Matthew Carlson, Amanda Barker, Manny Gomez
July 14, 2016 Staff Report
The first ever Boulevard Film Festival will take place this weekend, featuring Queens-based independent filmmakers as well as Sunnyside businesses.
The festival will screen about two dozen short films July 15 to July 17, at the Thalia Spanish Theatre (41-17 Greenpoint Ave), Bar 43 (43-06 43rd St.), and the Dog and Duck (45-20 Skillman Ave.).
“These films are good!” co-founder Amanda Barker said. “Most films were edgier than we expected, but one day is fine for families.”
Opening night will feature “dark dramas” at the Thalia Spanish Theatre on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The family event will take place July 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., also at the Thalia Spanish Theatre, with screenings of six family-friendly dramas, according to the event page.
There will also be a “Midnight Movies” screening at the Dog and Duck, July 17 at 12 a.m. (Saturday night into Sunday).
Tickets for the Boulevard Film Festival are now on sale and can be purchased for $22 each night or $65 for all four screenings. A full festival lineup and tickets information can can be found online here.
Barker, along with her fiancé Matthew Carlson, received about 85 entries for the festival. Together, they cut that list down to about 25.
Barker decided to put this festival together shortly after the Sunnyside Center Cinema closed, she told the Sunnyside Post in April.
She is hoping that this will not only showcase the work of local filmmakers, but also help community businesses.
6 Comments
Hipsters please take your shit to brooklyn and leave sunnyside and woodside alone !!
Hahaha. For WoodsideVsSunnyside these new-fangled “moving pictures” and “talkies” prove to be too “hip.” What next? Are the children going to play their gramaphones outdoors? Why can’t it be like the good old Sunnyside days when we watched slide shows to Sousa marches? Bitter but adorable! Scrore: 9 (out of 10).
THANK YOU FOR ASKING, @justasking!
there are cash prizes for all four shows plus studio space for two, and gift certs — audience picks favs each show. one winner gets chance at distribution! so at least filmmakers get something and were willing to compete. they come for free of course and want to have their work shown! two locals fllmmakers, artist tristian golk, and head writer for inside the actor’s studio jeremy kareken have films in the festival, among other locals!
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we WANT the bars to make some something as this will cut into their regular business and they are doing us a favor. everyone who pays the $22 to get in gets free glass of wine or beer. that money pays for the prizes and other expenses that unavoidable despite deep discounts and donations, photography, banners, printing and so on
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not a profit-making endeavor! this is presented by sunnyside artists, inc, chamber of commerce, and thalia spanish theatre, all NON PROFIT and who will make nothing on this event and trying to support the amazing artist amanda and filmmaker matt carlson in their great idea for all of us
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ore productions, the 4th partner, is their film production company. this event is their brainchild. they hope to keep the “small town in the big city” as long as we can for the arts and our mom and pops
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they are filmmakers they make nothing either either and don’t have a film in contention this year because they are the programmers so it wouldn’t be right.
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they and a few others have been working for months on it and we are all trying to help BFF become an annual event for local filmmakers and film lovers.
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some highlights!
franisco lupini basagoiti is the young wunderkind filmmaker is COMING TONIGHT for the short film he did starring soledad lopez (angel gil orrios’ wife – they run thalia) whom he calls his muse! here is his imdb page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3975254/ – the movie has english subtitles
manny gomez is setting up a step and repeat banner and red carpet with pix for all who come! FREE glass of wine at thalia showings and at bar 43 and dog and dog, could be wine or beer! vivire is helping tonight also by staying open for afterpartiers!
please come! films are “edgier” than one would expect, so you might need the beverage. tomorrow’s screening at thalia is less edgy
boulevardfilmffestival.org has links to four screenings
Ms.Dorfman -.Thank you for your informative reply and courteous invitation. Unfortunately, I will be at the wake of a gentleman who appeared in a film submitted to, but not selected by the festival. A shame – he would’ve enjoyed that.
Who profits? The filmmakers aren’t getting paid. The bars will make a buck selling drinks/food. I didn’t see any local charities listed as beneficiaries.
If he could fit the Pawn Shop into that picture above, it would pretty much describe Sunnyside. Pawn Shop and Nail Salon.