The seventh annual Yonkers Film Festival, knowns as “YoFiFest,” kicks off Friday, Nov. 1 and, with a large and strong-contending crop of submissions to curate from, offers the opportunity to screen movies from around the world – as well as from right here in our own backyard. The screenings will run throughout the week, with local films and themed showcases at the Atrium Theater at the Riverfront Library and at the YoFi Digital Media Art Center, both located in downtown Yonkers.
“When we started the film festival seven years ago, Yonkers wasn’t known as a film-friendly city,” said Dave Steck, event co-founder and executive director. “But with a record number of shoots happening here and LionsGate building a new, $100 million studio complex right outside our YoFi DMAC, it’s beginning to feel like people are catching on to what we’ve known for a while – Yonkers is ‘Hollywood on the Hudson.’”
The festival opens with its traditional “Taste of Yonkers” red carpet reception featuring offerings from local restaurants, followed by the featured opening night film, and finishing with an after-party hosted by Zuppa Restaurant on Nov. 1.
Saturdays and Sundays offer all-day events filled with screenings of feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, music videos, web series and student work in multiple venues. Those evenings wrap up with an after-party at local establishments, including Yonkers Brewing Company and Dolphin Restaurant, where audiences and filmmakers get the chance to connect and converse in casual environments.
This year’s YoFiFest also includes a record number of films with connections to Westchester, either having been made by filmmakers from the area or having been shot there. Towns represented at the festival include Cortland Manor, Croton-Harmon, Dobbs Ferry, Harrison, Hartsdale, Hastings on Hudson, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Scarsdale, South Salem, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, White Plains and Yonkers.
“We are really proud to be showing more local films than ever before,” said Patty Schumann, event co-founder and director. “We’ve added a third night to our ‘Locally Sourced: Westchester Shorts Showcases,’ as well as screening several Westchester feature narrative and documentary films. This year’s festival will also screen a record number of submissions of films made by women and we’re excited to have received many more films by men and women of color and LGBTQ filmmakers, which helps us with our mission to bring more diverse stories to our audience.”
In addition to the screenings, this year adds eight workshops, including the “mini-film school” lecture series of entertainment industry-related educational panels, all free of charge.
“Thanks to ArtsWestchester and the Yonkers Office of Development, we’ll be able to offer many more programs free of charge, both during the festival and throughout the year at our YoFi DMAC,” said Steck. “Once again, we’ll kick off the festival by hosting our popular YoFiFamily Day with screenings of select films from the Brooklyn Film Festival’s kidsfilmfest 2019 and other free family-friendly activities.”
“We’ve also expanded our free Community Screenings Program, and are inviting active and former military service members to come for free all day on Veterans’ Day to thank them for their service,” added Schumann.
YoFiFest takes place in downtown Yonkers every evening and select days from Nov. 1 to 11. Information, schedules and tickets are available at YoFiFest.com.
