Long Beach International Film Festival facts for kids
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| Location | Long Beach, New York, United States |
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| Founded | 2012 |
| Festival date | Late September |
| Language | International |
| Website | http://www.longbeachfilm.com |
The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) is an exciting event that celebrates movies from all over the world! It started in 2012 and happens every year in Long Beach and Rockville Centre, New York. This festival is all about sharing amazing stories told through films.
The LBIFF shows different kinds of movies, like short films, fiction films, and documentaries. Its main goal is to show movies that have fresh ideas and different ways of looking at the world.
History of the Film Festival
The Long Beach International Film Festival first began in the late summer of 2012. At its very first event, it showed nine short films and documentaries.
A big challenge happened on October 29, 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit Long Beach. The storm caused a lot of flooding. The only movie theater in the city, Long Beach Cinemas, was completely destroyed. Because the theater was gone and the city was rebuilding, the 2013 festival was almost canceled.
But the festival's founders, Ingrid Dodd and Craig Weintraub, didn't give up! They got a special grant of $20,000 from Nassau County. This money helped them organize a smaller festival for 2013, keeping the movie magic alive.
A fun part of the LBIFF each year is "Shorts on the Beach." During this event, movies are shown right on the sands of Long Beach! Everyone can come and watch for free.
In 2015, the festival took place in Long Beach and Rockville Centre from September 24 to 27. That year, the festival showed over 50 films from around the world. These included longer story films, documentaries, short films, animated movies, and even films made by students.
Awards and Celebrations
The Long Beach International Film Festival is a competition where filmmakers can win awards! The festival gives out prizes in many different categories. The main awards ceremony is called the "Gala Awards Ceremony." It happens on the last Sunday night of the festival. Awards are given based on what the jury (a group of judges) decides, special festival honors, and what the audience likes best.
