Western New York Refugee Film Festival
Welcome to the WNY Refugee Film Festival!
For those attending our film festival for the first time, you are in for a treat. For those who have joined us for previous seasons, welcome back! There’s plenty of seating in our virtual theater for everyone. Wherever you live, you can show buffalove to our newest arrivals to the City of Good Neighbors by attending the 5th season of the WNY Refugee Film Festival, Buffalo’s signature cultural event amplifying the voices and lived experiences of refugees.
We are so excited to celebrate our film festival's fifth anniversary in 2023 with a lineup of extraordinary films from around the world. This season we will screen six award-winning films featuring the stories and voices of refugees from Uganda, Syria, Congo, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. You can view trailers and film synopses on this website and register for your Ambassador Film Pass for all six films.
When we first brainstormed in early 2017 about a fundraising event for our programs and services for refugees, we wanted to offer something that was unique and unforgettable. We were also blessed to inherit an intimate, state-of-the-art theater from a previous tenant in our new office space. What could be more in keeping with our agency's ethos of innovation and creativity to meet the challenges of refugee resettlement than to do an event that would not just raise funds, but also educate, enlighten, and entertain?
Thus, the first annual WNY refugee film festival was launched in the fall of 2017, featuring films and occasional special guest speakers in our theater. We took pride in ourselves in being the first film festival of its kind in the U.S. But due to the pandemic, we had to quickly channel that Journey's End spirit of ingenuity to find a new home for the film festival. We found our online platform to be the perfect choice to increase the reach of our outstanding films, host compelling talkbacks with guest speakers for every film, and keep our audience safe and comfortable.
We also made the decision to make the films available free of charge, and instead rely on the generosity and support of viewers to make donations towards the work of Journey's End and show their appreciation for our awesome film festival. You all did not disappoint, and we had our best season ever in 2022. We will continue to keep the WNY Refugee Film Festival virtual and free for these reasons, so you can continue to join us in the comfort of your own homes; host fun viewing parties with friends and family; and hopefully make our milestone fifth season even more successful than the previous four.
We are still looking for corporate and community sponsors. Have an idea or contact? Email: tdeluca@jersbuffalo.org or access our sponsorship package. For more information on our films, enjoy browsing our festival website and watching the amazing trailers. Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and views on refugee issues and, of course, the film festival. And feel free to visit the Journey’s End website to learn more about our many programs and services for our refugee community.
