The Sparrow Film Project’s 10th Anniversary Gala

Earlier this month, the Sparrow Film Project celebrated not only its 15th Edition, bu also its 10-year anniversary. A record 104 teams participated in the film-making competition this year, which sees teams create three-minute films based on a prompt or assignment in just three weeks. SFP also partnered with YouTooCanWoo, a Brooklyn-based music studio and record label which provided musical scores for the films.

The films were completed by the beginning of December, and then Astoria was given a sneak peek as they made their way through several local bars, playing a few at each one. On Thursday, December 6, the gala and awards ceremony was held at the Museum of the Moving Image, with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and, of course, plenty of style.

The gala kicked off with a cocktail hour, as usual, and then every filed into the theater to take in the movies. This year, the filmmakers were given a piece of art, like a painting or sculpture, as the inspiration for their film, but were allowed to take the inspiration in any direction, so the interpretations were all as unique as the filmmakers themselves. After the screening, the awards were handed out for the best actors, directors, effects, editing, and more.

And needless to say, the winners were more than a little excited. In addition to providing scores for the films, YouTooCanWoo also provided music for the gala, with some of their DJs in attendance. An afterparty took place at The Bonnie.

The Sparrow Film Project has come a long way since its inception in 2008, where filmmakers and artists picked made-up movie titles out of a hat, and the awards ceremony was held at Sparrow Tavern, but it hasn’t lost the creative and quirky spirit that celebrates imagination, art, and community.

If you missed the gala or the bar crawl, you can check out this year’s films on YouTube, as well as films from years past. If you’ve seen them, let us know which was your favorite!