You are reading

Festival of Cinema NYC Returns to Forest Hills Next Month as in-Person Event

Regal UA Midway Forest Hills (Photo: Festival of Cinema NYC)

Aug. 27, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A 10-day film festival will return to Forest Hills next month featuring more than 120 films.

Festival of Cinema NYC will bring independent movies from around the world and will run from Sept. 24 through Oct. 3 at the Regal UA Midway.

The festival will screen movies, documentaries, short films, web series and animation. Two world premieres are among the films that will be shown at the decades-old movie theater, located at 108-22 Queens Blvd.

The festival, now in its fifth year, will return as an in-person event after organizers switched the 2020  edition to a drive-in movie format due to the pandemic. Last year’s festival took place at St John’s University campus in Jamaica, where the films were projected on a 5-story outdoor screen.

“We could not be more excited to return to our home at the Regal and see these amazing films on screen,” said Jayson Simba, the executive director of the festival.

“We pride ourselves on bringing world cinema to the many film lovers here in Queens and this year’s lineup really delivers on that front.”

The festival will open with the screening of Drunk Bus, a comedy-drama directed by John Carlucci and Brandon Laganke. The movie features actor Charlie Tahan – who is known for his role in the Netflix series Ozark.

Actors Charlie Tahan and Pineapple Tangaroa in a scene from Drunk Bus. The movie will open the festival on Sept. 24 (Photo provided by Festival of Cinema NYC)

The two world premiers being shown at the festival are the Brazilian thriller A Cisterna (The Well) and the American-made 3D movie Leda.

A Cisterna tells the story of a popular television host’s fight for survival when she is kidnapped and held inside a well, while Leda is about a woman who descends into madness while living alone in a large family estate.

Cinema-lovers can also look forward to movies from Canada, Russia, the United Kingdom, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Organizers will host a charity night on Sept. 28 to raise funds for relief efforts in Cuba, given the recent political turmoil there.

An animated short film called Esperanza vs. the U.S. Embargo of Cuba will be screened on the night of the fundraiser along with a documentary called The Singular Story of Unlucky Juan. The screenings will be followed by a 60-minute discussion with guest speakers and activists.

An LGBTQ-themed film called Moon Manor will close out screenings on Oct. 2, while an award ceremony will wrap up the festival on Oct. 3.

Tickets to the Festival of Cinema cost $17 for regular daily screenings. Opening and closing nights are $30 and include entry into the after-parties following those screenings.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking on this link. For more information on the festival visit http://www.festivalofcinemanyc.com/.

A scene from the movie Moon Manor which will be shown at the Festival of Cinema NYC (Photo provided by Festival of Cinema NYC)

A poster for the Festival of Cinema NYC

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

The best pumpkin picking patches near New York City

Sep. 7, 2024 By Barbara Russo, Kaitlyn Riggio and New York Family

October is almost here which means it’s that time again to go pumpkin picking. Head to one of these pumpkin picking farms in and near New York City to pick from a variety of gourds, munchkins, and other pumpkins.

South Richmond Hill senior killed after fire breaks out in his illegal basement apartment on Thursday afternoon

A 72-year-old man was killed after a fire engulfed his illegal basement apartment in South Richmond Hill on Thursday afternoon.

The FDNY received a call just after 5 p.m. of a house fire at 94-14 132nd St. Firefighters confirmed the blaze broke out in the basement. The FDNY dispatched 12 units and 60 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. Paramedics rescued the 72-year-old victim, and EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.

Woman allegedly choked in Queensboro Hill by robber who snatched her bag containing thousands in cash: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a strangler who robbed a 63-year-old woman in Queensboro Hill on the night of Thursday, Aug. 29.

The victim was walking on a residential block near the intersection of Frame Place and Maple Avenue just before midnight, when a stranger approached her and began to choke her. The perpetrator snatched her bag, which contained $6,000 in cash, her wallet and an iPhone.