NEWSLETTER
Coney Island, NY -- The 25th annual installment of the Coney Island Film Festival hits the shores of Coney Island from Friday, May 2nd, through Sunday, May 4th, 2025. This year's festival features 92 films from around the world, a stunning array of high and lowbrow fare as diverse as the neighborhood it represents. Subjects range from the profound to the profane, showcasing the independent spirit and irreverent nature of the one and only Coney Island.
“For twenty-five years, our festival by the sea has gained a reputation for fostering a relaxed atmosphere where filmmakers and cinema lovers gather to enjoy a jam-packed weekend of great films and networking. We’re proud that MovieMaker Magazine named us one of the "25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" and "25 Coolest Film Festivals," said festival director Rob Leddy.
The festival will begin on Friday, May 2nd, at 7:30 PM with the New York City premiere of Brandt Johnson’s docu-comedy feature, “Rebel With a Clause.” A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on a road trip across all 50 states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time. Immediately following the screening, it’s our opening night party at the Freak Bar and Sideshows by the Seashore. It's an evening of live entertainment by the Coney Island Circus Sideshow that will kick off the festival with a riotous bang.
Documentary feature highlights include the New York City premiere of Ulisse Lendaro's “The Saint of Brooklyn” on Saturday, May 3rd, at 9pm. A young Italian-American boxer from New York's legendary Gleason's Gym who seemed destined for greatness. But when a devastating accident in the ring shatters her dreams, her world collapses. Lost in despair, Chiara finds renewed faith—a force that fuels her comeback. Rising from the ashes, she transforms into a modern 'spiritual warrior,' ready to fight not only in the ring but for her place in the world, on the gritty streets of Brooklyn.
On Sunday, May 4th, at 5pm, CIFF presents "The Fuzztones vs. The World / A Tale of Sex, LSD and Rock & Roll," directed by acclaimed filmmaker Danny Garcia, which chronicles the highs and lows of an extraordinary band, The Fuzztones, whose career spans over 40 years of garage rock.
Formed in New York City in the early 80s, their redefining brand of psychedelic punk spawned an exciting new scene, and its unstoppable and charismatic leader, Rudi Protrudi, still carries on his unique vision passionately across the world today.
Feature film highlights include Sadie Bones “If That Mockingbird Don't Sing” screening on Sunday, May 4th, at 3pm. After being brutally dumped, 17-year-old Sydnie discovers she is pregnant. Seeing this as an opportunity to get her ex back and give her life direction, she decides to keep the baby. She soon realizes that this won’t be the quick fix she had hoped for and finds herself caught in a complicated love triangle and totally lost.
CIFF presents Paul Schwartz’s “Stop Time” on Saturday, May 3rd, at 6pm. STOP TIME tells the story of Peter de Vries, a famed photographer, trapped in grief for his deceased wife. His friends and family try to shake him out of it, but it's a chance encounter with someone he's never met before that changes his point of view.
And keeping with annual tradition, the festival will screen the 1979 Coney Island classic The Warriors at 10pm on Saturday, May 3rd.
The Coney Island Film Festival offers a huge variety of shorts: dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation, experimental, made in Coney Island, horror, sci-fi, and music videos are all represented, making CIFF a festival with something for everyone!
Short highlights include Razid Season’s “Elijah.” Haider, a Bengali Muslim taxi driver, faces the reality that the American Dream may never be his. Cameron Tyler Carr's “Harlem Fragments” is an Afrofuturist scrapbook storytelling of a Harlem Black family's beautiful destruction during the 2008 recession.
Three programs featuring films that use Coney Island as a backdrop screen on Saturday, May 3rd, at 3pm and 6pm and wrap up the festival on Sunday, May 4th, at 6pm.
Event details are as follows:
Coney Island Film Festival
May 2-4, 2025
Films screen at Sideshows by the Seashore (ground floor) and the Coney Island Museum (2nd floor), both located at 1208 Surf Ave., between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th St. in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Take the D, F, N, or Q lines to the Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue stop. Both screening venues are within easy walking distance of the subway.
Tickets:
Full Festival Pass (excludes "The Warriors"): $50
Opening Night Party - $25
Individual Programs - $10
Special Event: The Warriors—$12
Advanced tickets for all programs and events are available online. Remaining tickets and passes, if available, may be purchased at our box office.
For the full schedule and tickets, visit www.coneyisland.com
Members of the media seeking press passes should contact us in advance.
High-resolution images are available upon request.
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Contact:
Rob Leddy – Festival Director
info@coneyislandfilmfestival.com