FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Media Contact: David Archer, DAassociatesPR,
914-299 0837-DAAssociatesPR@gmail.com For full festival schedule & additional information see www.queensworldfilmfestival.org
MEDIA ALERT/PHOTOPPTY-
9th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) Announces 2019 Line up – “Spirit of Queens” Honorees, Venues + Sizzle Reel with Special Guests. 200+ films to be screened over the 11 Days of this year’s Festival.
When-Monday, March 4th, 9:30-11:30am (coffee and light refreshments will be served!)
Where- Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, Queens, NY- 36-01 35th Avenue
Who- This year’s “Spirit of Queens” Award winners along with Sandra Schulberg of IndieCollect, the Festival Directors, joined by over 50 filmmakers from this year’s festival and Sponsor reps will be in attendance.
QWFF Artistic Director Don Cato will introduce special guests (filmmakers, honorees, Sponsors and partners) and reveal this year’s Sizzle Reel for The 9th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), in Astoria, Queens, NY.
This year the Festival has an extended schedule to run for 11 days March 21-31, 2019. Don Cato states that “This year’s submissions increased by 34% and QWFF programmers screened 814 films from 55 nations. We selected 200+ incredible films from 31 nations with 16 world premieres. There are films from 4 of our great boroughs and a ground breaking 79 films by women. We are also screening 14 LGBTQ themed films and 15 films by Asian filmmakers and 6 films by kids for kids – we literally have something for everyone.”
Each year, the Queens World Film Festival pays tribute to outstanding filmmakers or community members for their contributions to their field and their body of work. This year we have three “Spirit of Queens” Award Honorees. Two are going to filmmakers Nancy Kelly and her partner Kenji Yamamoto – we are screening their restored 1991 film Thousand Pieces of Gold on Tuesday, March 26th, starring Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper, Michael Paul Chan, Dennis Dun. Rosalind Chao and Michael Paul Chan will also be attending the festival. Our third honoree is David Schwartz, former Chief Curator at MoMI for 33 years.David has championed indie films and interviewed literally everyone from Glenn Close to Robert Altman and has chosen to screen another film lovingly restored by IndieCollect: Sundance 1992 winner – In the Soup at MoMI on Thursday March 28 with the filmmaker Alexandre Rockwell in attendance for a post screening Q&A.
The official QWFF app, Event Meow – sponsored by Singlecut Beersmiths will also be revealed where our audiences can interact with filmmakers, festival personnel and sponsors. We are going paperless and encouraging everyone to try out the app. We chose the app because the ease of interface and how we can customize it to suit our festival. Now, everyone will be able to interact with our filmmakers and festival personnel in real time.
Festival Sponsors include Investors Bank, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Queens Council on the Arts, Queens Economic Development Corporation, I love NY, Astoria Films, BMJ Studios, Resorts World, Table Wine with Queens several hotels are offering discounts to the visiting filmmakers and their guests – including the Paper Factory.
Media sponsors include Schneps Communication, QPTV, Astoria Films and CUNY Center for Community and Ethnic Media. QWFF is made possible in part with funds from the Decentralization Program a re-grant program at the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Both are administered by the Queens Council on the Arts.
Tickets are now on sale for all films at both the Museum of the Moving Image and the Zukor Theatre via queensworldfilmfestival.com.
The Opening Night event for the Ninth Annual Queens World Film Festival will be presented by Investors Bank and will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2019, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Museum of the Moving Image, located at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. The evening’s program will feature a block of seven, short films grouped under the title of Worldly Vision. The curation of opening night is sure to raise a few eyebrows with some incredible content and the added bonus of featuring Marguerite, recently nominated for a 2019 Academy Award in the Live Action Short Category.
On March 31, ‘Best of’ Awards’ will be given in each category including Best Feature, Best Director, etc. with Honorable Mention awards in many categories along with special awards from our partners at INKTIP who are giving out free memberships to selected winners and Brooklyn Fire Proof Studios who are awarding a filmmaker with a full day a sound studio and a complete lighting package.
The Queens World Film Festival is a program of the Queens World Film Initiative, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.
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Katha Cato, Executive Director
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Queens World Film Festival: Amazing films from around the world and around the corner.
Gloria J. Yorke wrote Medical Manslaughter: Will Your Doctor Cause YOUR Death?, which explores her own tragic story through the lens of a fictional couple.