The 5th Annual Festival of Cinema NYC brings in-person screenings back to the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills September 24-October 3

Festival of Cinema NYC returns for its 5th year, as a live in-person 10-day event, taking place September 24-October 3. Bookending over 120 independent films from around the world with many premieres among them, will be the Opening Night selection of John Carlucci and Brandon Laganke’s crowd favorite Drunk Bus, and the Closing Night screening of Erin Granat & Machete Bang Bang’s acclaimed LGBTQ film, Moon Manor.

Over 85 filmmakers are expected to attend Festival of Cinema NYC next month which will be hosted once again by the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills, Queens, famous for their state-of-the-art projection and sound. World premieres include Cristiano Vieira’s A Cisterna (The Well) and Samuel Tressler IV’s Leda, which will mark FOC NYC’s very first RealD 3D presentation, while Pedro von Krüger’s Any Given Day and Vishal P. Chaliha’s Sijou will make North American Premieres at the film festival.

Festival of Cinema NYC Founder and Executive Director Jayson Simba, said, “In our 5^th year, and despite the pandemic, we still continue to grow by nearly every metric – submissions, films selected, screenings, and more. We could not be more excited to return to our home at the Regal and to see these amazing films on screen and meet all of the 85 filmmakers we are expecting to join us here in Forest Hills. We pride ourselves on bringing world cinema to the many film lovers here in Queens, and this year’s lineup really delivers on that front.”

John Carlucci and Brandon Laganke’s raucous comedy Drunk Bus kicks things off on Friday, September 24. The film follows a recent college graduate whose life plan is derailed when his girlfriend leaves him for a job in New York City. However, when he runs into Pineapple, a 300-lb punk rock Samoan who challenges him with a kick in the ass to break from the loop and start living, his life will never be the same. or risk driving in circles forever. Both Carlucci and Laganke will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.

 Erin Granat and Machete Bang Bang’s Moon Manor will make its Queens Premiere on Saturday, October 2 as FOC NYC’s Closing Night selection. The film focuses on a man with advancing Alzheimer’s who decides that he will orchestrate a party of a funeral–a FUNeral, prior to his death, showing his estranged brother, salt-of-the earth caretaker, sharp-witted death doula, a novice obituary writer, a cosmic being, and everyone else the proper way to make an exit.

 Leda, Any Given Day

 Leading the premiere-rich lineup are world premieres including; Cristiano Vieira’s Brazilian thriller A Cisterna (The Well), which centers on a successful journalist and popular television host’s fight for survival when she is kidnapped and held inside a well; and Samuel Tressler IV’s Leda imaginative drama about a woman living alone at a large family estate, who begins to lose touch with reality and time, and begins to spiral into a nightmare of madness. Making their North American premieres are Pedro von Krüger’s Brazilian thriller, Any Given Day where a woman’s son goes missing inspiring him to take the investigation and matters into his own hands; and Vishal P. Chaliha’s Sijou, about a boy who becomes a victim of the Feudal Land Tenure System which enslaved people to land holding lords.

 The Singular Story of Unlucky Juan

 For its fifth year, Festival of Cinema NYC is working with the Americas Media Initiative organization to raise awareness of the current societal turmoil and political conditions in Cuba. On Tuesday September 28 at 7:00PM, the festival will be presenting the animated short film Esperanza vs. the U.S. Embargo of Cuba proceeded by Ricardo Figueredo Oliva’s documentary The Singular Story of Unlucky Juan. The screenings will be followed by a 60-minute moderated discussion with guest speakers and activists, Roberto Monticello and Isabel Alfonso leading the conversation. Proceeds from the evening’s presentation will be donated to assist in Cuban Relief efforts.

 This year’s edition of Festival of Cinema NYC is supported and made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Other major sponsors for the 2021 festival include Regal Cinemas, Resorts World Casino NYC, the NYC & Company Foundation, Techsoup, and Final Draft.

 Tickets to Festival of Cinema NYC are on sale now, and are priced at $17 for regular daily screening blocks. Red Carpet Opening and Closing night tickets are priced at $30 and include entry into the after party following those screenings. (Discounts are available, at the door, for Senior Citizens, SAG-AFTRA members, members of the Queens Economic Development Corporation, the Forest Hills Asian Association, the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, and members Community Board 6.) Tickets to Tuesday’s Fundraising Presentation on Cuba will cost $35.

 To purchase tickets and learn more information about the festival,  please visit http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/.

 

 

2021 FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

 

OPENING NIGHT SELECTION

Drunk Bus

Dir. John Carlucci & Brandon Laganke, USA, 100 min

Michael (Charlie Tahan) is a recent graduate whose post college plan is derailed when his girlfriend leaves him for a job in New York City. When the bus service hires a security guard to watch over the night shift, Michael comes face to tattooed face with Pineapple, a 300-lb punk rock Samoan who challenges him with a kick in the ass to break from the loop and start living or risk driving in circles forever.

 

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

Moon Manor                                                                          Queens Premiere

Dir. Erin Granat & Machete Bang Bang, USA, 102 min

With advancing Alzheimer’s and a determination to do things his way, Jimmy’s decided to throw himself a fabulous FUNeral before his intentional death, showing his estranged brother, salt-of-the earth caretaker, sharp-witted death doula, a novice obituary writer, a cosmic being, and the guests at his FUNeral — that sometimes the art of living just may be the art of dying.

 

Festival of Cinema NYC Taking Place at Midway Theater this Week

Festival of Cinema NYC's 3rd annual, 10-day event is taking place August 2nd to August 11th. Guests will enjoy over 120 films exhibited by state of the art projection and sound equipment in the comfort of the Regal UA Midway’s recliner seats in Forest Hills. The Festival kicked off on Friday, Aug. 2nd with the East Coast Premiere of Camilo Vila’s “5th of July” starring Jaleel White, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. On Sunday, August 11th, the festival’s Awards Celebration will be hosted by Queens Brewery in Ridgewood, Queens.

Edge of the City reporters have attended the Festival each year since it started and have had a great time each year. With more than 120 films this year from all over the world, it's one of the more culturally-enriching experiences that takes place in Forest Hills each year. It's also a great way to take a break from the steamy days of summer without having to hop on the subway or battle traffic! If you are interested in attending, see the links below for more information on this year's program and how to buy tickets.

Find the link to the full program here: http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-Full-Festival-program-guide.pdf

Tickets and showtimes are available from the Festival's website: http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/

Festival of Cinema NYC Announces Film Lineup for 3rd Annual Event Sponsored by Regal Entertainment Group August 2nd to 11th, 2019

Camilo Vila’s “5th of July” starring Jaleel White to Open Festival 

on Friday, Aug. 2nd at the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills

Festival of Cinema NYC has announced its 3rd annual, 10-day event taking place August 2nd to August 11th. Guests will enjoy over 120 films exhibited by state of the art projection and sound equipment in the comfort of the Regal UA Midway’s recliner seats in Forest Hills, Queens. The Festival kicks off on Friday, Aug. 2nd at 7:00 p.m. with the East Coast Premiere of Camilo Vila’s “5th of July” starring Jaleel White, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. On Sunday, August 11th, the festival’s Awards Celebration will be hosted by Queens Brewery in Ridgewood, Queens.

With almost a month to go before opening night of Festival of Cinema NYC, the festival organizers aim to engage Forest Hills and members of the Queens community with the support of the Queens Economic Development Corporation, the  Forest Hills Asian Association, the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, and Community Board 6. Joining the list of sponsors for this year’s festival is Maspeth Federal Savings, which is proud to support the arts in our community. Festival of Cinema NYC 2019 is made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

For its third year, Festival of Cinema NYC steps it up a notch by partnering with several organizations to provide a greater experience. The Queens Library Forest Hills Branch will be hosting five days of special screenings, presentations and workshops, all free and open to the public, located at 108-19 71st Ave. Over at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, non-profit organizations Arte East and the Asian American Film Club will be presenting work from their respective organizations. On Wednesday, August 7th, Festival of Cinema NYC presents The NYC Indie Film Collective Filmmaking Challenge. Throughout the month of July, 12 filmmaking teams have been challenged to create and produce a seven- to ten-minute short film. These films will be screened, in competition,  for the first time at the Regal UA Midway followed by an after-party at Buffalo Wild Wings in Forest Hills. 

The East Coast premiere of “Quest” by director Santiago Rizzo, which features Lou Diamond Phillips, Dash Mihok and Betsy Brandt, closes the festival on Saturday, August 10th.

Tickets to Festival of Cinema NYC will go on sale on Monday, July 1st, and are priced at $16 for regular daily screenings. Opening, Closing and the Film Challenge Red Carpet Event are priced at $25 and include entry into the after parties following those screenings. For tickets and more information on the Festival, visit http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/.

Festival of Cinema NYC proudly announces the following 125 films (out of over 425 submissions) from 40 countries including the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Italy, South Africa, Turkey and more in its 2019 lineup in the categories of Narrative Features, Documentaries, Short Films, Web Series and Animation, Experimental & Music Videos.

NARRATIVE FEATURES:

5th of July

Dir. Camilo Vila, USA, 100 min., East Coast Premiere

While spreading his father's ashes on a mountain lake, Orlando Leal (Jaleel White) utters a curse. From that moment onward, the universe turns on him. 

Batsh*t Bride

Dir. Jonathan Smith, USA, 81 min, New York Premiere

On April Fools' Day, just before her wedding, a bride pranks her fiancé by saying that she thinks that they've lost that spark and that they should call off the wedding and break up, only to discover that he feels the exact same way.

Bookweek

Dir. Heath Davis, Australia, 102 min., East Coast Premiere

A jaded high school English teacher is forced to re-evaluate his life when his novel is passed over for one of his students.

Down There in Heaven

Dir. Felix Schaefer, Germany, 82 Min.

Six men who unsuspectingly follow an invitation to a party. Through a written message they learn that they are part of a therapeutic intervention and have to perform tasks to have a chance to regain their freedom.

Eternal Paradise

Dir. Walter Becker, Argentina, 78 min., East Coast Premiere

An unexpected event in Pablo's life unleashes a series of events that leads him to unearth the father's writings and connects him with an unknown reality.

Falter

Dir. Harriet Maria Meining and Peter Meining, Germany, 43 min., East Coast Premiere

The film describes the romantic beginnings of a post-human era. Falter works in a laboratory on the production of artificial humans. To give his monotonous life divided between work, sport and sex a new meaning, Falter decides to share it with an android.

Ghost in the Graveyard

Dir. Charlie Comparetto, USA, 93 min., Queens Premiere

A small town comes under the thumb of Martha, a ghost who returns to haunt the children who witnessed her death during a game of Ghost in the Graveyard as young children.

Fearing Future

Dir. Nacho Sesma, Argentina, 78 min., New York Premiere

Leo is a literature professor who is at the end of a long time relationship. As he struggles with economic problems and depression, he enters a big transition in his life between drugs and a particular affair with one of his students.

Greenfield

Dir. Julius Telmer, Australia, 74 min., East Coast Premiere

A dark shadow unsettles the town of Greenfield when one man’s secret is revealed.

Ingenium

Dir. Steffen Hacker, Germany, 88 min., New York Premiere

As Felicita’s life is turned upside down, she doesn't know if her nightmares are taking over or if something bigger is trying to control her and the only way to find out the truth is her best friend Natascha, who is locked up in an asylum.

Locusts

Dir. Heath Davis, Australia, 86 min., New York Premiere

A tech entrepreneur returns to his post mining-boom desert hometown for his father’s funeral where he’s reluctantly reunited with his ex-con brother, but soon finds himself entangled in an extortion scam at the hands of a band of desperate smalltown thugs.

My Soul to Keep

Dir. Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, USA, 91 min., New York Premiere

Like many young kids, Eli Braverman believes something menacing lives in his basement. When his older sister leaves him home alone one night, Eli discovers if this evil is real or all in his head. 

Sin novedad (No News)

Dir. Director: Miguel Berzal de Miguel, Spain, 70 Min., Queens Premiere

Lola lives alone with her son, Jorge, near to an industrial estate in Madrid. One night, Jorge confesses to his mother that he has begun to keep in touch with his father, Marcos, who abandoned them a long time ago.

Ovid and the Art of Love

Dir. Esmé von Hoffman, USA, 115 min., World Premiere

A young man finds his life in danger when he writes a provocative guide to love and tangles with the brutal emperor. Based on the life of the famed Roman poet Ovid, this classic story gets a modern twist set in a mash-up world in contemporary Detroit.

Pamela

Dir. Kate McLane, USA, 90 min.

'Pamela' is a darkly comedic family drama that takes place over one dinner. Secrets are revealed and old conflicts re-emerge.

Quest

Dir. Santiago Rizzo, USA, 81 Min., New York Premiere

Mills is a middle schooler addicted to graffiti tagging. His home life is mess with an abusive dad and a mom who doesn't believe him, when a sympathetic teacher and champion of at risk kids enters his life.

Rwanda

Dir. Riccardo Salvetti, Italy, 90 min., Queens Premiere

Close your eyes and try to imagine. A man, a woman and their families. The fastest and most systematic genocide in history.  He is Hutu, she is Tutsi. He must kill. She must die. A fate similar to many others in that bloody spring. But this time there is a slight difference. When you open your eyes, you will be in their shoes and now the choice is yours. And yours alone.

Swindler

Dir.  Dong Hwan Yi, South Korea, 93 min., North American Premiere

A comical story of a swindler disguised as a priest who can be exorcised.

The Tangle

Dir. Christopher Soren Kelly, USA, 99 min., East Coast Premiere

The Tangle is to the internet what the Hal 2000 is to the abacus. In the near future, the Tangle connects the world. A secret government agency watches over the Tangle from within technology safe rooms, locations impermeable to the nanobots.

This is Not a Love Story

Dir. Sidi Saleh,  Indonesia, 87 min., World Premiere

Marlina, a paralyzed girl is found in a garbage truck by Jaya, a street vendor in Jakarta, and rescued. Jaya and his friend, Cak Nur want to use this opportunity to get rich.

DOCUMENTARIES:

Baba Babee Skazala: Grandmother Told Grandmother

Dir. Matej B. Silecky, USA, 69 min., New York Premiere

The little-known story of Ukrainian children torn from their homes in the crush between the Nazi and Soviet fronts in World War II. Spending their childhood as refugees in Europe, these inspiring individuals later immigrated to the United States, creating new homes and communities through their grit, faith and deep belief in the importance of preserving culture.  

Bei Bei

Dir. Rose Rosenblatt and Marion Lipschutz, USA, 77 min, Queens Premiere

From the moment Bei Bei Shuai steps out of jail on the arm of her lawyer Linda Pence, their lives are consumed by an impending murder trial. If they lose, Bei Bei will go to jail for 45 years to life, setting a precedent that will affect all pregnant women.

Born as a Girl

Dir. Marek Klosowicz, Poland and Colombia, 62 min.

Pregnant girls at the age of 13 or grandmothers at the age of 26 are of no surprise in Colombian slums. In the poorest social class, violence against women is especially striking: rape, sexual abuse or sex trafficking of minors happen on everyday basis.

Over 18

Dir. Jared Brock & Michelle Brock, Canada, 74 min,. Queens Premiere

Over 18 is a clear-eyed examination of modern pornography and its effects on kids, teens, parents and porn stars.

The Queens

Dir. Mark Saxenmeyer, USA, 99 min., New York Premiere

Part "Paris is Burning" and "Pose," part "RuPaul's Drag Race" and part Miss America, "The Queens” explores the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation.

The Ringmaster

Dir. Molly Dworsky and Dave Newberg, USA, 90 min., World Premiere

An aging chef from Minnesota has his life turned upside down when a relentless filmmaker from Las Vegas tries to make the chefs onion rings world famous.

We Were All Nobody's

Dir. Charles Caracciolo, USA, 70 min.

Times change. Buildings come and go. But there are some places that become a part of us, places that can never be torn down. "We Were All Nobody’s” is a documentary film honoring one of those places, a Queens, NY rock club.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

The following are films and presentations that will be free and open to the public.

Monuments & Flowers (at the Queens Museum)

A selection of seminal video work culled from the archives of ArteEast with the work of contemporary voices. Curated by Regine Basha.

Race, Sex and Hold the Mayo (at the Queens Museum)

A series of short films presented by the Asian American Film Club.

Surviving Birkenau – The Dr. Susan Spatz Story. 70 Min. Followed by a moderated Q&A with director Ron Small & distributor Dan Gurlitz (at the Forest Hills Library).

Carnaval de Cuba. 58 Min. Followed by a moderated Q&A with director Roberto Monticello (at the Forest Hills Library).

In addition to the Narrative Features and Documentaries listed above, please find below a listing of the Short Films, Web Series, Animation, Experimental and Music Videos. For their full descriptions,  visit http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/. 

SHORT FILMS:

116; USA

A Happy Woman; Spain

An Aspirational Space; USA

And Again, Her; Australia

Apologies To Mr. Battenkill; USA

Baya; Belgique

Best Wishes; USA

Cannonball; USA

Cavan: USA

Claire Means Well; USA

Coffee and a Donut; USA

Con Spirito; USA

Crab Special; USA

Credo; Poland

Cycle; USA

Disappearing NYC: Three Stories; USA

Dodgson; USA

Dolls Don't Die; Canada

Dreamwisher; USA

Early Retirement; USA

Easy Money; USA

Every Nine Hours; USA

Exposure; USA

Final Act - Ultimo Acto; Portugal

Final Callback; USA

Fish Out of Water; USA

Foam; USA

Full Moon and High Tide in the Ladies Room; USA

God of Insects; Canada

I Speak for the Trees; USA

I Will Not Write Unless I Am Swaddled In Furs; New Zealand

Interlude; USA

It's Time for Tea; USA

Jones; USA

Joyce; USA

Keylight; USA

Landscape; USA & Czech Republic

Midnight Talk; Australia/France

Mosul 980; Iraq

NightShift; Lebanon

Nora; Spain

Nora Ephron Goes To Prison; USA

One More Shutter; USA

Over the Threshold; USA

Percht; Austria

Precipice; Philippines

Preparation; USA

Private Barry; USA

Roadside Assistance; USA

Run the Meter; USA

Secret Chord; Sweden

Shadow Puppet; USA

Some of Her Parts; USA

Songbird; United Kingdom

Stuck; Korea

Sweetheart; France

The Adulterer; USA

The Parker; USA

The Right Night; France

The Song of Her; USA

The Waiting Room; USA

Time Machinery; Switzerland

Tina; USA

To Be Forgotten; USA

Traces; Luxembourg

Victoria; Ecuador

Yellow; Canada

WEB SERIES:

Blackbetty; USA/Russia

Bobo Touch Helpline - The Kisser; USA

Geek Lounge-Going Solo; USA

Killing Tigers; USA

Shangri-La; USA

Tom & The Domme; USA

Unique New York with Nathan Kaufman; USA

Unstately; USA

ANIMATION, EXPERIMENTAL AND MUSIC VIDEOS:

#Taplife - Eyes; USA

Be Your Own Kind; Canada

Bristled; USA

Cupid is Not a Terrorist; Switzerland

Dialectic Diary; Germany

Face; USA

Issa Vibe; Switzerland

Italy & (This Is) Water; Austria

Jo é Pu; Argentina

Of Punishment and Other Demons; Italy

Red Dress. No Straps.; United Kingdom

Red Hands; Italy

ROCKS! The Musical; USA

Run in Circles; Switzerland

Thanatos; USA

The Journey; USA

Unskin; United Kingdom

About Festival of Cinema NYC:

Festival of Cinema NYC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The festival was

founded by local independent filmmakers with a passion to get movies made and to expand

the reach of artists’ work. Recognizing the challenge of the visibility of independent film, the

the festival's aim is to establish a presence in and spread awareness of cinematic creativity

throughout Queens and its vibrant and culturally diverse communities, including Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Woodhaven and Glendale.