2005 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival will bring the world to local community

2005 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival will bring the world to local communityJanuary 27, 2005Jaime Winne Alvarez jlwinne@syr.edu

With renovations still taking place at the Palace Theater on James Street in Eastwood, amid the smell of fresh paint and newly laid carpet, Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) Executive Director and Syracuse University Professor Owen Shapiro announced the second annual SIFVF, which will be held Apr. 28-May 1.

State Sen. John A. DeFrancisco joined Shapiro, master of ceremonies Dennis Brogan and Palace Theater owner Michael Heagerty on Jan. 21 to outline festival events and highlights, its expanded international focus and continued community outreach.

“We want this to be a community-owned festival,” says Shapiro. “We want everyone to believe that it’s truly their own. We are really excited about the ever-growing international focus of this year’s festival that will put Syracuse in the limelight of world film fests.”

The 2005 SIFVF is a collaboration between not only the local and University communities, but the international community as well. The festival’s international partner institutions have grown from eight in 2004 to 21 in 2005, with newly added partnerships with China, Spain, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Mexico and Brazil, among others. This year’s SIFVF judges also represent an international background, hailing from Mexico, Argentina, China, Israel, Canada, England, Russia and the United States.

One hundred and twenty films will be presented in competition during the 2005 SIFVF at venues across Syracuse that reflect the uniqueness of the city. They include the Palace Theater, Bristol IMAX Omnitheater, the Everson Museum, the Landmark Theater, SU’s Menschel Media Center and Westcott Cinema.

A full schedule of events is slated as part of the 2005 festival. Highlights include two children’s programs; free outdoor animation screenings; an opening night gala and closing night awards program; silent film screening with a live jazz-group performing an original score; and filmmaker screening and discussion sessions.

At Friday’s press conference, Shapiro also unveiled the 2005 SIFVF’s official poster, illustrated by Ukrainian-born designer and illustrator Julia Vakser. A 2000 graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, Vakser lives and works in Cambridge, Mass. Her clients include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation and Harvard Magazine.

The Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) will be held Apr. 28-May 1 at venues across Syracuse. Tickets for the festival can be reserved at www.syrfilmfest.com or by calling (315) 443-8826.

SIFVF is a production of Point of Contact, a non-profit arts organization. It is a collaboration between the City of Syracuse, SU and the Cultural Resources Council of Onondaga County. For more information, contact Christine Fawcett at (315) 443-2247.