MANLIUS — Boasting its usual diverse array of films for its 21st anniversary celebration, the Syracuse International Film Festival will be coming to Manlius Cinema for the first time ever Sept. 20 through 22.
Emphasizing its international component, the three-day festival making its way to the historic theater at 135 E. Seneca St. will showcase films from as far away as Australia in addition to ones shot locally and elsewhere in-state. The various selected films are brought in via both invitationals and juried competitions.
This first evening of Friday, Sept. 20, the doors will open at 5 p.m. with opening remarks at 5:45, followed by an “Entertainment 101” panel with deputy director of CNY Arts Alex Korman, musical artist and producer Rex Lyons, movie producer/musician all the way from Cameroon Witty Minstrel, and Bridge Street co-host Iris St. Meran from 6 to 7 p.m.
During the weekend, there will also be a discussion on casting with director and distributor Ron Bonk of SRS Cinema.
From 7:15 to just before 9 this opening night, the first of two programs will consist of “Made in New York” short films, namely Justin Chi’s film about lavish lifestyles and societal disparities “A Night in Bridge,” the short documentary on underrepresented communities and environmental injustice “A Tale of Two Cities: Reclaiming Niagara Falls and Salinas,” Ryan M. Kennedy’s futuristic film “Clone,” Anneke Scott’s film about a revelation faced by a grieving family “Secrets Not Buried,” and Anthony Valdés-Strickler’s story of New York aperitifs “The Opener.” After those screenings, there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers.
From 9:30 until about a quarter after 11 this evening, Max Rissman’s LGBTQI+ feature with a plot weaving in an incident of carbon monoxide poisoning called “Upon Waking” will be shown, leading into an afterparty lasting until midnight.
This Saturday, Sept. 21, the Manlius Cinema doors will open at noon with opening remarks at 12:45. There will then be a “Film 101” panel from 1 to 2 p.m. with the principal of Syracuse’s STEAM school Jody Manning, WCNY vice president of workforce development Carol Opee-Stelios, chair of Syracuse University’s film and media arts department David Tarleton, and representatives from Visit Syracuse moderated by award-winning social change filmmaker Adria Dawn.
From 2:15 p.m. to just before 4 on that second day, the first program will feature a roughly 10-minute short film about domestic violence called “Porcelain” and a documentary touching on suicide called “Losing Grace Finding Hope.” Going along with the subject matter of the latter, there will be a talk with an Albany-based suicide awareness coalition spokesperson from 3:55 to 4:15 p.m.
The next program block that day from 4:30 to 5 will center on animation, with João Rodrigues’ fantastical “Ana Morphose,” Katie Cobos’ short about a talkative parrot and a boy with Tourette’s syndrome “Birds of a Feather,” Mike Salva’s four-minute “Caller Number Nine,” Erika Totoro’s short about a mime experiencing relationship turmoil “Le Charade,” Hannes Rall’s reimagining of the works of Shakespeare “Shakespeare for All Ages,” and Sue Orloff’s conversation on climate change between a squirrel and a cow “The Straight Poop” comprising that half hour of programming, one of those titles hailing from Portugal and another from Germany.
After an hour of dinner specials, the festival will pick back up with the third program of that Saturday, a presentation of the American High production “It’s a Wonderful Binge” with an ensuing Q&A.
The fourth program of the Saturday will be “Blind Cop 2,” which will lead into its own Q&A session before things wind down at 10 p.m. Directed by Ron Bonk’s nephew Alec Bonk, that action movie was filmed locally, and it includes a number of Syracuse natives in the cast.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, the doors reopen at 10:45 a.m., and from 11:30 a.m to 1:15 p.m. there will be a showing of the comedy “Sallywood” starring former winner of the festival’s Sophia Award Sally Kirkland along with a Q&A.
From 1:30 p.m. to 3:40 p.m., there will be a program presenting back-to-back-to-back documentaries themed around environmental awareness, those being the Kovaction film “A Day with Alaskan Bears,” Jack Kelley’s “The Atlantis Puzzle” and Olivia Andrus-Drennan’s “The Dolphin Dilemma.”
After a short break, a film starring Dorien Wilson about controlling the streets and the price that comes with it, “The 4 Points,” will be shown, and Wilson will take part in a Q&A prior to being bestowed with the Sophia Award for lifetime achievement during the closing ceremony. Wilson, who has been on “The Parkers,” “Sister, Sister” and “Friends,” will be flying in from Los Angeles for the occasion.
“We want not only just filmmakers and actors and actresses and film students—we want the community to come on out to check out and support these amazing films,” said Michelle DiBernardo, the executive director of the Syracuse International Film Festival.
DiBernardo said she and the rest of the organizers wanted to be conscious about presenting “something for everybody” during the fest, or at least as much as they could within a three-day span, from films extending “beyond the headlines we read” and bringing to light serious issues that resonate with people to movies sure to make theatergoers laugh.
“Of course we love when people can have a good time, but there are lessons to be learned through certain films, and some can open people’s minds and put them in others’ shoes to see what they’ve been through,” she said.
DiBernardo, who was a line producer on Siobhan Fallon Hogan’s film “Shelter and Solitude,” said the decision was made to host the festival at Manlius Cinema after that part-humorous, part-heartbreaking feature was screened there last year. Though it has less seats and space than some theaters, she says she appreciated the historical feel, intimacy and coziness of the Manlius theater and the fact that the village’s mayor, Paul Whorrall, has been involved in efforts to revitalize and build up his community’s arts and entertainment district on East Seneca Street.
Additionally, she said it was an alternative to bouncing around from venue to venue, as has been the case in previous years.
DiBernardo said she enjoys putting on the festival because it offers a chance for film enthusiasts to network and get acquainted with the Syracuse area.
“I love bringing filmmakers to Syracuse and getting them together to make big things happen,” she said. “A lot are gonna want to make films here, and they’re gonna want to put money in the economy and bring their creative stories to life here.”
Manlius Cinema Operations Manager Derek Walter, who also sits on the advisory board for this year’s Syracuse International Film Festival, said his theater’s mission is to “create an exceptional experience in a casual environment” and that he’s teaming up with his fellow festival organizers to “condense an incredibly ambitious plan” into an event that’s “fun and approachable” for any patron.
In the lead-up to the festival, Walter has worked to schedule program times, create a webpage on manliuscinema.com for the festival, and ensure that the content plays seamlessly through the site’s projector. During the festival, he’ll be acting as facility and stage manager to keep everything running on time and accommodate the invited guests.
Referring to cinemas altogether—not just Manlius’ 106-year-old theater—as some of the still-standing bastions for a “shared cultural experience,” Walter said he’s passionate about film because of its “inherent ability to entertain, enlighten and challenge our world view” but also its way of bringing people together and igniting conversations.
“I’m hopeful that bringing in an event such as the Syracuse International Film Fest will introduce the cinema, and Fayetteville-Manlius in general, to a broader public and demonstrate why I consider this to be one of the best small towns to enjoy a night out,” he said.
Until they run out, tickets and different day passes will be available on syracusefilmfest.com, and due to limited seating, the organizers are encouraging people to purchase their tickets as soon as they can rather than at the door.
