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30 films to be screened at Sunnyside venues later this month as part of film festival

Dog & Duck one of the venues this year

July 5, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez

The Boulevard Film Festival (BFF) will return to Sunnyside for a second year later this month.

The festival will screen 30 short films from local and international filmmakers at four Sunnyside venues from July 20 through July 23. The films will be shown over the course of four days at Maggie Mae’s (41-15 Queens Blvd.), Bar 43 (43-06 43rd St.), the Dog and Duck (45-20 Skillman Ave.) and Thalia Spanish Theatre (41-17 Greenpoint Ave.).

Maggie Mae’s will host the festival kick off at 8:00 p.m. July 20 with a live musical accompaniment to a program of contemporary short films, selected and performed by The Flushing Remonstrance, an experimental music duo. Admission on opening night is free.

The other screenings will cost between $15 and $20 a ticket depending on the venue. The proceeds will cover the cost of putting on the festival and awards.

“The festival last year was great,” co-founder Amanda Barker-Carlson said. “We had a huge turn out. It was bigger than we expected.”

More than 800 entries were submitted for this year’s festival, compared to 85 last year. Films submitted for consideration were no longer than 30 minutes in length.

“We opened entries in April and closed them at the end of May,” Barker-Carlson said. “It was pretty crazy.”

Many of the films that will be screened have been created by Queens filmmakers, Barker-Carlson said. Several have also been made by filmmakers from countries such as Brazil, Germany, Spain and India.

“BFF’s annual festival celebrates the art of filmmaking in Queens, showcasing local filmmakers and international films that are emblematic to the borough of Queens,” according to Baker-Carlson.

The Boulevard Film Festival was founded by Barker-Carlson, a painter and filmmaker, and her husband, Matthew Carlson, who is also a filmmaker, after Sunnyside Center Cinemas closed in 2015. The film festival was also organized with the help of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and Sunnyside Artists.

“This is a fun event to really help local businesses and local filmmakers,” Barker-Carlson said. “We want to give people a chance to see films made by locals, and we want it to be fun.”

Screening schedules, locations, and prices will be posted later this week on BFF’s Facebook page and official website.

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39 Comments

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JC

How come you say greedy landlords? Not the landlords fault the market went through the roof. Good investing I call it

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Roxy

I think that El loco and all the El loco imitators have single handily ruined this blog. I think that we should band together and destroy them! If you agree “approve” me! If you think El loco and Mrs. El loco make this a better blog then do nothing.

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Oil, Beef, Hooked

I agree with Roxy! I will band together with him and destroy all comments! Please meet me at the homeless hotel on Sunday before church and we will show the comments how it was in the old days. Back when there was good old fashion comments. Not these so called new comments.

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El loco

This is the real El loco. What do you mean the old days Roxy? You mean when you went to see a movie at the Bliss in 1850?

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I'd Like To Thank...

The Sunnyside commenters,who are stars in their own right( including some Astoria/LIC commenters,too). As we often hear at these things”You make us laugh,you make us cry,etc.,etc.,” But it’s true..

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Roxy

Sad to see some of the good old fashion comments aren’t here any more. Not as good as the old days.

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Roxy

Sorry to see that someone else is also posting under the name of “Roxy,” which I have been using since this website was born. Could they please cease and desist?

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Bulimic Panda

It is a well known fact that young parents watching movies causes autism. This creates future directors that have autism and make autistic movies. This needs to STOP now. It was prophesied by Creed in the song Arms wide open. I love all of you and pray for 48th Ave. Amen.

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El loco

Another fake El loco. People can’t come up with anything original. Very sad.

Looks like some great movies in the fest. Go!

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Oil Beef Hooked

Enough with the FAKE frauds. I’m calling Dell computer and getting to the bottom of this case. I think most of the fake users are in the homeless hotel.

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TheBlackNight

….and sadly, not one mention of what started it all…”The Flynn’s Garden Inn Film Festival”.

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Roxy

Sad that Sunnyside no longer has a proper venue and that screenings need to be held in bars and such. In its heyday, Sunnyside had four movie theatres running simultaneously– the Bliss and Sunnyside, both with more than 2,000 seats, and the smaller Center and 43rd Street..

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Joe

My god Roxy – how old are you. I bet the Bliss was here 60 years ago! Did you attend fights at Sunnyside Gardens also. Yes it’s sad that we don’t have a theatre. Thank the greedy landlords in the neighborhood. But this is a nice festival.

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Curlicue58

They r supposed to build an office building with a movie theater 10 plex? Below 39th st I believe where all those warehouses r. How long it will take is another?

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Mrs. El loco

What a great event for the neighborhood. I love Sunnyside and my handsome husband El loco. He’ll be at the festival. Come on out. But remember ladies he’s mine!

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El loco

Fake. That wasn’t me. That little boy really needs his mommy. Go to her little fellow. If you saw my wife you would be very jealous. I assure you!

Ask your mom to take you to the festival. You’ll enjoy it.

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Part eggplant

Isn’t the Dog and Duck named after a film? X-rated, if I recall correctly. Those were the days.

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