32 MARCH 2 0 1 9
BY STEPHEN LEPORE
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
A WORLD OF FILM
More than 200 films will screen in Astoria during
the Queens World Film Festival this month
A little bit of Hollywood is headed
for Astoria as the Queens World
Film Festival returns in late March.
This year’s festival — the ninth
annual — takes place from March
21 to 31 and will screen over 200
films from 31 countries, including
16 that are world premieres. Artistic director
Don Cato highlights issues of inclusion
and local flavor in this year’s lineup.
“There are films from four of our great
boroughs and a groundbreaking 79 films
by women,” he said. “We are also screening
14 LGBTQ-themed films and 15 films
by Asian filmmakers and six films by kids,
for kids — we literally have something for
everyone.”
Opening night is Thursday, March 21,
at the Museum of the Moving Image. The
program will be a collection of seven
short films under the title “Worldly Vision.”
They include “Marguerite,” which
was nominated at this year’s Academy
Awards for Best Live Action Short.
While every night features something
special, the standouts are often the “Spirit
of Queens” honorees. Nancy Kelly and her
partner Kenji Yamamoto will be celebrated
for their 1991 film “Thousand Pieces
of Gold” on Tuesday, March 26. The film,