We want to say thank you to all our new fans who attended and filmmakers who graced us with their presence and fabulous discussions. Lighthouse Lens Film Festival had a successful inaugural year thanks to all of you!
Here are the results of first year accolades.
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
Keep an eye out later this year for Year 2 of Lighthouse Lens Film Festival and any “surprise” showings that may occur before our next festival. We thank you all. Please spread the news that we are not like all the other festivals!
MISSION & OBJECTIVE:
LLFF: Lighthouse Lens Film Festival has been created to carry on the spirit of what NHdocs brought to the New Haven area: bringing filmmakers and cinephiles together. Especially with the loss of a movie cinema in New Haven, we intend to bring the best of what many do not get the opportunity to see and experience in a theatrical setting with not only documentaries but also fiction films; shorts and features. The goal of LLFF is to bring people together to promote synergy amongst viewers and artists, to spotlight subjects worthy of discussion, and to share knowledge for a better understanding of the world around us. Though a focus on the local and northeastern community, LLFF has future intentions to showcase not only local films but films of international importance that bring the world more into focus for the viewers.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Following in the vein of what has been done in New Haven, we are looking for documentaries that engage and enlighten, and fiction films that enhance the understanding of subjects of import using the additional tools within the fictional storytelling format.
A 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.
This festival will be held within New Haven County.
OUR PHILOSOPHY:
Lighthouse Lens Film Festival seeks to build a sense of community among filmmakers from the greater New Haven area, around Connecticut, and the world. Due to it is the first time since the early 20th century that New Haven does not have a public cinema, we strongly feel that there is a need to have people be able to see and discuss films (often with filmmakers) that are not the Hollywood blockbusters but 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 area filmmakers work as independents, some teach at local universities, while others rely on various kinds of day jobs. We look forward to screening work that has been or will be shown at prominent International Film Festivals, but we also show work being made by local filmmakers whose work has not found the kind of recognition it deserves. We also look to faculty and students in the city’s schools and nearby universities to bring us new filmmakers.
OUR ORIGINS:
Lighthouse Lens Film Festival (LLFF) comes via some of the members of the now-shuttered NHdocs. With guidance from that festival, we continue on in a similar fashion but with the addition of fiction films, retaining the firm belief that knowledge is power, and film an avenue to obtain that knowledge.
THE ORGANIZERS:
Tony Sudol (Executive Director/Lead Programmer/Technical Adviser) 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.
Katherine Kowalczyk (Director) has been making art for the over 30 years including photography, installations and paintings. She has been organizing screenings for over 15 years.
THE LIGHTHOUSE LENS FILM AWARD:
The Lighthouse Lens film award will be given for the best documentary feature and short, best fiction feature and short, as well as best editing and best cinematography, as voted on by our jurors.
STUDENT COMPETITION
LIGHTHOUSE LENS STUDENT COMPETITION 2025,
Rules:
1. Student must be a resident of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, or attend a school in that state, for their documentary to be eligible. You must supply a valid college/university email. NOTE: Students who attend schools in Boston are NOT eligible to submit.
2. Documentary and/or fiction films must be completed after January 1, 2024.
3. For university students, they must have begun their documentary 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. All films screened at the festival will receive a certificate of participation. An awards ceremony will follow the screening of student films.
5. Films will only be officially accepted once the requisite media for the screening has been received.
6. Submission must be a completed work.
We need your film submitted by May 15,2025. Submission is a reduced rate of $5.
Rules & Terms for Student Competition
PLEASE READ:
We do NOT pay screening fees.
We are looking for documentaries/fiction films completed after January 2024.
Student films are permitted to have been screened previously at their learning institutions.
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 at 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.
