By Mabel Pais
Interested in a film festival that is Socially Relevant to our times….. where the invisible is made visible, to awaken us to the marginalized?
Head over to the tenth edition of The Socially Relevant™ Film Festival (SRFF) showcasing such films, March 16-31, 2023. In-person films screen March 17-19 and virtual films stream March 24-31.
The 10th Anniversary edition of SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival NY is a hybrid of in-person and online events. SRFF 2023 opens March 16 at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater (165 W. 65th Street, north side, upper level), March 17-19 at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street), and March 20-23 in West Harlem, Columbia University, Morningside Retirement and Health Services (MRHS – 100 La Salle Street, #MC, New York, NY 10027), Columbia Maison Française (515 West 116th Street, Buell Hall, 2nd floor, MC 4990, New York, NY 10027), Dear Mama (West Harlem, 611 West 129th Street), and JCC Harlem (Jewish Community Center, Harlem, 318 W 118th St, New York, NY 10026) . The online section runs from March 24-31.
The Official Selection program of 13 Documentaries, six Narrative features, and six thematically divided short film blocks (ratedsrfilms.org/2023-short-and-bipoc-films), Family and Adoption, Home and Health, Climate Change, LGBTQ, and BIPOC Films and Filmmakers, screen over three days at Cinema Village from March 17-19, and Uptown in West Harlem from March 20-23. The links above open the list and trailers of the films. A panel will examine BIPOC representation on screen, and Q&A will follow in-person screenings. Online Meet the Filmmakers discussions complement the program. A Smartphone filmmaking workshop will be offered, as well as a table read of the finalist scripts in the festival’s scriptwriting competition.
Watch the Festival trailer – youtu.be/lTtVYaC-GXw
“Ten years have gone by quickly. We are proud to have had the opportunity to present over 600 socially relevant films from 40 countries. These films highlight the work of talented and dedicated filmmakers and have offered us the added bonus of learning about the human condition, filmmaking, and engaging an audience as the first step towards raising awareness of social issues,” said Festival Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani.
At a press event held in February 2023, Festival Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani said, “We take pride in telling the stories of invisible people; invisible because they are indigenous because they belong to marginalized groups such as LGBTQ, invisible because of their disabilities, because of the stigma of incarceration, homelessness, age, or disease. We take pride in shining the spotlight on wonderful films made by dedicated filmmakers who succeed in engaging an audience and raising awareness of social issues. We are lucky in that our hard work as volunteers is rewarded with the added bonus of learning so much from these films.”
The Socially Relevant Film Festival (SRFF)
The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant™, human-interest stories, across a broad range of social issues without resorting to violence and violent forms of storytelling.
SRFF was founded by Actress/ Filmmaker Nora Armani in 2013 as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. SRFF believes in the power of the film medium in raising awareness of social issues and promoting positive social change. This new edition deals with topics such as Climate Change, Family and Adoption, LGBTQ Rights, Home and Health, Disability, Incarceration and Freedom, New York City, Racism, and BIPOC cultures.
Program Schedule
March 16
**Opening Night – Red Carpet – Walter Reade Theater Lincoln Center
Red Carpet – 5:30 pm
Opening Ceremony – Honor Awards to three prolific individuals honored for their work in social justice and gender equality.
Film 1 – Shabu – 6 pm, NEW YORK PREMIERE
Dir: Shamira Raphaëla | The Netherlands | Doc l 1h 15m
Followed by Q&A with filmmakers
Reception follows to celebrate the 10th anniversary and blow out the candles on the SRFF 2023 cake
Film 2 – Tnaash – 9:15 pm, NEW YORK PREMIERE
Dir: Boudy Sfeir | Lebanon | Narrative Feature l 1h 26m
March 17-19
**Cinema Village – Shorts, Documentary, and Narrative films March 17-19
The film slate, trailers, and synopses are at ratedsrfilms.org under SRFF 2023.
The complete film schedule, can be viewed at ratedsrfilms.org/schedule2023
More information is available at ratedsrfilms.org, or contact rsvp.srff@gmail.com.
The SRFF 2023 Competition Categories are
Narrative Features
Documentary Features
Narrative Shorts
Documentary Shorts
Women Directed films acknowledged
Rejoice Resist: BIPOC Films and Filmmakers
Rejoice Resist: BIPOC Films and events in West Harlem March 20-23, highlight films by and about BIPOC communities. This program takes place at MRHS (Morningside Health and Retirement Services), at Dear Mama in West Harlem, Maison Française Columbia University, and JCC Harlem. The program offers film screenings, a panel discussion on Diversity and Representation with the participation of the filmmakers, and invited guests, Justin Thomas, Joseph Jones, and HipHop by Division X.
Closing Awards Night
March 23, 5:00 PM Documentary, Maka (youtu.be/oXREqY1DtXU),
‘Maka’ is about pioneer Black Italian activist Geneviève Makaping, Jazz by Kim Thomas. Closing Awards Ceremony at 7:00 PM where winning filmmakers are awarded by the International Jury.
The evening is capped by the Tatev Jazz Trio and a reception.
AWARDS
The Award Categories: Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Short Film, Best Actor/ Actress in narrative shorts, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Script, WFCC (the Women Film Critics Circle award), in addition, there will be two Honor Awards given out on Closing Night, and these will be unveiled shortly.
Online Films
The online section of the festival starts on March 24. It streams on srff.sparqfest.live.
TICKETS
Tickets for Opening Night, VIP Tickets, Single Tickets, All-Access Passes, In-Person & Virtual Tickets are available at filmfreeway.com/SRFF23/tickets
The Socially Relevant™ Film Festival (SRFF)
The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant™, human-interest stories, across a broad range of social issues without resorting to violence and violent forms of storytelling.
The Festival was founded by Actress/ Filmmaker Nora Armani in 2013 as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. This new edition deals with topics such as Climate Change, Family and Adoption, LGBTQ Rights, Home and Health, Disability, Incarceration and Freedom, New York City, Racism, and BIPOC cultures.
During its first nine years, SRFF has showcased over 600 films from 40 countries. This year, a roster of 70 selected films is on offer, including narrative and documentary features, and shorts from 23 countries. For more information is available at ratedsrfilms.org, or contact rsvp.srff@gmail.com.
(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)
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