http://www.clubplanet.com/Articles/2272/Upcoming-NYC-Film-Festivals
When summer in the city comes to an end, New Yorkers celebrate two things: no more ice-cream truck symphonies, and a wave of film festivals. So you should stop splurging on bikini and summer dresses and start filling the piggy bank. Or should you? Off-Hollywood films don’t make you pay through nose (one multiplex ticket equals two to three tequila shots—not worth it). Some of these festivals are already winding down, and some are just starting to generate buzz. Do
When: Wednesdays thru August 27
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park
3205 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11106
Facts: Weather permitting / Free admission
Not only does The Museum of the Moving Image screen the best movies in Queens; it also constitutes the cutest cultural landmark in Astoria. They’ve partnered up with another Astoria high-brow hot-spot— Socrates Sculpture Park, offering an outer-borough alternative to Bryant Park. Among this year’s highlights are Fellini’s 8 ½, Academy award-nominated Persopolis, and international horror hit The Host from South Korea. As if that wasn’t enough for a scintillating night, the organizers invited a number of bands and performers who will entertain the audience with live music before the screenings. All that under the bare sky.
Click here for more info on Outdoor Cinema 2008, Queens NY
When: July 30 – Aug 14
Where: Walter Reade Theater @ Lincoln Center
70 Lincoln Center Plz
New York, NY 10023
212-875-5600
Facts: General Admission:
$11 public
$8 senior
$7 Film Society member & student (w/ID), child (6-12, accompanied by an adult).
Lincoln Center probably organizes more festivals in a year than all the other venues in New York. Since 2008 they’ve hosted the Romanian Film Festival and a string of movies all made in 1968. This time, Walter Reade Theatre spoils us with some retro Japanese movies, including the brain children of the world cinema mogul, Akira Kurosawa- like one of his most memorable works, Rashomon; or Nagisa Oshima’s Boy. The festival consists of 24 masterworks by eight directors: Akira Kurosawa, Nagisa Oshima, Kaneto Shindo, Shohei Imamura, Sumiko Haneda, Kon Ichikawa, Yoki Yamada, and Seijun Suzuki—all of whom were at some point awarded with the Kawakita award.
Click here for more info on Japanese Screen Classics, New York NY
When: Thursday, August 21, 2008
Where: The New York Times Building
TheTimesCenter
242 West 41st St.
New York, NY
Facts: $30 Advance/$35 At the Door
(The Korea Society members, $25)
The Korean Society in New York has visibly taken off, as evinced by the number of film festivals they launch. Their 2008 film festival presents 14 titles of features (they also plan a festival of shorts soon), including Chang Youn-hyun’s Hwang Jin-Yi, Jeon Yoon-soo’s Le Grand Chef and Jeon Soo-il’s With a Girl of Black Soil. Don’t miss the after-party with director Chang Youn-hyun and actor Yoo Ji-tae (Hwang Jin-Yi, Oldboy, Nightmare). Korean cinema is doing better than ever. Who knows, maybe the Bollywood factor is shifting North.
Click here for more info on The Korean Film Festival, New York NY
When: Sep 5 – 25
Where: Walter Reade Theater @ Lincoln Center
70 Lincoln Center Plz
New York, NY 10023
212-875-5600
Facts: General Admission:
$11 public
$8 senior
$7 Film Society member & student (w/ID), child (6-12, accompanied by an adult).
Ultra-cool hits like Amores Perros and Pan’s Labyrinth still resonate in the head of every dedicated cinephile. Latinbeat 2008 gathers all the watchable gems from south of the border, creating a mishmash of 28 diverse titles from high- and low-profile directors; including Latin America's newest cinematic force, Chile. The big names also include many new and popular Puerto Rican directors, as well as an adaptation of the work of Brazilian writer Machado de Assis.
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
When: September 19-20
Where: Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
212-316-4962
Shorts are good for those of little patience, but not the best choice for a date night. Still, you shouldn’t miss the eclectic selection prepared at one of the most popular film festivals in the metro area. Created by filmmakers David Barba, James Pellerito and Jennifer Pellerito, NYC Shorts features international and home productions that include almost all genres: drama, comedy, documentary, lgbt, student, foreign language, children's and animation. All the films are G Rated and supposed to be kid-friendly. Some of the production countries are United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, Brazil, China, India and Japan, so start learning some languages (I never trust the subtitles) and prepare for a multi-cultural patchwork of images. This year's slate of 31 titles (divided among two Wednesday evening programs, two Friday evening programs, and a Saturday morning children's program) are packed to the brim with intriguing, insightful stories.
Click here for more info on the 4th Annual NYC Short Film Festival, New York NY
When: September 28
Where: Spring Street
326 Spring Street
New York, New York
Facts: Free and ppen to the public
Don’t be fooled by the name: the Manhattan Short Film Festival is not a uniquely NYC treat. The screenings are now scattered all around Europe, South and North America and Australia. It all started 10 years ago when founder Nicholas Mason projected 14 short films onto the side of a truck parked on a downtown Manhattan street. A year after that, the official Manhattan Short film Festival kicked off at Union Square. Ditching the celebrity-studded jury that used to choose the winner, the festival organizers passed that privilege to the people in 2004. The festival is open for film submissions, so don’t expect a Hollywood-level selection. Expect more—open-mindedness, creativity and exploration of new ideas and cinematic techniques.
Click here for more info on The Manhattan Short Film Festival, New York NY
When: September 26-28
Where: Sideshows By The Seashore
They may tear down the amusement park, but nothing will kill the invincible spirit of Coney Island, as proved by their local film festival. Take that, industrialists. Traditionally, the CIFF features a variety of different styles of moviemaking, including both narrative and documentary shorts, features, experimental films, animation and music videos. This year adds an experiment of a new silent movie to that teeming assortment. Part of the proceeds will contribute to the non-profit arts organization, Coney Island USA. The festival’s infamous opening night extravaganza features live performance and burlesque. Talk about off-off-Hollywood.
Click here for more info on The Coney Island Film Festival, Brooklyn NY
When: September 26 - October 12, 2008
Where: Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W 54th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 307-1862
Facts: Premiering the best in cinema from around the world.
Get ready for 17 days of top-shelf cinema from world-recognized film moguls as well as up-and-coming artists. The mother of NYC film festivals opens with a movie by Laurent Cantet, The Class (Entre les murs)— the Palme d’Or winner for Best Picture at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Make sure to also check out the documentary Realm of Oshima by the legendary French director and philosopher Guy Debord .
Click here for more info on the New York Film Festival, New York NY
