Hollywood glamour is coming to the borough again as a grassroots film festival is now accepting submissions.
The second annual Reel Bronx International Film Festival, co-coordinated and founded by Locust Point filmmaker Jerry Landi, is scheduled to have multiple screenings of local films taking place from Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 5.
This year’s festival will take place at the Mott Haven Bar and Grill, and is currently accepting submissions from local filmmakers who are its target audience, said Landi.
“Last year, we learned about a lot of people right in our neighborhoods that are making films that we did not know were filmmakers,” he said. “We got a lot of good press and people really liked the festival.”
The goal of this festival is for filmmakers, actors, producers, editors, photography and directors to network and make connections with each other and people in the industry at large, said Landi.
“The Bronx has a lot of talented filmmakers, and we really want to get exposure for these artists so the public can see what is going on in our borough,” said Landi. “Last year, about 90% of the films that we screened came from the Bronx.”
The coordinator said he was excited about having this year’s event at the Mott Haven Bar and Grill, which is a venue that has a great performance and meeting space, he said.
This festival will also be an opportunity for filmmakers who may be on very limited budgets to meet other people who may be able to help them complete their projects, he said.
Landi now operates his own film studio, Fiona Studios, in Locust Point, and will be screening one of that studio’s latest films called ‘Bronx Bigfoot,’ he said.
Submission fees will be kept to a minimum, and will only be used to cover the costs of the festival, he said.
“There will be no profit at all,” said Landi, who added that awards for the best films would be given in several categories, along with ‘laurels’ that can help promote a film.
The cost of the non-refundable entry fee for a short film under 40 minutes is $25, while the fee for a longer film is $35.
Submission formats are two DVDs or two Blu-rays or online Screeners via Vimeo.
A panel of three people will screen and judge the submissions, said Landi.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 18. For more information, please visit The Reel Bronx International Film Festival 2016 on Facebook and message the film festival.
This year, a co-coordinator, local actor and artist Sal Amore, joins Landi, to expand the festival annually.
