Welcome to our Second Annual Film Festival.
We want to say thank you to all our fans who attended and filmmakers who graced us with their presence and discussions at our inaugural year festival. Thanks to all of you!
MISSION & OBJECTIVE:
The goal of Lighthouse Lens is to bring people together, promote synergy amongst viewers and artists, spotlight subjects worthy of discussion, and share knowledge for a better understanding of the world around us. With a focus on the local and northeastern community, the Lighthouse Lens will also showcase domestic and films, bringing the world more into focus for our viewers.
OUR PHILOSOPHY:
The Lighthouse Lens Film Festival seeks to build a sense of community among filmmakers from the greater New Haven area, Connecticut, and the world. As New Haven no longer has a public cinema, we believe in creating an environment for watching and discussing films (often with filmmakers) that are not the Hollywood blockbusters. We strive to reward the viewer with knowledge and insight, with subjects that add to the allure of film as an art form, while entertaining and enlightening the viewer.
Many local filmmakers work as independents, some teach at local universities, while others rely on various kinds of day jobs. We value screening work that has been (or will be) shown at prominent International Film Festivals as well as screening works made by local filmmakers that have not yet found the recognition they deserve. We also look to faculty and students in the local schools and universities to bring us new filmmakers.
Our student competition is open to students in the Northeast United States, giving them the opportunity for their films to be seen, discussed, and celebrated in a public setting.
THE ORGANIZERS:
Katherine Kowalczyk, Executive Director, has been curating and organizing film screenings for her community for more than 15 years. Her love for the arts runs deep and extends beyond film, as proven by the photography, installations, and paintings that she has created in the last 40 years.
Michael Illian, Director/Technical Director, has been a lifetime lover of cinema. He has been a filmmaker/ cinematographer for over a decade, cultivating a deep understanding of media technology and presentation. As a technology specialist at Region 16 School District, Michael has supported and run classes on digital media production.
Mars Diebold, Operations Manager, was transplanted from south Louisiana to attend Yale University. Upon staying in New Haven, they became involved with local film festivals to connect with the community. Despite pursuing the sciences, they have filled their life with music, art, and digital media since they could walk.
Tony Sudol (Founder) has been involved in film & video production, projection of various formats of film, film archiving, and been involved in numerous film festivals. He is an advocate for the art form called film.
Here are our first year winners.
Student Film Competition:
1st place: Beyond the Deli Door by John Mastandrea
2nd place: Becoming by Joss Robinson
3rd place: Memories of My Grandmother by Miye Sugino
All the films stood out and we celebrate all the student films.
Here are the results for all the other films:
Feature Documentary: Vanishing: A Love Story by Sandra Luckow
Short Documentary: West Landing by Doug Gallo
Short Fiction: Dizzy by Zak La Roc
Cinematography: Shelf Life
Editing: The Librarians
THE LIGHTHOUSE LENS FILM AWARD:
The Lighthouse Lens film award will be given for the best documentary feature and short, best narrative feature and short, as well as best editing and best cinematography, as voted on by our jurors.
STUDENT COMPETITION
Our student competition is open for those in the Northeast United States, giving these students the opportunity for their films to be seen, discussed, and celebrated in a public setting.
LIGHTHOUSE LENS STUDENT COMPETITION 2026:
RULES:
1. Student must be a resident of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, or attend a school in that state, for their film to be eligible. You must supply a valid college/university email. NOTE: Students who attend schools in Boston or New York City are NOT eligible to submit.
2. Documentary and/or narrative films must be completed after January 1, 2025.
3. For university students, they must have begun their films before graduation and completed it within six months of graduation. Collective efforts (multiple producers, directors, etc) are encouraged but the submitted documentary must be made predominantly by a student or students who meet the criteria for eligibility.
4. Films will only be officially accepted once the requisite media for the screening has been received.
5. Submission must be a completed work.
6. Your film must submitted by May 15, 2026.
7. Submission is $5.
PLEASE READ:
• We do NOT pay screening fees.
• Student films are permitted to have been screened previously at their learning institutions.
• The submission fee is non-refundable.
• By submitting a film to LLFF, the filmmaker/submitter attests to having all necessary rights and clearances for their film to screen publicly.
• Selection of films screened is with the discrepancy of the festival directors.
• If accepted, you agree to screen your film at LLFF, you agree to deliver all screening materials promptly as requested, and you likewise agree to the Rules & Terms listed above.
• Please DO NOT submit if your film does not meet, and you do not agree to, the above requirements.
