Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival To Honor Pat Kaufman With Local Service Award

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Oct. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- The award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the film and television production industry in Western New York.  Past honorees include City of Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, Buffalo-Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark, Buffalo-Niagara Film Office Director of Operations Rich Wall, and WBBZ  TV Station Manager John DiSciullo.  Kaufman served as Executive Director of the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development for 19 years, co-authoring legislation which has led to the cuurent film production boom in Western New York.


"In the past we've reserved this award for individuals who live in Western New York, and Pat lives in New York City," says Buffalo Dreams co-founder Greg Lamberson, "but her contributions to the growth of film production state-wide, including Western New York, have been so great we made an exception this year.  The influx of films shooting in the Buffalo-Niagara region can be directly attributed to the New York State Film Production Tax Credit and legislation she co-authored.  We have crew people based in Buffalo who are now able to make a living here year around because of the foundation she helped lay.  Her efforts on our behalf deserve recognition, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to thank her in person."

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival is a multi-genre event with a twofold mission: to bring the best independent films from around the world to Buffalo, and to spotlight the most talented filmmakers in the area.  This year's Opening Night Film will be Two For One, a family drama about a NYC artist who adopts the two daughters of his best friends after they perish on 9/11 and relocates them to Buffalo.  The film is a perfect example of a feature film shot in Buffalo because of the New York State Film Production Tax Credit. The multi-genre festival runs  Friday, November 4th - Thursday, Nov. 10th at Eastern Hills Cinemas in Williamsville, New York, and for two afternoons - Saturday, Nov. 12th and Sunday, Nov. 13th - at the Screening Room Cinema Cafe in the Northtown Plaza in Amherst.

About Pat Swinney Kaufman

Pat Swinney Kaufman served nineteen years under four governors as Executive Director of the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development and as Deputy Commissioner of Empire State Development. She helped to build the media industries in New York by facilitating film, television and commercial production. Ms. Kaufman ran the New York State Film Production Credit program that attracted over $13 Billion in production to New York in her last 8 years. During Ms. Kaufman's tenure, film and television production in New York reached record levels. In  2010, Pat was at the center of the successful industry wide effort to increase the program's multi-year funding to $420 million per year plus the creation and increase of a stand-alone Post Production Incentive from 10% to 30%. and establishing the New York Lounge as New York's presence at Sundance Film Festival.  She has worked on a wide range of issues including how to grow the industry across the state, establishing the commercial production tax credits, reforming the child performer laws and regulations. She and her team at MPTV were also instrumental in establishing the New York Lounge as New York's highly successful presence at the Sundance Film Festival. From 2003-2007 She served as President of the Association of Film Commissioners International.

Pat is also a great fan of Western New York and has always been committed to building Buffalo  as a major production center.  Pat is very proud that her husband Lloyd Kaufman has produced and director three films in the region (Poultrygeist, Return to Nuke'em High and Return to Return to Nuke'em High AKA Volume2)

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