Blog

The festival in London is underway! The Queen’s Jubilee holiday is bringing such a festive spirit to our screenings, and we are thrilled to be meeting so many wonderful filmgoers. After an incredible opening night, we are so excited to see what the rest of the festival brings. As a tribute to our London location, we opened the festival with two local films. Both features screening, Leila and Stealing Elvis, were made by filmmakers from the area. This was a fantastic way to begin our festival and the turnout was amazing!

Screenings today have already begun on London time, including Bed Stuy: Do or Die and New York Showcase. Tonight we will be showing two fantastic films, Superheroes and Act Naturally. With filmmakers present tonight, we are looking forward to some wonderful Q&As that you will not want to miss. Tickets are still available for these screenings, purchase them here!

After closing a fantastic United Film Festival – New York, we are looking ahead to our next location in London! We are thrilled to be coming to the Roxy Bar and Screen June 3rd-5th, and we would love for you to be there! With a whole new venue, we are hoping to bring a completely new group of talented filmmakers out to experience some wonderful movies. The lineup is incredible and we are honored to feature such a high quality of work.

Along with some fantastic Q&As, our special events include a feature screening of Leila, a film made by local filmmakers from London. As a special engagement we will also be screening a double feature of classic films including An American Werewolf in London and The Shining. These tickets will be sold separately or at a special price of just £10 for both!

Click here to view the full London schedule and buy tickets, we can’t wait to see you there!

We are so excited to announce that results are in for our award winners in New York! Thank you to all who participated in the festival this year, we are thrilled to be able to collaborate with filmmakers to showcase such an amazing quality of work.

Jury Awards

Feature Length Narrative: It’s In the Blood

Feature Length Documentary: More Than Me

Short Film: Love After Sunrise

Student Short Film: Police Tape

Audience Awards

Feature Length Narrative: Eagles In the Chicken Coop

Feature Length Documentary: GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling

Short Film: One Punch at a Time

The festival is going strong with only one more week left! There have be so many fantastic screenings so far, and we are thrilled to get such strong support from audiences here in New York. From the great crowd reaction to Eagles in the Chicken Coop to the politically charged discussion that went on for over an hour outside the theatre after 5 Days in Denver, it has been an incredible experience to say the least.

Not only have we been excited supporters of the festival to see the films, we have also been extremely impressed with the filmmakers this year. To show our appreciation for the quality of work they have produced, we are proud to award certain filmmakers with Jury Awards each year. This year we are proud to announce the first two winners from the United Film Festival – New York! The Jury Award for Best Narrative goes to It’s In the Blood directed by Scooter Downey. The winner of the Jury Award for Best Documentary is More Than Me, starring Jim Breuer and directed by William Philbin.

Congratulations to our Jury Award Winners! Make sure to check the schedule for the rest of the screenings this week and buy your tickets here today!

The festival is under way and we already are thrilled to see such a great turnout. With so many amazing films screening this year, we had no doubt our festival goers would be satisfied. If you have not purchased your tickets yet, check the full schedule and buy tickets here!

Just to give you a look at what is to come, here are some special events happening during the festival. First, a special appearance by Tonier ‘Neen’ Cain from the documentary Healing Neen. She will be present at the Q&A of her screening to answer audience questions and give an personal look at her incredible story. We are also excited to have Dan Schechter, Director of Supporting Characters, who will be at the screening of the film to accept the jury award for Best Feature Length Narrative! We are also pleased to announce two classic films that will be screening on closing night of the festival, May 17th! First Blood will be screening at 7:00pm, followed by Predator at 9:30pm.

With so many amazing screenings and Q&As, we hope you will come join us for the United Film Festival – New York running May 11th-17th!

The United Film Festival – New York opens tonight and we are thrilled to be screening an incredible lineup this year. We are returning to the Cobble Hill Cinemas with some amazing films screening each night. Opening night will begin with two features and a fun block of short films. First at 5:15m is our short film block entitled ‘Fairytales Revisited.’ This block features Katieland, Children Of the Air, and Auf Wiedersehen Papa (Goodbye Daddy). After that, we kick off with the first features, Eagles In the Chicken Coop at 7:00pm followed by It’s In the Blood at 9:30pm. Each feature is paired with two shorts that play right before the film.

We cannot wait to see you at the festival! We are so proud of our lineup this year and want you to enjoy all the incredible films we are screening. Click here to view the entire schedule and buy tickets now!

First we would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the United Film Festival – Los Angeles this year. It was the best festival we have had in LA thus far, and we hope it only continues to grow from here. The fantastic turnout of filmmakers and audiences only solidified the fact that the support for the festival is stronger than ever before. We would like to congratulate all the filmmakers who screened at the festival, we were extremely impressed with the quality of all the films and felt honored to show them.

As the festival came to a close last week, it was incredible to see how many people flocked to celebrate with us on the last night. The closing night of the festival drew the biggest crowds and some of the most lively screenings of the whole event. It began with a wonderful short film block by the filmmakers of Finite Films. Three of their short films screened to a great crowd. The festivities continued with the screening of GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Not only was this screening close to the United Film Festival, the film was produced by Founder Jason Connell, over twenty of the original stars of GLOW were in attendance! The house was packed with people standing in the back to witness this documentary about these amazing women and their stories. The Q&A after the screening was perhaps one of the most dynamic of the festival. The fact that many of the stars of the were there to share their opinions about the film made it a fascinating event for all involved.

After the GLOW screening, we were proud to continue with the Awards Ceremony for the festival. Filmmakers were awarded for their submissions, as well as screenwriters from the Screenwriting Contest. We were also able to announce the Audience Award Winners throughout the night as ballots were counted. The evening concluded with a great screening of New York Showcase, a documentary about young performers hoping to make it on Broadway. After the final film, everyone involved with the festival headed to the after party at a local spot called The Dresden. It was a fantastic evening to celebrate all the hard work and success of the festival.

After such an amazing time here in Los Angeles, we hope to continue the success for the entire 2012 season. The United Film Festival – New York opens this Friday, May 11th at the Cobble Hill Cinemas. We will see you there for more fantastic screenings and events with our filmmakers!

The United Film Festival – Los Angeles is in full swing and so far the screenings have been incredible. To give you an update on everything you missed, let’s start from the beginning. After hearing all the great things that are happening you will most definitely want to buy your tickets immediately.

After our wonderful Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony to kickoff our 2012 season, we moved to the Los Feliz 3 Cinemas for our first screenings on Friday evening. We began with a short block called ‘Love and Romance,’ appropriately titled. Three fantastic shorts, ‘Gemalogia,’ ‘Love After Sunrise,’ and ‘Okechukwu’ screened to wonderful reviews. As early as 6:15 people were lining up for our 7:00 screening, ‘Act Naturally’ and the film played to a packed house followed by a great Q&A with the cast and crew. By 9:30 our audiences were ready for ‘The Horror of Barnes Folly,’ which also brought in a great crowd. Our midnight classic screenings of ‘Gremlins’ and ‘The Fly,’ brought nostalgic feelings as audiences came out to enjoy two great films.

Over the weekend we moved into our busiest days with five feature screenings each day. On Saturday we screened ‘To Make A Farm,’ ‘We’re Getting On,’ ‘Fools On The Hill,’ ‘Supporting Characters,’ and ‘It’s In The Blood.’ Each feature brought a really dynamic and interesting crowd of people. The feature screenings each included a set of short films which all played before the feature. If any filmmakers from the shorts were there, we gave them the opportunity to hold a Q&A. The Q&As continued with the features, which offered a fascinating opportunity to hear from the filmmakers themselves.

On Sunday we had a day of amazing documentaries. First was the screening of ‘Erasing Hate,’ followed by the hilarious and heartfelt documentary about Jim Breuer called ‘More Than Me.’ For our afternoon showing we were beyond thrilled to screen ‘Of Two Minds’ to a completely sold out house. We even had to sell standing room only seats! After that we screened ‘New Brow: Contemporary Underground Art,’ followed by the final screening of the evening, a great horror flick called ‘Dead Inside.’

We are now gearing up for a whole new week of screenings, and we would love for you to be there! Click here to view our schedule and buy tickets today!

Last night the United Film Festival kicked off the 2012 season by honoring Mark Rydell and Dabney Coleman. The event was set to start at 7:30pm, and by 6:30 supporters and fans of the dynamic duo were already lined up outside the theatre to witness the event. By the time the cement was ready, over 100 people gathered to watch Mr. Rydell and Mr. Coleman place their hands and sign their names. With so many onlookers, it was wonderful to witness the support given to the honorees. An immense amount of respect was felt the entire night for the work that Mark Rydell and Dabney Coleman achieved throughout their careers.

Before the movie began, Mr. Rydell and Mr. Coleman graciously agreed to a Q&A. In a display of true friendship, they both discussed their experiences with the film and shared some great stories. The audience was captivated as Mr. Coleman got emotional about his experience and the lifelong friends he made during production. As the Q&A began to wind down, our founder Jason Connell surprised both honorees with a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening. Both Mr. Rydell and Mr. Coleman were sincerely touched by the gesture, and it was evident that they were grateful to be receiving such an honor.

After the ceremony, the film began and audience members prepared themselves for two hours of movie magic. The film remains a staple in Hollywood history, a testament to its brilliance. In a day and age where movies rely on computer graphics and intense sound effects to keep the attention of a viewer, this film is able to achieve it with sheer talent. After the screening, the audience clapped loudly to signify their appreciation to Mark Rydell and Dabney Coleman for such unprecedented work. Thank you to everyone who came out to experience such a great evening, and congratulations to Mr. Rydell and Mr. Coleman for their Lifetime Achievement Awards.

We are so excited to announce our finalists in both short and feature categories. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted and congratulations to the finalists!

Winners will be announced on the Awards Night of our United Film Festival – Los Angeles at the Los Feliz 3 Cinemas on May 3, 2012.

Feature Comedy
Mr. Axeman by Nathan Bloch
An off-beat comedy about a desperate-to-be-cool high school senior coping with his best friend’s new-found popularity. He realizes through several social blunders who his real friends are — a 15-year-old theater geek and his sex-crazed older sister.

Playing for Home by Kathy Pyatt
The President of the United States solves a military coup for independence in Puerto Rico with a winner-take-all baseball series which challenges Hispanic loyalty in this country.

Waking The Dead by Michele Schultz
A deadbeat dad reunites his dysfunctional high school garage band to keep from losing his estranged, rock-obsessed teenage daughter.

Feature Drama
Bare Knuckle Days by Neil Chase
After saving the life of an aging mob boss, a bullied boy forms an unlikely friendship with the reluctant enforcer ordered to protect him.

Darlings by Mark Busch
A young woman with a dark secret finds herself involved with a small-time criminal only to see the situation spiral out of control into peril and crime.

Engelbert & Rabinskini by Nathaniel Stutz
A coming of age tale of a troubled 16-year-old graffiti artist, still struggling to forgive himself for his role in his father’s tragic death, and his unlikely friendship with a lonely, older gay man fighting full blown AIDS.

Feature Horror/Thriller
The Feeding Cycle by RC Speck and Daniel Maidman
Is the latest zombie menace caused by a long-dormant microbe that returned Christ from the dead? Or is it truly an act of the Devil?

Finishing School by Jennifer Cote
A young woman battles a daunting legacy that all girls in her family commit suicide on their 18th birthdays. As she unravels dark, supernatural secrets and fights to save her life, the concept of getting out of high school alive takes on a new meaning.

H. G. Wells and Vampires by Ward Parry
Before becomming a celebrated author, a young HG Wells travels through time to save mankind from vampires intent on world dominion.

Short Comedy
Close Call by Shane McCabe
A week before his wedding, Mike confesses to his two friends that his future sister-in-law tried to seduce him. Mikes friends are anxious to hear the full story but are shocked at how things played out.

Playing Through by John Harris
Two long-time golfing buddies are pushed to play faster by the group behind them. The conflict escalates into a battle never seen before on a golf course.

Sacrifice The Virgin by John Harris
A clan’s ceremony to sacrifice a virgin is threatened due to a lack of virgins.

Short Drama
The Dan Dedman Song Factory by Jeremy Burgess
When Wallace gets an unexpected phone call from one of his favorite musicians, he thinks it’s the coolest birthday present he’s ever received. But by the end of their conversation, he realizes that it might’ve been more like a wake up call.

I Love You…Me Neither by Sarah Monroe
An overweight woman must gather her courage to meet the man she’s in love with but has never seen. The promise of romance tempts her, but will she let weight prevent her from fulfilling it?

This Modern Man is Beat by David Schroeder
In a world of cultural confusion, Habib bin Habib al Fulan faces discrimination while trying to pawn his guitar and reconcile with his young wife.

Short Horror/Thriller
The Invitation by April Wolak
A woman attempting to reignite her marriage through experimental methods, encounters a dire outcome.

Revolver by Adam Hirsch
Stranded at a motel, an identity thief is forced to confront his demons after he accidentally steals the identity of a killer.

The Trouble With Eddie by Amanda Brewer
Eddie is a bit of a loner that hates his life. When he finally reaches his breaking point, he dedicates his time to becoming a killer. The only problem is, Eddie just can’t hack it. After many failed attempts, Eddie meets a girl that educates him on murder.