Volunteers and interns wanted for Buffalo Niagara Film Festival

The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival is now seeking volunteers and interns (someone who is self-motivated, creative and well-organized) for events taking place April 1-17 at the Barton Hill Hotel & Spa in Lewiston, at The Tonawanda Castle in Tonawanda, and surrounding Buffalo/Niagara Falls areas.

The next volunteer meeting will take place at the Tonawanda Castle at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 12.

Students and volunteers will act as a liaison between the film festival and festival sponsors and organizers. They will coordinate and run events with local theaters; correspond with filmmakers, production companies and media outlets; shoot, edit, design and produce promotional materials, videos and Web content; and assist with the day-to-day running of the film festival.

If you think you've got what it takes and are committed to helping BNFF achieve this goal, send Bill an email at [email protected], call 716-693-0912 or simply fill out the volunteer form at http://thebnff.com/volunteer/.

Special highlights this year will be a comic-con, awards ceremony and Fallen Soldiers event. Some additional highlights include a special premier of "Game Changers" on April 14 by local resident Robert Imbs; a world premiere of Stanley Isaacs' new documentary film "It's Always About the Story: Conversations With Alan Ladd Jr." on April 15; and a 20-year reunion premiere of Larry Bishop's "Mad Dog Time" (starring Diane Lane, Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Gabriel Byrne, Billy Idol, Rob Reiner) on April 15 complete with special appearances and never-before-seen "behind the scenes" footage.

Among some of the special guests and presenters for this years event will be Timothy Payne (a local double-amputee Army Airborne soldier and recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama); actor Stephen Lang ("Avatar"); actress Camren Bicondova (Catwoman on "Gotham"); actor and Buffalo native Chad Michael Murray ("Agent Carter," "One Tree Hill"), Frank Dux (subject of "Bloodsport"); Larry Bishop (writer, director, actor and son of Joey Bishop); and Stanley Isaacs (writer/producer/director, "Raptor Island," "Gross Anatomy"; husband of Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who is currently the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president).