Documentary Wins Top Honors for #GLCFF2024

ANNOUNCEMENT

๐ŸŽ‰ Congratulations to the 2024 Great Lakes Christian Film Festival 1st Place Overall Winner! ๐ŸŽ‰

We are thrilled to announce that the 1st Place Overall Film at this yearโ€™s festival is the extraordinary documentary feature “The Ark and the Darkness” from Sevenfold Films! Directed and written by Ralph Strean and produced by Dan Biddle, this compelling film captivated our audience and judges alike, delivering a powerful and illuminating story.

“The Ark and the Darkness” delves deep into history, faith, and the search for truth, blending insightful storytelling with beautiful visuals. Itโ€™s a journey that explores ancient mysteries with fresh perspectives, making it a must-watch documentary that inspires and educates.

Director Ralph Strean

Watch the Trailer: [Trailer Link]

Congratulations to Ralph Strean, Dan Biddle, and the entire Sevenfold Films team for this well-deserved recognition! Thank you for creating a film that has resonated so strongly within our community.

View all the results from the 2024 Great Lakes Christian Film Festival!

SELECTIONSNOMINEESWINNERSAWARDS CEREMONY

The film voted by the jurors Best of the Fest goes to the documentary The Ark and The Darkness.ย 

still shot of “The Ark and the Darkness”

1st โ€“ย The Ark and the Darknessย [documentary feature] from Sevenfold Films; director and writer: Ralph Strean; producer: Dan Biddle [trailer].

Selections | Nominees | Winners | Ceremony

[Laurel Center]ย [Order Awards]

Press Release: #GLCFF2024 Kicks Off October 17-20 in Buffalo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!

(Buffalo, New York, October 9, 2024) We are proud to announce our 10th annual Great Lakes Christian Film Festival, October 17-20, 2024, 9am – 9pm, at Bread of Life Church, 1638 South Park Ave, Buffalo, NY 14220. We will feature over 50 faith-based and family friendly films from around the globe, from Documentary and Narrative Features, to Student Shorts and Music Videos. In addition will have workshops, industry panels, and conclude with an Awards Ceremony, Sunday Night at 6pm. Cost ranges from $12 to $199 (VIP). Group discounts available for FIVE or more attendees.
Panel Discussions and Workshops scheduled, include two sessions hosted by David Heavener, a 35-year veteran in Hollywood as Actor, Producer, and Director. Saturday Night at 7 pm we will screen the premiere of the film Lucy and the Lake Monster, starring Western New York Actors DG Peltan, Lori Francisco-Peltan, and Shawn Patrick Greene, directed by Richard Rossi. PLUS, Frank Rossi, of Buffalo Film Casting, will discuss his involvement in casting for the film from Angel Studios, Cabrini.
More details including some of the film trailers on our website:ย www.glcff.com
If you would like to volunteer let us know by filling out the form:ย https://glcff.com/support/volunteers/
Shawn Patrick Greene
Executive Director
716-563-5984
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OFFICIAL FULL PRESS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Great Lakes Christian Film Festival Returns for its 10th Edition
October 17-20, 2024 at the Bread of Life Church in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, NY โ€“ October 9, 2024 โ€“ The Great Lakes Christian Film Festival (GLCFF) is thrilled to announce its 10th annual celebration of faith-based films and filmmakers. The festival will take place from October 17-20, 2024, at the Bread of Life Church in Buffalo, NY. Over the past decade, GLCFF has grown into one of the premier events in Christian cinema, showcasing films from around the world that inspire, uplift, and encourage audiences.

Founded in 2014 by Shawn Patrick Greene, GLCFF has become a beacon for faith-based filmmakers, offering them a platform to share their stories and creative visions. This yearโ€™s festival promises to be a memorable event, featuring an exciting lineup of feature films, documentaries, shorts, and student films, all centered on themes of hope, faith, and redemption.

Highlights of the 2024 Festival Include:

  • Film Screenings: More than 50 films from around the globe will be featured, including award-winning projects, thought-provoking documentaries, and inspiring short films.
  • Special Guests and Speakers: Renowned Christian filmmakers, actors, and producers will be in attendance for panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and workshops.
  • Networking Opportunities: GLCFF provides an invaluable platform for Christian filmmakers to connect, collaborate, and celebrate their craft together.
  • Awards Ceremony: The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in various categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, and the Audience Choice Award.

This yearโ€™s venue, Bread of Life Church, provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for festival attendees, making it the perfect backdrop for a weekend of faith and fellowship. The church is located in the heart of Buffalo, a city known for its vibrant arts and culture scene.

Tickets and Registration: Tickets are available now for single-day passes, full festival passes, and group rates. To purchase tickets and see the full schedule of events, visit the official GLCFF website at http://www.glcff.com.

About the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival: The Great Lakes Christian Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating films that reflect Christian values. Since its inception, GLCFF has brought together filmmakers and audiences to experience films that entertain, inspire, and challenge in a Christ-centered way. The festival seeks to promote positive media and to support filmmakers in their mission to impact the world through storytelling.

For media inquiries, interviews, and press passes, please contact:

Shawn Patrick Greene
Founder/Director, Great Lakes Christian Film Festival
Email:glcffest@gmail.com
Phone: (716) 253-1870โ€ฌ
Website: http://www.glcff.com

Join us this October as we celebrate faith, film, and fellowship in the heart of Buffalo!

MEDIA CONTACT:
Shawn Patrick Greene
Great Lakes Christian Film Festival
glcffest@gmail.com
Phone: (716) 253-1870โ€ฌ
Website: http://www.glcff.com

 

Announcing #GLCFF2024 Dates and Selections

Greetings filmmakers, fans, actors and supporters of Christian Films!ย 

Thanks to everyone of you that submitted your projects to our festival this year. Without you, there would be no festival. We have completed the selection process for this year’s film festival. The 2024 Great Lakes Christian Film Festival (#GLCFF2024) is gearing up for some great events, screenings and networking opportunities.

We are made the final plans for hosting this years festival in Buffalo, New York this fall. We are excited about having our host the film fest, as it is near on of the Seven Wonders of the World “Niagara Falls” so get bring your passports, if you want to visit the Canadian side.

Volunteer opportunities are available with perks! GLCFF 2024 Volunteer Interest Form: https://forms.gle/zRAj15ehDwhm2ET28

GLCFF Tickets QR Code

Dates are October 17-20 and venue is Bread of Life Church. Nominations will roll out in a few weeks. Awards will be presented at the conclusion of the festival.

Tickets for the festival go on sale on August 1st. ( click for more details ).

We look forward to seeing you all!

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

 

We will be releasing trailers of selections in the coming weeks. You can check out these trailers and teasers of some of the official selections for this year below or go to our YouTube Channel. A complete list of the 2024 Official Selections can be found HERE.

Updates:

 

#GLCFF2018 It’s A Wrap!

SUCCESS!!

GLCFF Festival Founder and Director – Shawn Patrick Greene

What a fantastic time we had this weekend at the Millennium Hotel in Buffalo, New York for the 4th annual Great Lakes Christian Film Festival, with over 80 films screened during the 4 day event (August 2-5, 2018).

We kicked it off at the Bread of Life Church in South Buffalo screening many foreign, student, shorts films, capped off with a stand up comedy documentary.ย The remainder of the festival was held at the Hotel from Friday to Sunday with a jam packed schedule, screening 14 hours of film on Friday and again on Saturday, then 8 more hours on Sunday before the finale.

Saturday afternoon, we had some incredible speakers and guests, each sharing their unique workshops on various topics, including Hollywood Exposed (Tina Marie Griffin), Kindness Activity (Phillip E Walker), Screenwriting (DonnaMarie Vaughan), and Marketing for Movies (Sharon Wilharm). We also had a great group discussion on the Film Financing and Distribution, with various industry professionals, Producers, Directors, Writers, and Marketing people.ย We ended the workshops with a Buffalo-style dinner with Pizza and Wings from a local Pizzeria called Johnny’s.

Mercedes E Wilson hosted the Awards Ceremony Sunday Night giving us a glimpse of her vocal talent leading us in a song to our Lord Jesus. The ceremony was very intimate as we came together after a long weekend to celebrate each other and congratulate the selections, nominees, finalists, and winners of this year’s festival.

We have already see the fruit of our labor as many films over the years have been picked up for distribution or broadcasting, as well as, listing as a top seller on streaming websites, like Genesis: Paradise Lost (GLCFF 2018 winner of Best Producer for a Documentary and Best Narration). We are excited when these hardworking production teams get their reward for their efforts.

THANK YOU

I personally want to thank the volunteers that helped us throughout the festival that made it a success.says Shawn Patrick Greene, Executive Director and Founder.

Carl Bailey (Photographer/Filmmaker) helped us tremendously Saturday during the workshops, assisting the presenters and documenting the sessions. He was also on last year’s Producer/Director Panel Discussion for 2017.

Linda Mesi (Actress/Production Assistant) was instrumental in keeping things organized during Sunday Night’s Awards Ceremony. She has participated and supported our festival from day one in 2015.

Gary Rubrick is a member of the Bread of Life Church and has assisted, since the inaugural year in 2015, in the production, programming, and organization behind the scenes of Sunday Awards Ceremony.

Rosemarie Feliciano for her help in transporting equipment and materials to and from the event. Another one that has helped since day one, not to mention the mother of my autistic daughter Moriah.

Sean Brennan (TCT Studio Manager, Buffalo) believed in our vision and mission and gave us an opportunity to be a guest on TCT’s local programming twice, to promote our festival. Sean also donated his audio equipment for the workshops this year.

We want to thank all of our partners, sponsors, supporters, promoters, members, volunteers, attendees, judging panel, presenters, and everyone that made this event a complete success. It couldn’t be done without your help.

All Glory and Honor goes to our King and our God, Jesus the Christ!

SAVE THE DATE!!

 

Sunday Night Movie @ The Bread [8-21-16] @bolbuffalo #GLCFF2016

Sunday Night Movie @ The Bread
Faith-based Double Feature!

FREE family movie night TONIGHT Aug 21, 2106, starting at 5pm at the Bread of Life Church, 1638 South Park Ave, Buffalo, NY 14220. We are screening 2 feature films back-to-back. A short film will screen before each feature.

SCHEDULE CHANGE!!

5pm
Heaven to Earth [short] (25:18)
A troubled teen is taken on an unbelievable journey through time by an angelic guide to experience the true story of Christmas and discover his own story of redemption.

Hoovey [feature] (1:31:00)
The inspiring and true story of a Midwestern basketball family that, with Godโ€™s help, stayed in the game and won. When promising high school basketball player Eric โ€œHooveyโ€ Elliott collapses on the court, doctors discover a life-threatening brain tumor. Hoovey will survive the high-risk surgery, but at what cost? Can he relearn to walk, read, even to see clearly? The road is long, and meanwhile overwhelming medical bills threaten to undo everything his parents, Jeff and Ruth, have taken a lifetime to build.

 

7pm
The Brotherhood [short] (10:37)
A hardbitten ex con struggles to break free of his former life and reconnect with the family he abandoned years before

Leaves of the Tree [feature] (1:32:00)
A mystical tree, shrouded in religious lore, leads a once powerful lawyer sidelined by a life threatening disease, to remote Sicily to discover the secret of the tree’s medicinal leaves. โ€œThe Tree” intersects faith, doubt and belief for all those that come into contact with its unique ability to heal.

This event is the conclusion of the 2016 Great Lakes Christian Film Festival #GLCFF2016

www.glcff.com