Get ready to celebrate the first annual Staten Island Film Festival, June 1-4, Staten Island’s newest cultural attraction! As a Realtor, you’re already part of the program. At the conclusion of the Festival, after all of the screenings, the Staten Island Board of Realtors, in conjunction with Borough President James P. Molinaro and the Staten Island Advance, is sponsoring the Awards Ceremony and Closing Party aboard a Staten Island Ferry, in the harbor, on Sunday, June 4th. To purchase tickets, you may contact the Staten Island Film Festival at 718.477.1400 x23.
At the awards ceremony, films and filmmakers in various categories will be recognized for achievement. SIBOR will sponsor the Award for Best International Feature. Other awards will honor the best Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, New Filmmaker, International Short, Staten Island Local Work, Short Film, Family Film, Student Work, Documentary Short, Dramatic Short, Animated Short, Comedic Short, and best Film Concerning Women’s Issues.
Celebrating in grand style to welcome the summer season, the Staten Island Film Festival’s theme is Community and Culture with a program of over 100 independent films chosen for their local and national cultural significance. The festival has much to offer film buffs and tourists alike, reflective of the many cultures and lively communities that make up New York City’s greenest borough, the location for many famous films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas and Annie Hall.
Among the noteworthy films included in the festival are: Street Fight, a 2006 Academy Award Nominated documentary that has garnered praise and awards for its gritty portrayal of an urban city’s fierce mayoral race; Matisyahu Short, the acclaimed film of the Orthodox Jewish rapper and local New York celebrity; and Duel at Red Table, winner at the Tribeca Film Festival, an exciting action/comedy/horror film that portrays a vicious table tennis match to save a young girl’s soul, which was filmed in the woods of Staten Island.
Two special programs reflect the community’s recognition of film as a catalyst for discussion and inspiration, The Global Peace Film Festival’s Faith Interfaith Program and The Staten Island Local Films/Filmmakers’ Program. Global Peace Film will present five films and 4 shorts including Binta and the Great Idea, The Weight of the World and Hope. The Staten Island Local Films/Filmmakers’ Program will highlight the work of talented members of the Staten Island community and those who call Staten Island their birthplace. One such film, The War Within, is a story of a Pakistani engineering student who was imprisoned and interrogated by Western intelligence agents for suspected terrorist activities.
Special film screenings, unique to the Festival’s intention to involve and highlight its multi-cultural community, consist of films chosen for their particular interest and importance to their distinct constituencies. These include special films sponsored by community groups such as The Irish Columcille Cultural Center, Re-Imagining Ireland; The Hindu Temple, Morning Raga; Pakistani Civic Association, Punjabi Love Story; NAACP, Hardwood/Strange Fruit; Russian Association, Ballet Russe; The Greek Trinity, A Greek Woman; The Italian Club, Waiting for Maggio/Cugini; The Jewish Community Center, Go For Zucker and the Latino Civic Association, presenting Maid in America.
Charitable organizations will also screen films: The American Red Cross, 911 Troop 1500; Project Hospitality for the Homeless, News From Afar; the Staten Island Inter-Agency Council for the Aging, Age of Discovery; The Eden II School for Autistic Children, Refrigerator Mothers; Interfaith, What Do You Believe?; and Where To Turn, a 9/11 group, will host a North American premiere screening of In Between, the story of a mysterious man who appears after the tragedy of 9/11 to help New Yorkers come to terms with their confusion and frustration.
Families will enjoy films presented by Staten Island cultural institutions: The Staten Island Zoo, presenting The Colt; The Children’s Museum, Dinner at Marvins/Fan and The Flower and Max Rules; The Staten Island Museum, A Touch of Greatness/Microcosmos; and The Nobel Maritime Collection will screen Saps at Sea.
The venues hosting the Festival are full of history and cultural significance, and alone, would make for a compelling reason to visit the festival. Topping the list is Snug Harbor Cultural Center, officially designated as a National Historic Landmark, consisting of 83 beautiful landscaped acres dotted with Greek Revival buildings. The Music Hall at Snug Harbor was built in 1892 as a performance venue and is one of the greatest treasures of Snug Harbor Cultural Center. This stately building is the second oldest music hall in New York City, built after Carnegie Hall. Other notable venues include The St. George Theatre, a magnificent 75-year-old restored theatre and The College of Staten Island Center for The Arts.
General admission for all films is $5. And ticket packages are available (An All Access pass entitles one to attend: The Opening Night Screening, June 1st, 7pm, at the St. George Theater; The Awards Ceremony and Closing Party, June 4th, 6pm, aboard the Staten Island Ferry; All screenings on June 2nd thru June 4th; a Panel Discussion on June 3rd; and the SIEDC Business Council Hospitality Party at the Staten Island Hotel on Friday, June 2nd.) For more information on the festival and ticket information, visit the festival’s website, www.sifilmfestival.org., Email: info@sifilmfestival.org or call 718.477.1400.
The Staten Island Film Festival is a project of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, a 501 © (3), non-for-profit corporation. Its mission is to enhance a thriving Staten Island economy through projects that enhance the quality of life. Joining the SIEDC in the presentation of the film festival are Staten Island Board of Realtors, the Building Industry Association and the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island. The presenting sponsor of the Festival is the Richmond County Savings Foundation. The Venues sponsor is KeySpan. The Opening Night Screening sponsors include Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro and Time Warner Cable. The Closing Night Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception sponsors include Staten Island Board of Realtors, Inc., Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro and the Staten Island Advance. Other official sponsors include Pro Sho Productions, Staten Island Bank and Trust Foundation, Creative Media, Pratt Industries, Staten Island Hotel, UR Music, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
|