L-R-Melissa Goldberg, director of the Yonkers film office, Councilwoman Shanae Williams, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Anna Birrittella, YoFiFest’s director of special events, Yo-Fi co-founders Dave Steck and Patty Schumann, Council Majority Leader Michael Sabatino, Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins–photo by Donna Davis
The Yonkers Film Festival, YoFi Fest, has a permanent home downtown after last week, when it was “Lights, camera… open!,” and the ribbon was cut to officially open the doors to YoFi Fest’s new Digital Media Art Center.
The popular film festival, established 6 years ago by Dave Steck and Patty Schumann, has expanded its presence every fall and now has a year-round home and will be Yonkers’ new venue for arts, cultural and educational programs.
The YoFi DMAC (pronounced “dee-mack”) is YoFi Fest’s new classroom and lecture hall designed to present a wide variety of screenings, workshops, lectures and performances in two unique environments. It features gallery-type wall space to display artwork, a bright multi-purpose event and workshop area, a state-of-the-art digital projector, and a 5.1 surround sound system.
“It took years to find the right home, but it was worth the wait,” said Executive Director Dave Steck. “It never would have happened without Mayor Spano and the city, Joe Cotter and Lynne Ward at National Resources, and Richard Fitzgerald and his team at Sound Associates sharing and supporting our vision.”
The DMAC is located on the ground floor of the historic Otis Elevator Factory, which is now Yonkers’ iPark Hudson, in the heart of the revitalized downtown waterfront – home to an ever-growing number of restaurants, art galleries, shops and residential buildings. “It’s a great, little street to be on,” said YoFi’s Program Manager Patty Schumann. “Almost like a Hollywood backlot, with beautiful murals and a park at the end of it.”
The ribbon cutting was well attended by an enthusiastic crowd of state, county and local government officials, including State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Westchester Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, Yonkers City Council members Shanae Williams and Michael Sabatino, and Melissa Goldberg, director of the Yonkers Film Office.
Also in attendance were representatives of many of Yonkers cultural institutions, including Melissa Starke of US+U Gallery, Adam Shultz of YOHO Artists Studios, Julie Cousins of Blue Door Gallery, Catherine Han of the Yonkers Philharmonic, June Bateman of Philipse Manor Hall, John Davis of Yonkers Arts, Lauren Brady of ArtsWestchester, Jamie Martinez of the Yonkers Downtown Business Improvement District, and Ed Falcone and Susan Thaler of the Yonkers Riverfront Library.
DMAC, located at 28 Wells Ave., with the entrance on the Bashford Street side, will announce its program lineup soon, as will the upcoming sixth annual YoFi Fest. For the latest updates and information, visit yofifest.com.
