker Award - Nazim UddinFilm Heals Award - Into the GloomBest International Film - VenezziaAudience Choice Award for Best Comedy - The Apostles of Park SlopeBest Actress - Tabrett Bethell in Anyone You Want