FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * LISS VICTOR S   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. [BWFG] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC., 220 ELM STREET 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/10/2017 (Street) NEW CANAAN, CT 06840 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock               100 D (1)   Common Stock               24,910 D (2)   Common Stock 01/10/2017   A   1,000 A $ 0 1,000 D (3)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
LISS VICTOR S C/O BANKWELL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. 220 ELM STREET NEW CANAAN, CT 06840	X

Signatures

/s/ Victor S. Liss by POA		01/12/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	400 shares of restricted stock granted pursuant to the 2012 BNC Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan and will vest in four equal annual installments of 25%, with the first installment to vest on November 5, 2014 and an additional 25% to vest on each annual anniversary of the grant date thereafter. As of the Transaction Date, 300 Shares have vested.
(2)	1,000 shares of restricted stock granted pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan. The shares vest in three substantially equal installments - the first immediately on December 15, 2014 and then on each of December 3, 2015 and December 3, 2016. As of the Transaction Date, all Shares have vested.
(3)	1,000 shares of restricted stock granted on January 10, 2017, pursuant to the 2012 Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. Stock Plan and will vest in two equal annual installments of 500 shares, with the first installment to vest on December 29, 2017 and the remaining 500 shares to vest on December 31, 2018.

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