LIFFY 2023

Monday, October 30 - Sunday, November 5

All films are FREE and open to the public (except Croma Kid). All films have ENGLISH subtitles. All presentations will be bilingual unless otherwise indicated. 

For virtual screenings and special events, please register at: https://tinyurl.com/LIFFY2023
It would also be helpful to register for the in-person screenings, but not required.

2023 Festival Schedule

2023 Festival Trailer

2023 Festival Jury

Greta Schiller: Jezebel Productions

Greta Schiller is an award-winning producer and director of documentary films, and co-founder of Jezebel Productions, a nonprofit women’s production company founded in 1984. Producing over a dozen films since then, her work brings lost histories of marginalized groups into the cultural narrative. Her newest project is The Five Demands, released by Icarus Films and playing in cinemas. Winner of the Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Documentary filmmaking. Made with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, NYSCA and the Library of Congress/Ken Burns Prize. Her other films include Before Stonewall (1985 Sundance Film Festival; 1987 PBS Broadcast; 1987 Emmy Award-winner; 2019 National Film Registry), International Sweethearts of Rhythm (New York Film Festival, Best Documentary, Philadelphia Film Festival), Paris Was a Woman (1995 Audience Award Winner, Berlinale). The Man Who Drove with Mandela (1998 Best Documentary, Berlinale, PBS broadcast), among others. Her films have screened at the most prestigious international film festivals over the last 35 years, making her one of the most respected, longest-producing independent filmmakers of her generation. Her film, The Land of Azaba (2020), is a feature documentary on a massive ecological restoration project taking place on the Spanish-Portuguese border. Greta is a 2 time alum of The City College of New York (CCNY), with a BFA in 1978 and a Master in Education in 2002. She has been awarded the Townsend Harris Medal for her achievements and is in The Communications Alumni Hall of Fame. Greta has the rare distinction of being awarded two Fulbright Fellowships: the first ever US/UK Fulbright Arts Fellowship in Film in 1989-90, and a Global Fulbright Award 2016-17.

Antonio Tibaldi

Antonio was born in Sydney, Australia but spent most of his formative years in Europe. He has worked as writer/director in the film industries of Europe, Australia and North America since 1992, when he co-wrote (with Gill Dennis) and directed “On My Own” which screened at Sundance 1993 and was nominated for 6 AFI awards (Australian Oscar Equivalent) and 1 Genie award (Canada’s Oscar equivalent). His films have been presented at festivals such as Berlin, Sundance, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, IDFA; and released by companies such as Miramax, Warner Bros., and Lion’s Gate. Since 2004 he has an on-going collaboration with UNTV (United Nations TV) making documentaries to shed light on under-reported realities in South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. His projects have received the support of IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project), TFI (Tribeca Film Institute),FIND (Film Independent), WEMW (When East Meets West). Antonio is a current member of WGA, East. He is based in NYC, he is the co-director of the MFA in Film at the City College of New York.

Eva Zelig

Eva Zelig is an award-winning producer/writer whose work has appeared in various networks: PBS/Public Broadcasting Service, New York Times TV, ABC/American Broadcasting Co., TLC/The Learning Channel, National Geographic TV, Consumer Reports. Her documentary, An Unknown Country, was broadcast on PBS, nominated for a New York Emmy award, shown at several film festivals, and named best documentary at one of them. She won two Emmy awards for her work on Innovation, the award-winning PBS series, and for the TLC documentary Killer Virus. She has also been honored with two CINE Golden Eagles, Pinnacle Award/American Women in Radio and TV, Gold Medal/International Film and TV Festival of New York, Gold Apple/National Educational Media Network. For TLC she produced,Transplant: The Clock is Ticking, a documentary nominated for a Cable ACE Award. Eva has produced educational videos for schools and museums, including: Nature Museum-Chicago Academy of Sciences, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Grand Teton National Park. For the American Museum of Natural History she developed the first ever multimedia exhibition on climate change, Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast–winner of the American Association of Museums Curators Award. She is a member of  the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences (NATAS), Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT), American Alliance of Museums (AAM). 

2023 Prizes

The Jurors for LIFFY 2023 have decided.
Los jurados para LIFFY 2023 han tomado sus decisiones.
Jury for films presented in-person: Greta Schiller, Antonio Tibaldi, and Eva Zelig.
Jurados para la parte presencial de LIFFY 2023: Greta Schiller, Antonio Tibaldi y Eva Zelig.
Awards for in-person Screenings:
Reconocimientos para la parte presencial del festival:
 
FEATURE FICTION:
MEMENTO MORI: Best Feature
From its stunning opening shot to the end, the judges were mesmerized.
CUENTOS DE UN DÍA MÁS: Best Acting
This compilation of short stories is a masterful film about life in Cuba during the Covid pandemic. With little dialogue and many face masks the acting was crucial to the success of the story telling.
CROMA KID: Honorable Mention
This inventive, charming narrative draws us into a changing media world. We follow with delight its genre-bending approach which suits the story perfectly.
 
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES:
BERTA SOY YO: Best Documentary Feature
A vital, absorbing portrait of a murdered Honduran activist fighting for the rights of her people. We are drawn into the investigation as it reveals economic, environmental, and cultural crimes.
UNA MIRADA HONESTA: BEST DIRECTION.
A beautifully constructed story about a brutal time in Argentina’s history. We revisit those dark days through the iconic images of photojournalist Eduardo Longoni.
VIRGILIO DESDE EL GABINETE AZUL: HONORABLE MENTION
We admire this film’s ingenious structure as we follow the life and work of its main subject, Cuban author Virgilio Piñera.
FRENTE AL SILENCIO: BEST HYBRID FILM
It is difficult to film a work of art, a dance, as the artist develops ideas and brings her creation to fruition. In this film they have accomplished this beautifully, blending traditional documentary techniques with dramatic recreations.
LA PRIMERA PUERTA: HONORABLE MENTION
For its intimate, revealing look at a farming community that lives off the land, respects nature, and tries to protect it from mining interests.
 
SHORT FILMS:
THE BIRTHMARK: BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Through abstract images this heartbreaking film reveals a mother’s agony as she narrates the story of her daughter’s murder.
VIRTUAL SCREENINGING FOR LIFFY 2023
FESTIVAL VIRTUAL DE LIFFY 2023:
JURY/JURADOS: Celia Rodríguez Tejuca, Christian Ponce, Eva Zelig
 
FICTION:
ANTES DE MADRID - BEST FICTION SHORT
For its accomplished acting and intimate narrative that captures the complexities of teenage love and experience.
LA VIDA ENTRE DOS NOCHES: HONORABLE MENTION
A beautifully acted, hard-hitting narrative of a father’s daily struggle to care for his disabled son in an indifferent world. Set in the period of one day this film dramatically evokes the father’s continuous battle.
EL CRÉDITO: BEST DIRECTION
An absorbing tale with a surprising twist. It displays the director’s craft in creating a lively, well-acted narrative that skillfully melds dramatic genres.
HISTORIAS ENCONTRADAS: BEST EDITING
Entertaining and clever episodic comedy. As each tale evolves, the rhythm of the film keeps us amused and involved, thanks to the lively editing.
ANA MORPHOSE: BEST ANIMATION
A clever, intriguing, amusing animated fantasy. It explores the transformative power of books as it follows a girl’s adventures in an imaginary paper world.
 
DOCUMENTARIES:
EL ECO DE SU VOZ: BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
We are moved by this portrayal of a mother who mourns her daughter, victim of femicide. We follow her as she grieves and fights for justice, defying unresponsive authorities that won’t act to prosecute the killer.
DYSTOPIA: HONORABLE MENTION
For its commitment to tracking for more than a decade an important story about urban gentrification.A sober and empathetic look at changes in the social fabric of a Portuguese city’s working class, including Roma communities.
Congratulations to all of the winners of LIFFY 2023! In our minds, ALL of the participants are winners!
¡Felicitaciones a todos los premiados de LIFFY 2023!
Nosotros consideramos a TODOS los participantes ganadores.