by Cristina Cacioppo, Director of Programming
photos by Edwina Hay

With another great festival transpiring, the whole Nitehawk team are sharing stories about the filmmakers and attendees that we encountered over the past week. We’re always pleased to hear such warm feedback about the programs and conversations, something we look forward to as we plot out the festival, from the moment we start watching submissions to when the doors to the theater open.

Opening Nite Party

This year we had sixty films, 60% of which were directed by women and non-binary people. Throughout the seven programs presented there were NYC set films, animation, documentary and narrative, and some that traversed several genres.

For the second year in a row we commissioned a festival bumper, this time from NSF alum Kelly Schiesswohl, whose innovative animation piece TRICHOTILLOMANIA! blew us away in 2022.

This year our main jury includes Lio Mehiel (Mutt), Katja Blichfeld (High Maintenance) and Kia Brooks (The Gotham Film & Media Institute), who selected the boldly playful short Dilating for Maximum Results by Nyala Moon. Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio) selected our Music Driven winner, the hilarious boy band send-up Fanatic by Taran Killam, and Clyde Folley (editor/programmer, The Criterion Channel) served as our Midnite program judge, landing on the also-Audience Winner Krush the Wrestler by Alex Megaro. Full list of prizes and winners included below.

Nyala Moon, Jury Prize Winner for DILATING FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS

As always, we’re grateful for the whole Nitehawk team for all of their efforts in bringing the festival to life – our bar team who come up with thematic cocktails for the parties, our server and runner staff who take care of the audience, our projectionists and content manager who juggle many formats; to our sponsors MUBI and Heard City for support as well as all of the prize sponsors.

Ana Fabrega, star of GOLD AND MUD, next to director Conor Dooley

Prize Winners
Jury Prize
Dilating For Maximum Results / Nyala Moon

MUSIC DRIVEN Winner
FANATIC / Taran Killam

MIDNITE Winner
Krush the Wrestler / Alex Megaro

New Filmmaker Award
Terminally Ill / Chris Cole

Future of Films is Female Prize
Eli, Briefly / Celine Sutter

Audience Award: Opening Nite
Terminally Ill / Chris Cole

Audience Award: Music Driven
Peace Mantra / Vango Jones

Audience Award: Midnite
Krush the Wrestler / Alex Megaro

Audience Award: Matinee One
Confessions / Stephanie Kaznocha

Audience Award: Matinee Two
Flutz / Ryan McCown

Audience Award: NoBudge
Call Me Mommy / Haley Alea Erickson & Taylor Washington

Audience Award: Closing Nite
Goldilocks / Meryl Jones

by Cristina Cacioppo, Director of Programming

We’re all still smiling in the days following this year’s Shorts Festival. Back towards the end of 2022, as we were digging into the 500+ submissions we received, Desmond, John and I knew it was going to be challenging narrowing it down to the 60ish films we would ultimately include. We spent a lot of time piecing each program together, viewing all on our big screens. So when we finally found ourselves prepping for Opening Nite, we felt confident that the audience and the filmmakers would be happy with what awaited them.

One new addition to this year’s festival also made its big screen debut. Looking to engage past filmmakers of the festival, we commissioned an original bumper to open each show of the festival. We tapped filmmaker Leah Shore, who had both animated and live action pieces in the 2022 festival (Launch and Puss). The concept: I asked my father to pitch a short film and Leah used the audio, cutting it down and animating it to bring the vision to life. Leah’s work knocked us all out – they created something hilarious and unique in the short 1.5 minutes run time. The audiences really got a kick out of it, and it was the perfect way to introduce each program.

Cristina Cacioppo and Leah Shore

Over seven shows to almost all full houses, we watched each program play to laughs, tears and applause. Many filmmakers attended, some NYC based, others traveling in. On Opening Nite we were giddy with excitement when we realized the cast of The Singles Retreat – a World Premiere by Jo Firestone – were all in attendance. As I said in my introduction to the program, we spend months watching these films, so when we meet the filmmakers and the cast, sometimes we get starstruck. This was definitely the case with The Singles Retreat, a charming comedy about seniors on a weekend trip with romantic potential. (I had also recognized one of the actresses, Bibi Elvers, in David Byrnes’s 1986 film True Stories when we showed it in January).

Jo Firestone and the cast of The Singles Retreat

The Q&As with filmmakers following each show gave insight into the films, providing an opportunity to learn more about the origins of the work, challenges of producing on a small budget, and how casts and directors worked together. It was an amusing surprise to hear from director Alex Spott that her film No Other Gods But Me was based on her realization early in her religious upbringing that the figure of Jesus was kind of a hot guy.

With parties for both Opening and Closing Nite, we had complimentary cocktails courtesy of Campari, named after a few of the shorts (The Singles Retreat, Super Happy and Hang Out 2Day) with DJs spinning records and our signature Queso fountain flowing.

The Closing Nite party was also the chance for us to announce our prize winners. Jury members programmer/writer Monica Castillo, Factory25 distributor Matt Grady and filmmaker Amber Schaefer made up the main jury, with entertainment lawyer Alex Threadgold awarding the Music Driven prize and actress Jessica Pimentel selecting the Midnite winner. A full list of winners and prizes can be found here.

Rebecca Rajadnya learning she won the Jury Prize for her film Balikbayan

Tij D’oyen, winner of the Midnite prize for his film Lollygag, with programmer Desmond Thorne

We’re grateful for the whole Nitehawk team for all of their efforts in bringing the festival to life; to our sponsors MUBI and Heard City for support as well as all of the prize sponsors. And of course we feel so lucky to have gotten to know these filmmakers – we can’t wait to see what they do next!

NITEHAWK SHORTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 9TH YEAR PROGRAM
Plus jury line-up, new Future of Film is Female prize, and original commissioned bumper

Pictured: Free Noir Papillon (left) and Lollygag (right)

Nitehawk Shorts Festival will return for its ninth year, running from March 1-5 2023.This year marks a few exciting additions. For one,  an unprecedented amount of submissions, the festival will present seven programs total, one more than past years. Another remarkable feature is that of the 60+ shorts included, almost 100% are from submissions. As in previous years the line-up includes filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, with at least half made by female or non-binary filmmakers. Taking place at both Nitehawk venues in Williamsburg and Prospect Park, the festivities will include an Opening and Closing Nite party, many filmmakers in attendance for Q&A, and audiences will be treated to a new commissioned work by animator Leah Shore, who will create an original festival bumper that will play before all programs.

The seven programs in this year’s festival, including Opening Nite, Music Driven, Midnite, Matinee One, Matinee Two, NoBudge, and Closing Nite. Opening, Matinee Two, NoBudge and Closing Nite shows will take place at the Prospect Park location, with post-screening parties hosted in the Trees Lounge bar on Opening and Closing nights. Music Driven, Midnite, and Matinee One will be at the Williamsburg location.

Another addition to this year’s festival comes in the form of a new prize from Future of Film is Female (FOFIF), which will award one filmmaker $250 and inclusion in the ongoing series hosted by Nitehawk.

The festival line-up includes at least six World Premieres, including PREP, a body builder’s fever dream by Raymond Barnett Knudsen, Balikbayan, the story of a Filipina immigrant wishing for more closeness with both her daughters and the family she left behind by Rebecca Rajadnya, and The Singles Retreat, the directorial debut of comedian Jo Firestone about seniors venturing out for romance.

An essential mainstay of the festival, linked to Nitehawk’s monthly series Music Driven, puts front and center an array of music videos and musically themed films. This year includes videos for Mitski’s Stay Soft, Tove Lo’s Grapefruit, and the World Premiere of Jaboukie’s BBC, which he directed. Narrative films in the program include Big Three, set in 1961 about a music label’s attempt at using focus groups on their upcoming acts and Record Shop, a very NYC story of two DJs in search of a rare salsa record.

As in previous years, Kentucker Audley’s NoBudge will have a special program, featuring three first time filmmakers. Audley says, “NoBudge is thrilled to be a part of the Nitehawk Shorts Festival, which is continuing to grow into an essential Brooklyn event in the short film landscape. The talent and ingenuity on display in the films is remarkable and Nitehawk is a perfect place to watch short films and chat with filmmakers afterward. Often overlooked, the short film format is a vital playground for discovery in young filmmakers and it deserves to have its own space and time to shine.”

This year’s jury includes actress/musician Jessica Pimentel (Orange is the New Black), critic/curator Monica Castillo, entertainment lawyer Alex Threadgold, indie film distributor Matt Grady (Factory 25), and festival alum Amber Schaefer, who currently directs pre-taped films for Saturday Night Live.

As always, the Nitehawk Shorts Festival celebrates its filmmakers with an Opening Nite Party, and will culminate with a Closing Nite Party on March 5th where festival winners will be announced. Prizes this year are generously provided by Heard City, AbelCine, Irving Harvey, Grado Labs, Boris FX, Nice Shoes, AbelCine, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and Vimeo. Drink specials inspired by a selection of shorts will be available at the parties and screenings.

This year’s festival is sponsored by MUBI.

ABOUT NITEHAWK SHORTS FESTIVAL
The annual Nitehawk Shorts Festival is a celebration of independent short filmmaking, featuring five days of screenings, special events and parties that highlight and support a diverse range of voices in short films.

Since 2013, the mission of the Nitehawk Shorts Festival has been to highlight exceptional short-form film and videos by artists and filmmakers. The Festival’s main slate programming features a range of filmmakers, from emerging film school students to Academy Award nominees, in curated screenings that prioritize conversations between the films over categorical listings. The Nitehawk Shorts Festival provides an inclusive platform for filmmakers to encourage an engagement with new audiences and to establish a dialogue with the New York film community. Programs consist of short films in all forms (animation, documentary, narrative, non-narrative, artist films, music videos, genre) by local, national, and international filmmakers.

The Nitehawk Shorts Festival is held exclusively at Nitehawk Cinema, New York’s premiere dine-in theater that pairs exemplary first-run and repertory film programming along with table-side food and beverage service.

LEAH SHORE BIO
Leah showran a weekly docuseries for Billboard Magazine producing both the live action and animated content for over fifty episodes. Their recent animated music video for Peaches (Pussymask) and Tiktok star, Lyn Lapid (Producer Man) have gone viral with over 11 million views. Their award-winning films have shown at film festivals, museums and galleries worldwide. From Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, to being a featured Director on the Criterion, multiple Vimeo Staff Picks, Vice, The Atlantic and Nowness. They have been featured alongside Eliza Hittman, Katia Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair as one of the 25 New Faces in Filmmaker Magazine.

JURY BIOS
Monica Castillo is a Brooklyn-based critic and curator. Her work has appeared in NPR, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Colorado Public Radio, NBC News, RogerEbert.com, The Wrap, Remezcla, Elle Magazine, Marie Claire, and Vulture among others. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Online News Association, and the Critics Choice Association.

Amber Schaefer is a director, writer, and sometimes actor. She currently directs pre-taped films for Saturday Night Live. Previously, she directed for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Netflix, Funny or Die, and College Humor. She has written and directed award winning short films and is a well established commercial director. She has a dog named Michael.

Matt Grady is the founder of Factory 25, an independent film production and distribution company launched in 2009. Factory 25 is a home for conceptually provocative narratives and documentaries. His mission is to expose the world to under-the-radar films, music, and other curiosities theatrically and digitally, as well as on TV, VOD, VHS, and limited edition discs with vinyl LPs and books. Factory 25 titles include Sun Don’t Shine, Actual People, Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel, Sophia Takal’s Green, and the restored Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film In the Soup by Alexandre Rockwell.

Jessica Pimentel is an actress and musician from Brooklyn, NY Best known for her work as Maria Ruiz on Netflix’s ‘Orange is the New Black’ winning 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards and one nomination. Jessica has also been featured on the “Law & Order” franchise, “Person of Interest”, “Blue Bloods” and Amazon’s upcoming series “The Horror of Dolores Roach”. Film credits include “A Bread Factory”, “Slayer: The Repentless Killogy” and the upcoming horror short “Hammer”. She holds a degree in theater from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is also a classically trained violinist and Hardcore/ Heavy Metal musician.

Alex Threadgold is an entertainment lawyer and partner at Fox Rothschild LLP. His practice is focused on music, film, book publishing, and fine art. Alex’s clients include Oscar and Grammy nominated and winning creators as well as tastemaking record labels and production companies. He has DJ’d from Barcelona to Capetown and executive produced records by the likes of MF Doom and Diplo. When not seeking out new music and art from around the world, you can probably find him mixing cocktails at home or cooking over a campfire.

Announcing Awards Winners and Encore Screenings

We continue to revel in the joy of last week’s Nitehawk Shorts Festival, which took place from March 2-6 at both our Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Over the course of six sold out shows with nearly all films represented by directors, crew and/or cast in person, plus an Opening and Closing party with three incredible cocktail specials, there was such warmth and good spirits to share.

If you missed out, we have good news: we have a couple of Encore programs including this year’s award winners and other programmer favorites! Tickets are now on sale for:

Prospect Park
Jury Favorites, Saturday, March, 19
Audience Award Winners, Sunday, March, 20

Williamsburg
Jury Favorites, Saturday, March, 26
Audience Award Winners, Sunday, March, 27

Below are winners for this year, and a selection of pictures from Opening and Closing Nite shows and parties.

Jury Prize Winner
NYC Tips and Tricks / Amber Schaefer

Jury Prize Runner Up
Cousins / Mandy Marcus

Music Driven Winner                   
Mercy / Nalani Williams

Midnite Winner                   
Inheritance / Annalise Lockhart

New Filmmaker Award
In Loving Memory (Of Who We Used to Be) / Vicky Lee

Audience Award: Opening
The Soldier / Sam & Trip Cullman

Audience Award: Matinee
Threads of Desire / Bianca DiMarco

Audience Award: Music           
Nuevo Rico / Kristian Mercado

Audience Award: NoBudge
Please Enjoy Your Stay / Tynan Delong

Audience Award: Midnite           
El Extraño en la Casa Rivera / Esteban Bailey

Audience Award: Closing
You and Me This Summer / Emily Berge, Spencer Thielmann

PRIZES

Thanks to our sponsors for providing incredible prizes to our incredible filmmakers! Here’s what each prize winner receives.

FESTIVAL JURY WINNER
Post-production sound services from HEARD CITY ($16k value)
Post-production coloring services from IRVING HARVEY ($20k value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

FESTIVAL JURY RUNNER-UP
Boris FX Bundle (featuring Boris FX Sapphire, Boris FX Continuum, Boris FX Mocha Pro) one-year subscription from BORIS FX ($1195 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

MIDNITE PRIZE
Boris FX Bundle (featuring Boris FX Sapphire, Boris FX Continuum, Boris FX Mocha Pro) one-year subscription from BORIS FX ($1195 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

MUSIC DRIVEN PRIZE
Prize package featuring GS1000e headphones and photo cartridge from GRADO LABS ($1350 value)
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

FIRST TIME FILMMAKER AWARD
Post-production coloring services from NICE SHOES ($20k value)
$500 awarded to a selected debut short film by a filmmaker screening in NSF19
One year Artist Membership from the VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, New York ($200 value)

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Pro-Accounts from VIMEO (eligible during Opening Nite, Midnite, Music Driven, Matinee One, NoBudge and Closing Nite – $199 value each).

Coming to watch THE BIG GAME at Prospect Park or Williamsburg? Well, we’ve got a treat for you!

February 2nd is not only football’s biggest day, it’s also National Tater Tot Day! Our chefs have created a special sure to make your mouth water (and hopefully help your team win)!

Totchos
tater tots, queso, black beans, pickled jalapenos, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream $13
add house made chorizo $2

See you on game day!

Name That Movie
aussie girl shows up at school
starts out weird but ends up cool

Volume 12
Aponi K is a Brooklyn-born poet who adores Afro-futurism.

Name That Movie
a vain rose and a prince
what could unfold from youthful bliss

Volume 13
Tania Asnes a.k.a. taz is a poet and actress residing in Ridgewood, Queens with her two black cats. Witchy.

Name That Movie
violins screeching
star killed off in the opening
suspense down the drain

Volume 14
Cathy Linh Che is the author of the poetry collection Split and works as Executive Director at Kundiman, a nonprofit that nurtures Asian American writers.

Name That Movie
in need of cash a sexy crew concocts a plan
to exploit a score of wall street businessmen

Summer is officially here and the culinary team at Nitehawk Cinema, New York’s original dine-in theater, has crafted a new menu to cool you down and keep you buzzed.

Nitehawk Williamsburg’s Executive Chef Michael Franey elaborates on his favorite new menu item, the Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich: ”We’re always searching for how to take things that people are familiar with and present them in new and interesting ways. This summer, we challenged ourselves to remake a classic summer barbecue dish and make it vegan. We are shredding young jackfruit and sautéing that with miso, tomato paste and a Carolina style barbecue sauce with a lot of mustard. We top the sandwich with a lightly pickled peach to bring some sweetness and some vinegar bite to cut through the richness of the sauce and umami packed jackfruit.”

What better way to quench your thirst after a big helping of Vegan Pulled Pork than our new Ginger-Lime Slushie! Nitehawk Williamsburg’s Beverage Director Rob Giles explains: “We really wanted this drink to be reminiscent of the childhood frozen treat you had during the summer— except with the option of booze. Ginger is juiced fresh and blended with sugar and lime to create a refreshingly cold non-alcoholic beverage to slurp on during one of our movies. You do have the option of adding either Bourbon, Vodka, or Jamaican rum if you’re looking to party!”

Don’t worry carnivores, we’ve got you covered with our Brooklyn Cured Bratwurst, available at our Prospect Park location. Nitehawk Prospect Park Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange states: ”We’re always looking to feature products from local producers. The brats from Brooklyn cured are made with sustainable meat from farms they trust, they are also wonderfully tender and buttery. We serve them in the classic german style; sliced over house made sauerkraut with cucumber-dill and german style potato-mustard salads. I think this dish is also a great example of the ways in which Nitehawk defies what you would expect from ‘movie theater food.’”

It has always been a priority of Nitehawk to work with local producers, and we are very excited to introduce our new Nitehawk and Brooklyn Winery Collaboration. Nitehawk Prospect Park Beverage Director Nick Dodge explains: “We made a special Grenache based red wine blend with Brooklyn Winery called Nitehawk Red Blend no. 2. It’s really great to be able to work with local producers and have some involvement in the production stage of some menu items. We made a bright juicy Côtes du Rhône style blend that is perfect for summer.

Our chefs also devised healthier alternatives for those looking to indulge in more mindful options while at the cinema. “The Stone Fruit Salad is a lovely balance of simplicity and sophistication. We start with the spicy/grassy arugula which is the perfect base for the sweetness of local stone fruit. We’ll be sourcing whatever stone fruit is at its peak as we move through the summer harvest season. The lightly pickled cherries bring in a nice hit of acid and it’s topped off with walnuts and Stilton cheese for a little bit of texture and richness” says Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange.

Sweeten up any movie this spring by treating yourself to our new Watermelon Soft-Serve-Sorbet. Sorbet has always been a Nitehawk staple and we are excited to offer a soft serve sorbet for the first time. “It’s everything I want in a hot weather dessert; light, refreshing, and cold. Who doesn’t want a mouthful of frosty watermelon to fight off those dog days of summer? I’m also always happy when we are able to add another option for our dairy free/vegan guests” states Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange.

Nitehawk’s Beverage Directors Nick Dodge and Rob Giles collaborated to elevate cocktail recipes and frozen drinks to showcase seasonal accents with bold fuisions. “We usually like to offer guests a mixture of signature and classic cocktails to provide them with a varied array of beverage options for all levels of experienced drinkers. The Negroni Bianco is a culmination of these two philosophies– a classic cocktail that is based on a familiar recipe, but that has been tweaked to compliment the longer days and hot summer nights. The base spirit used Barr Hill gin, an amazing product endemic to the Northeast region that used raw honey in the distillate, and a relatively new vermouth from Lustau that provides  floral and citrus notes that results in a lighter and more balanced cocktail” states Rob Giles from Nitehawk Williamsburg.

Nitehawk Cinema blossoms this season with a creative selection of food and drink items available at both Brooklyn locations. The lineup of new dishes and signature beverages includes:

• The Mule (frozen)

  • Frozen ginger lime slushie with your choice of: Absolut Vodka, Hamilton Black Rum or Four Roses Bourbon

• Donovan’s Reef

  • Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon, pineapple, lime, cinnamon, Swedish Punsch Liqueur

• Buddy Love

  • El Dorado (3 yr), Plantation Xaymaca, Black Bottle Scotch, cashew orgeat, lime juice, Combier Liqueur d’Orange, absinthe

• Negroni Bianco

  • Barr Hill Gin, Lustau Bianco Vermouth, gentian liqueur, grapefruit bitters

• Cool Breeze Over the Mountains

  • Suntory Whisky Toki, barley, lemon oil, shiso, sparkling water

• Montauk Watermelon Session IPA

• Blackberry Farm Classic Belgian-Style Ale

• Shacksbury Dry Rosé Cider

• Brooklyn Winery x Nitehawk Red No.2, NY

  • Grenache based Côtes du Rhône style blend, medium body with bright spiced fruit

• Lamb and Beef Skewers (available at Williamsburg)

  • Cucumber, marinated heirloom cherry tomatoes, mint yogurt sauce

• Nashville Hot Popcorn Chicken

  • Popcorn chicken, Bread and Butter pickles with a side of ranch

• Vegan Pulled Pork (available at Williamsburg)

  • Jackfruit, pickled peaches, Carolina style BBQ sauce, kaiser roll, hand cut fries or house salad

• Lobster Roll

  • Meyer lemon aioli, tarragon, Old Bay, sweet Hawaiian bun, hand cut fries or salad

• Stone Fruit Salad

  • Seasonal stone fruit, arugula, frisée, Stilton, pickled cherries, walnut vinaigrette

• Brooklyn Cured Bratwurst (available at Prospect Park)

  • Cucumber-dill salad, mustard new potatoes, house-made sauerkraut

Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a thrilling adventure to unravel a tangled mystery set in the neon-lit streets of Ryme City – a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side. The film opens on Friday at Nitehawk Prospect Park and to accompany this family-friendly flick is a curated special that adults should catch for themselves. The selection features an ahi tuna poké ball and a coffee-inspired cocktail blended with scotch, black cherry, and clove syrup. While trying to solve the case, electrify your tastebuds at Nitehawk Prospect Park.

Poké Ball
Ahi tuna, wakame, cucumber, avocado mousse, Korean chile, sesame seeds, nori, fried wonton

Black as Night
Mr. Black coffee liquor, Black Bottle blended scotch, black cherry and clove syrup, hot coffee

 

May 11 and 12 – TERMINATOR 2 (10:45 am) – NITEHAWK WILLIAMSBURG

May 11 and 12 – MILDRED PIERCE (10:30 am) – NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK