by Gloria Fallon
In today’s attention-deficient world of YouTube, IMs, and blog posts, the short film has never been more relevant. The same can be said for the annual NYC Downtown Short Film Festival, which attracts more submissions and a larger audience every year.
The NYCDSFF began four years ago with 12 submissions. This year, over 1,000 films were submitted—so many that the Festival Committee began holding monthly Audience Choice Screenings, with the winning films earning a spot at this year’s fest. Every year is a sell-out, so the 2008 festival is being expanded to six nights. Showcasing some of the best short films being produced in America and internationally, the festival’s line-up includes provocative dramas, clever comedies, edgy animation, and intriguing documentaries.
Audiences watch four to five short movies each night and are welcome to join the filmmakers at a complimentary wine reception afterwards. Michelangelo Alasa, the Artistic Director for the Duo Multicultural Arts Center, spoke of the festival’s simplicity, stating that there are no corporate sponsorships, no red carpets or premieres. Without all these trappings, festivalgoers are able to enjoy the succinct experience of what a film fest is all about.
The NYCDSFF has showcased the work of established actors and directors such as Jesse L. Martin, Neil Flynn, G. Gordon Liddy, Blanche Baker, Eddie Murphy, Dan Butler, Robert Guthrie, Emily Deschanel, Melissa Joan Hart, Gary Marshall, Tony Tanner, and Nick Tate, among many other talented young actors working in the industry today.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:
The Lucky Escape |
MONDAY APRIL 21 Wednesday, Directed by Rob Sorrenti [Drama]
Lucky Escape, Directed by Shane McCabe [Comedy]
Amalia, Directed by Luis D. Ortiz [Drama]
The Wednesdays, Directed by Conor Ferguson [Comedy]
The German Lullaby |
TUESDAY APRIL 22 What’s So Funny? Directed by Tony Tanner [Comedy]
One Day in January, Directed by Christopher J. Aran [Drama]
Cold Tea, Directed by Katie Bowen [Drama]
The German Lullaby, Directed by Tess Malone [Drama]
The Job |
WEDNESDAY APRIL 23 Undocumented, Directed by Joel Rodriguez [Drama]
The Job, Directed by Jonathan Browning [Comedy]
Interior. Bedsit – Day, Directed by James Larkin [Comedy]
The Return of Sergeant Pecker, Directed by Pierre Delarue [Anim.]
Rhyme Animal, Directed by Phil Roc [Drama ]
Die Flugbegleiterin |
THURSDAY APRIL 24 Die Flugbegleiterin, Directed by Marcin Glowacki [Comedy]
Life in Transition, Directed by John R. Dilworth [Animation]
EPICAC, Directed by Will Tully [Drama]
Humillados Y Ofendidos, Dir. by Alicia Pardies & Esther Cross [Doc.]
Fortune Hunters, Directed by Thom Harp [Comedy]
Leda Beyond Her Art |
FRIDAY APRIL 25 Blindfold Drama, Directed by Arol Jahns [Drama]
The Old Man and the Seal, Directed by Michael Clark [Animation]
Time Patrol, Directed by Jasmin Jodry [Animation]
Leda Beyond Her Art, Directed by Daniela Gontijo [Documentary]
The Urge |
SATURDAY APRIL 26 The Accidental Activist, Directed by Andrew Hunt [Comedy]
Two Dollars Dance, Directed by Yolanda Pividal [Documentary]
The Urge, Directed by Chris Angus [Animation]
The Other Woman, Directed by Mikael Södersten [Drama]
Festival Experience, Directed by Elizabeth Pasieczny [Comedy]
For showtimes and tickets contact:
Duo Multicultural Arts Center
62 East 4th Street
Phone: 212.598.4320
Email: duotheatre@gmail.com
Tickets: www.smarttix.com
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