In its 11th year, The Korean American Film Fest’s Infinite Cinema, headed up by Chung Tsang and Mark Anthony Singh, was held this past Saturday, October 14th in the Wythe Hotel Screening Room (80 Wythe Ave).
A passage on the fest’s website reads, “Embracing the motto of CONNECT. FUSE. REPEAT. KAFFNY Infinite Cinema challenges its audience to discard notions of cultures as separate, discrete and insular, instead exploring the infinite possibilities of contact, fusion, and creation born from the mixing of different backgrounds.”
True to that directive, KAFFNY’s collection of films, which crossed multiple genres and mediums, maintained an impressive cohesiveness in its focus on shared experience, exploring distinct cultural backgrounds within the global context. Cleverly divided into five thematic segments, the fest included 25 short films and two feature length films, as well as moderated panel discussions with many of the filmmakers and actors. Continue reading →
The Bushwick Film Festival is here with a mix of screenings and panel discussions built around themes like Funny People, Alt-Horror, and Breaking into Hollywood.
The festival begins tonight (10/12) with the world premiere of In Case of Emergency at House of Yes, and there’s a big blast-off party at Lot 45 on Friday. Continue reading →
After the Fyre Festival of pizzas, Brooklyn is very close to reaching peak festival—but The Korean American Film Fest, now in its 11th year (so you know it’s legit), is happening this weekend in Williamsburg on Saturday, October 14th and it’s set to be a full day of fascinating and entertaining cultural talks and film screenings. From 1pm till midnight the fest will take over the Wythe Hotel Screening Room (80 Wythe Ave) and is digging into the topic of Infinite Culture through specific lenses: Food, Fashion, Worldwide Korean Connection, Migration, and Crazy, Rich Asian Americans (yes, that’s a real category!). In addition to screening 25 short films and 2 feature length films, the audience will also get the opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions with the filmmakers during moderated panel discussions. Plus free food samples following the food film screening at 1pm! Tickets are only $15 for the entire day, when you use the 50% off code WEB50.
It’s that time of year, folks. There’s a chill in the air, and down your spine. Trees become skeletal, the ground crunches underfoot, the moon comes out and the fog rolls in. It’s time to get freaky, and the Brooklyn Horror Film Fest can help you do just that. Taking place this year over the weekend of Friday October 13th through Sunday October 15th, we are lucky to have most of the screening venues in our ‘hood. Perfect for a date, or going it alone (if you dare). They’ll be presenting independent feature films and shorts from horror filmmakers from around the world, including some local to NYC. And, the fest will also be hosting an opening night party, panel discussions, Q&A’s with filmmakers, games, contests, merch tables, an award ceremony and a sendoff party after the final screening.
Badges are already sold out, but you can still get tickets to individual showings, from $13-$18 depending on the event. Below, we’ve listed the films that are being shown locally, but you should check their site for a full listing of films and events all over Brooklyn. Continue reading →
If you have not heard of rapper, former chef and Viceland hostAction Bronson’s low culture cult following, you may soon be aware of his larger-than-life presence. Born in Queens and reportedly living in North Brooklyn, he has become an icon somewhat for his brazen rap stylings, but is probably more acclaimed for his self-proclaimed lyrical adoration of the pre-packaged foods most of us grew up with—chicken tenders, Starburst, Steak-umms; and his more complex and grown-up gourmet tastes—steak that’s aged for over 20 days, lamb that’s been roasted over 7 hours, stuffing filled with truffles and pears. As a chubby, foul-mouthed yet lovable character, he appeals to many: the shameless (those who would happily chow down on dirty water hotdogs), the detail-oriented (people who would source the best ingredients to create a very simple meal) and the fun-food-havers (regular people at a backyard BBQ where the smoker’s been going for hours, where homemade food and booze is abundant and anything goes). Continue reading →
Experimental film and art venue Light Industryis located on Freeman Street, on the bottom floor in an unassuming apartment building on this tree-lined Greenpoint street. The movie theatre is led by a hearty team of two: co-founders Thomas Beard and Ed Halter curate the programming, cultivate the audiences, and maintain the performance space.
The space itself at Light Industry is white-walled and welcoming. Its simple appearance falls in line with the company’s ethos. “We have a very approachable space,” says Halter. “It feels modest, it feels like it is human scale — both Thomas and I feel inspired by the DIY scene.” Beard says that the screening room is a cinema reduced to its most essential values, with a white projection surface, a grid of folding chairs, and a couple of speakers. The screening room can accommodate up to 75 people. The theatre’s small team paired with its intimate space bring audiences closer to the programming. A patron once said that the experience of visiting Light Industry is like going to a film nerd’s basement. And that’s just what Beard and Halter were going for.Continue reading →
Last Tuesday, Nitehawk Cinema (136 Metropolitan Ave) celebrated Korean National Liberation Day with a spectacular Film Feast. The Nitehawk team collaborated with Yooeating?! and Tokki Soju to turn Chan-wook Park’s Old Boy (2003) into a multi-sensory, totally immersive thrill ride.
Old Boy is a neo-noir mystery thriller that critics have called “a dazzling work of pop-culture artistry…[that] makes us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves.” With praise like that, I knew I was in for a good time, but add to it Yooeating?!’s evocative and delicious dishes, and Tokki Soju’s imaginative pours made with Soju, a traditional Korean distilled spirit, delivered at precisely the moment of the film which inspired their creation, and Tuesday’s Film Feast was one of the most exciting and satisfying experiences I’ve had at the movies. Continue reading →
What: FREE Family movie night – Ghostbusters! When:Tuesday, August 15th | arrive around 7:30pm to get your spot, movie starts at 8pm Where: McGolrick Park lawn near Monitor St and Driggs Ave
This past Tuesday night, the William Vale (111 N 12th St) hosted a screening of the fantastic new Netflix comedy The Incredible Jessica James. The event was hosted by Rooftop Films, a non-profit founded in 1997, dedicated to exposing people to new films and assisting up and coming filmmakers to produce new work.
The film stars Jessica Williams as the titular Jessica James, a young playwright in her mid 20’s navigating her emotions after a recent breakup, while keeping her spirits up amidst a slew of rejection letters from theater companies. The film follows her as she learns lessons about herself through her relationship with Boon (played by Chris O’Dowd), a recent divorcé with whom she shares a budding romance, and her students at a children’s theater company. As so many people do in their mid-20’s in New York, she starts out with a very idealistic view of where she wants to be romantically, professionally and personally, and throughout the course of the movie discovers that she is actually right where she wants to be. Continue reading →
A lot of people drive cross country from New York to California, but few people do it with a larger social and political message as a goal. On August 8th, Australian-born local street artist and Northern Territory owner Jamie Toll and his wife—Colombian immigrant, actress and filmmaker Paola Baldion—will do just that, while making a completely unique trip. For two months they will travel across America providing free DNA tests to total strangers, and then on the return leg of their journey they’ll interview the recipients of the kits about their DNA discoveries for a documentary film the couple plan to make while on the road.
Jamie and Paola conceived the trip after the success of Paola’s You Tube video, which went viral garnering 30 million hits! They will partner up with the genetic research company myHeritage DNA to shoot the documentary project I Am Migration.
