March 21, 2018
You can see all the stars as you walk down…Cabrini Boulevard? Well, sometimes, if by stars we mean the actors and filmmakers who comprised the third annual Inwood Film Festival. Over St. Patrick’s weekend the Gazette binged on a ton of films at Columbia U’s Campbell Sports Center on 218 Street. The programs had everything from short shorts to features, plus the chance to hob nob with some of the creatives who made it all happen.
Throughout, the Festival’s omnipresent Executive Director Aaron Simms introduced film programs, led post screening discussions, promoted Inwood Art Works other activities (including Summer Films Alfresco in Inwood Park and a ‘culture hub’ in a former nightclub at 202nd Street and 10th Avenue), and hosted an after party at Indian Road Cafe on Saturday night. Simms said he redesigned the schedule this year so it wouldn’t sell out, dividing the films up into eight programs accessible to more viewers and ticketed at an affordable price. The All Access Festival Pass was a bargain at just fifty bucks. Final numbers were still pending on Saturday, but Simms was confident that there were more views this year than last.
Michael Manese, Director, The Pleasure of Being Served.
A frame from The Pleasure of Being Served.
IG: It’s such a lovely movie! I loved that shot in the subway, she’s so tired she fell asleep on the other passenger’s shoulder. It really conveyed how hard she works, and in a beautiful, subtle way. And many other scenes as well… sending money & little gifts home, the sneaker showdown. So how’d you come to tell this wonderful story?
Director Susan Austin, This American Death.
Since the death of her mom, filmmaker Susan Austin has been obsessed by what experts call the Good Death. A gold standard in dying. But this wasn’t Susan’s experience with her mom. So, she sets out to interrogate this Good Death and explore the perplexing situation wherein many hope for this idealized death, but few experience it. As Susan reflects on her own experience, she comes to appreciate all we’re up against in America: a medical system that often keeps people fighting for their lives, doctors ill-equipped to guide the dying, and a culture that simply doesn’t know what to do. The film leaves viewers wondering what they will do in these situations and lets us off the hook where we might fall short.*
Pablo Caviedes
In Pablo Caviedes – On the Map, the film maker PH Daniel Sanchez follows Inwood-based Ecuadorian artist, Pablo Caviedes, in his process of creating a monumental series of works inspired by the phenomenon of the American Identity and the role of immigration in development of the country.*
- Film summaries from IFF program.