By: Fiona Hernandez and Danielle Modica | March 28, 2022
The New York State Writers Institute second annual Albany Film Festival will take place on Saturday, Apr. 2 at the University at Albany’s uptown campus. The festival will feature student short film entries, local filmmakers and notable film industry leaders who will be hosting discussions and screenings.
Film Festival Logo | Credit: New York State Writers Institute
Featured guests include Oscar-Nominated Stanley Nelson (“Attica”), Karen Allen (“Animal House,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Derek Cianfrance (“The Place Beyond the Pines”) and other notable figures.
“As a celebration of storytelling on screen, the Albany Film Festival is a natural extension of the Writers Institute’s mission of fostering conversations about the craft of writing in all its forms,” said Paul Grondahl, the NYS Writers Institute Director. “The niche that makes our film festival different is a focus on stories and books adapted into films, collaborations between fiction writers and directors, and the intersection of writing and cinema.”
The Albany Film Festival will screen 14 feature-length films, including Parkland shooting survivor documentary, "Us Kids" and Hulu drama mini-series, “I Know This Much is True,” featuring actor Mark Ruffalo. A presentation highlighting films made in the Capital Region and various discussion panels hosted by the featured guests will take place after each screening.
Over 20 short films submitted by UAlbany students and local filmmakers will be presented as well, spanning across comedy, documentary, drama and experimental genres. All showings will be held in the lecture centers.
The event will close with a ceremony presenting the Ironweed Award to established filmmakers Stanley Nelson, Marcia Smith (“Attica”), and Derek Cianfrance. Short film award winners will also be announced at this time.
The Albany Film Festival is free and open to the UAlbany community. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit the festival website at https://www.albanyfilmfestival.org/.