Astoria Filmmakers to be Featured This Week at 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival

Photo credit: Investors Bank

March 13, 2017 By Staff Report

The silver screens at Kaufman Studios and the Museum of Moving Image will feature work by Astoria residents and other Queens filmmakers as part of the 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival beginning this Wednesday, March 15th.

The opening night, originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 14th, has been cancelled due to the pending snowstorm expected to hit the city. Those with tickets to opening night can have their admission honored at one of three other screenings during the week; Daughters of the Dust, Scumbag and Queens Corner.

The Queens World Film Festival will start screening more than 100 films at the two venues from Wednesday to Sunday, March 19th. Although there will be a block of screenings on Sunday, March 19th at 4:30pm featuring works of different Queens filmmakers at the Museum of Moving Image, the following films also include work by Astoria residents, and will be spread throughout the course of the festival.

Parallel Dreams
Thursday, March 16th, 6:00pm @ Redstone Theater, Museum of Moving Image

Astoria resident Aleksandar Kostic will have his 7 minute short, “Parallel Dreams,” screen as a part of block of abstract films titled, “What is That?!” on Thursday, March 16th at 6:00 pm at the Museum of Moving Image.

According to the IMDB page, the film focuses on an artist named Joseph Cornell, who “immerses himself in the music of Debussy as he makes his art, watching his creation slowly come alive. At the same time, a dream is visiting Cornell, influencing his thoughts and decisions, and guiding him on how to complete his artwork.”

View trailer for “Parallel Dreams” | Purchase tickets to the block of films featuring “Parallel Dreams”

A Long Time For Lovers
Saturday, March 18th, 3:15pm @ Zukor Theater, Kaufman Studios

The 77 minute world premiere of “A Long Time For Lovers,” will be taking place at Kaufman Studios on Saturday, March 18th at 3:15pm.

The feature-length film is the work of Astoria resident David McElfresh, whose years of experience in visual production has landed him work behind the scenes of movies like Zoolander 2, The Purge: Election Year, and television shows including The Americans, Elementary, and The Affair.

Taking place on their last day on Earth, the plot of the film is described as, “Eight desperate friends ignore the people who love them while chasing after people who do not.”

View trailer for “A Long Time For Lovers” | Purchase tickets to the block of films featuring “A Long Time For Lovers”

Working Poor
Saturday, March 18th, 1:15pm @ Zukor Theater, Kaufman Studios

The 25 minute short, “Working Poor,” was written and directed by Astoria resident Steven Bozga, and explores the life of a single father who struggles to raise his daughter in a working class neighborhood. The film was shot in the Rockaways, before, during and after Hurricane Sandy struck the neighborhood.

“The film is about a guy whose life beat him up, and who learns sometimes you can succeed in life just by hanging on.”

View trailer for “Working Poor” | Purchase tickets to the block of films featuring “Working Poor”

To Whom It May Concern
Sunday, March 19th, 2:30pm @ Bartos Theater, Museum of Moving Image

Shot and filmed in Astoria, “To Whom It May Concern” tells the story of a young woman played by Gabriella Piazza who discovers that she resembles the subject in a series of photographs on display at an upscale art gallery. The problem is, she has no recollection of when and how the photographs were taken.

Piazza’s character sets off on a course of truth-seeking and self-discovery in an attempt to solve the mystery behind the woman in the gallery.

View trailer for “To Whom It May Concern” | Purchase tickets to the block of films featuring “To Whom It May Concern”

Butterfly
Friday, March 17th 7:15pm @ Bartos Theater, Museum of Moving Image

In her second appearance at the Queens World Film Festival, Astoria resident Serife Potuk makes her directorial debut with the 15 minute short, “Butterfly.”

The film revolves around a female artist who befriends a down-on-his-luck man that she meets at a local park. The man is played by Don Cato, Artistic Director of the film festival, who lent his work to Potuk in support of her directorial endeavor.

View trailer for “Butterfly” | Purchase tickets to the block of films featuring “Butterfly”

A “Sizzle Reel” featuring clips from many of the films that will be screening throughout this year’s festival can be viewed below: