July 6, 2015 By Michael Florio
Jackson Heights is set once again to hold free, outdoor film screenings this summer.
The couple behind the Queens World Film Festival is returning to Jackson Heights for the fifth straight year to host a series of outdoor screenings in the neighborhood.
Katha Cato, along with her husband Don Cato, will be hosting the series, called FlicNic, a combination of movies and picnics.
The screenings are being held at both Diversity Plaza and Travers Park, located on 78th Street and 34th Ave, throughout the summer.
Katha Cato said the festival brings the community together, giving a “small town feel in a big city.”
The screenings also help introduce an array of different cultures to Jackson Heights residents.
The screenings will focus on short films from China, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Iran, India and Queens.
“It adds to the global, international feel of Jackson Heights,” she said. “It connects the neighborhood to the world.”
Currently there are shows scheduled for Diversity Plaza on July 30th, August 13th and August 30th. There are screenings scheduled for July 25th and August 8th at Travers Park.
The show on July 25th will feature nine animated independent films. Cato said they are they are the best animated films played at the Queens World Film Festival in the past 5 years.
The shows start at dusk, with people the screenings beginning around 8:45 pm.
The first event this year at Diversity Plaza was on July 2nd with more then 200 people in attendance, Cato said.
The first screening at Travers Park was scheduled for June 27th, but was canceled due to rain.
Most screenings get an audience of between 100 and 200 people, Cato said.
“Many [attendees] bring their own chairs or blankets and food to eat during the films,” she added. “It is always a good time.”
Cato will also be showcasing films in Long Island City.
Her group will be part of the Hunters Point Park Conservancy’s film series, where films are played at Hunters Point South Park by the water.
“It is their [Hunters Point Park Conservancy] first year hosting films and we share a common goal,” Cato said. “We hope to develop the culture in Queens and bring the world here.”
Cato added that her group will screen short films before the Conservancy’s feature presentation.
There are screenings scheduled at Hunters Point Park South for July 23rd, August 7th, August 20th and September 19th.
The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy is scheduled to screen Breakfast at Tiffany’s on July 23rd. Prior to the HPPC’s feature film, Cato’s group will be screening A Girl Like You And A Boy Like Me, a short film about the improbability of anyone ever falling in love, Cato said.
For more information visit: http://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/
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