Queens World Film Festival returns with
live screenings throughout the borough
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
After a successful leap into
the digital space in 2020, the
11th annual Queens World Film
Festival is making a comeback
this month providing live
screenings across the borough
with 11 days of streaming and
indie film experiences, providing
a unique and in-depth look
at the best in contemporary independent
film.
From June 23 to July 3, 130
films will be screened at the
Queens Theatre, Museum of
Moving Image, The Local NY,
Culture Lab and the United
Sherpa Association.
Those who are not comfortable
with public gatherings
can stream 198 films from 33
nations on Film Festival Flix,
a popular film festival streaming
platform that is available
for purchase on an app store.
Tickets for all live screenings
will be on sale soon
through Brown Paper Tickets.
It is presented by Benedict
Realty Group (BRG) whose
support has made it possible
to employ technicians, ushers,
hosts, projectionists from
within the Queens community
and to purchase T-shirts, posters,
marketing materials and
other supplies from local businesses.
“BRG has been in the community
for over 30 years, and
we are committed to supporting
the arts and our youth,”
said Daniel Benedict, BRG
CEO. “The Queens World Film
Festival is helping to bring the
arts back. When the arts come
back, the community thrives.”
The film festival returns to
the Sumner Redstone Theatre
at the Museum of Moving Image
in Astoria for a live opening
night on June 23 hosted by
festival directors Preston and
Katha Cato.
“We are so excited to be
back at the Museum of Moving
Image,” Katha told QNS. “It’s
amazing that we are putting
this on, helping and participating
in Queens Theatre’s first
live event. This is a great collaboration
and our filmmakers
are thrilled.”
With only 50 seats for opening
night that are already sold
out, Cato is hoping that in the
weeks to come, perhaps restrictions
will be lifted.
The feature film for the
evening is “Mouse” by Queens
filmmaker Adam Engel, CEO
and president of TangoLight
Films with over a decade of
feature films to his credit.
“Mouse” is a story of one man
who feels the guilt of possibly
missing the chance to save two
people from a neighbor who
might be losing touch with reality.
When a quick investigation
comes and goes and that
neighbor moves away, the man
feels guilt as it begins to slowly
fester in the community.
“We watch him as he takes
steps to protect an innocence
he never really lost,” Engel
said.
The film was shot in a
glorious anamorphic format
completely in Kew Gardens/
Forest Hills, where Engel grew
up. According to Engel, he has
always wanted to capture the
beauty of the place, especially
in the deep throes of summertime.
“There is something about
the landscape of Kew Gardens/
Forest Hills as well as
the homes that are so dense
and rich,” Engel said.
For Engel, there is something
about the shared experience
of sitting in a theater
watching characters and situations
that are larger than life,
he said. But last year, that deal
was voided, suddenly taken
away with no promises.
TIMESLEDGER | Q 14 NS.COM | JUNE 18-JUNE 24, 2021
“When the Queens World
Film Festival reached out with
the news that not only would
we be accepted into their film
festival but that we would be
opening the film festival in
the glorious theater at the Museum
of the Moving Image I
felt … hope,” Engel said. “The
excitement of opening nights
and full theaters became a possibility
again. And that, on a
deep, deep level, reignites everything
we do this for.”
“Mouse” is accompanied
by a short film from Stephan
Joseph Eigenmann that uses
an empathetic robot to teach
us, taking a futuristic look
at where our hearts go when
we no longer wish to feel anything.
The pairing represents
the full gamut of what is to be
found at the festival and takes
us from the sublime to the horrific,
reminding us that our
anguish is real.
Also on opening night,
QWFF will pay tributeto
Elmhurst Hospital as the
2021 recipient of the “Spirit of
Queens Award” for the tireless
care their staff provided
throughout the pandemic.
Through its “Heroes of
Elmhurst Project,” QWFF
will provide all 6,000 hospital
staff members with a full
festival all-access pass for
the upcoming spring festival.
Each pass purchased for an
“Elmhurst Hospital Hero”
will provide the staff member
an opportunity to enjoy
unlimited viewings of 196 independent
films for the entire
duration of the festival.
“The Heroes of Elmhurst
project is near and dear to my
heart,” said Cato, who lives
nearby the hospital that was
the “epicenter of the epicenter”
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What they did was …
I just don’t know how human
beings dig down and find that
in themselves over and over
again. That’s why we are honoring
the entire hospital staff,
and why we are trying to sell
tickets for every single one of
those staff members to come
home, plug in and hear from
the world that they helped to
protect.”
Other honors will include
the 2021 Queens World Trailblazer
Award, Opal Hope Bennet,
veteran programmer and
POV shorts producer.
Bennet has created career
paths and opportunities for
many other young women involved
in developing interesting
and maverick programming.
Her vast experience
and a keen eye for talent have
helped to distinguish her in
the world of curation and programming.
Multidisciplinary animator
Catya Plate will receive the
Lois Webber Pioneer Award for
her work in sculpture, painting,
drawing, installation,
artist books and stop-motion
animation. Plate has recently
been added to the prestigious
Great Women Animators list
and in 2008 her work was selected
for permanent inclusion
in the Art Base of the Elizabeth
A. Sackler Center for Feminist
Art at the Brooklyn Museum.
Additionally, Queens World
includes year-round screening
opportunities for festival
alumni, special events to bring
the indie film community together,
industry networking
events and an educational initiative
for youth and seniors.
Festival sponsors include
Benedict Realty Group, which
is presenting all live events.
Support also comes from Investors
Bank, Queens Council
on the Arts and Resorts World
with media sponsorship provided
by PIX11, Schneps Media,
Queens Chronicle, Yelp
and QPTV.
Nine Queens hotels are
offering discounts to visiting
filmmakers and festival
guests. To learn more, visit
queensworldfilmfestival.org.
The Queens World Film Festival team poses outside Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona
Park. Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Katho Cato poses with volunteers at the Queens World Film Festival
salute for Elmhurst Hospital staff.
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