You are reading

Jackson Heights outdoor film series begins

JH film screening

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/

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Manhattan bouncer charged in New Year’s Day fatal stabbing in Elmhurst: NYPD

A Manhattan man was arrested on Saturday and charged in the fatal stabbing of an East Elmhurst man during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in what notably became the city’s first homicide of 2024.

Torrence Holmes, 35, of St. Nicholas Place in Hamilton Heights, was taken into custody at his home and transported back to Queens, where he was booked at the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst on manslaughter and other charges on Saturday afternoon.