Started by Marco Ursino, Susan Mackell, Abe Schrager, and Mario Pegoraro in 1998, its mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema."
BFF awards filmmakers over $80,000 in prizes in the form of cash, film services, and products.
Executive director Marco Ursino has been immersed in the entertainment industry in both the US and Italy for the past 33 years.
He has written several screenplays, worked in production design, and produced independent documentaries and feature films, including his own, Clouds of Magellan, which he wrote and directed.
He joined BFF following a successful career in film production, distribution and new media development in 1998.
Director of development Susan Mackell has 19 years of public relations experience working on the PR program for the American College for the Applied Arts in London and Atlanta, Georgia.