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10th Annual Film Festival Takes Over Downtown Theatres

Film buffs  have a local opportunity to watch films and meet various Hollywood personalities at the Syracuse International Film Festival, which started yesterday. It’s the festival’s 10th anniversary, and those in attendance will notice there are fewer films this year.

Festival producer Christine Fawcett-Shapiro says that the venues in downtown Syracuse and at universities in the area were intentionally chosen for the year’s showings, as were the film selections:

This year, the Festival will screen around a dozen films, down from almost 100 in past years. Screeningswill include offerings like a new filmmakers' showcase, the silent film IT, and the Syracuse premiere of Adult World. Guests can also catch keynote presentations by a variety of Hollywood personalities, like Italian film poster artist Maestro Silvano Campeggi and Jim Morris, Executive Vice President of PIXAR.

Part of the focus on thoughtful selection instead of quantity was an effort to change the event from a competitive series to a celebration. Parties are scheduled for every night of the festival, and the programming is partially meant to demonstrate what resources, pools of talent, tax incentives, and filming locations Central New York can offer to film makers.

Shapiro helped start the film festival ten years ago, along with her husband Owen. She admits that she’s surprised by its longevity, and she hopes it has benefited the city over its history:

Christine and Owen
Credit Syracuse International Film Festival
Christine Fawcett-Shapiro and Owen Shapiro

Shapiro-WEB2.mp3
Shapiro provides a brief history of the Syracuse International Film Festival, from the perspective of one of the founders.

Shapiro especially recommends first-time festival goers attend the event, to get a taste of what a film festival can be like. The festival will continue through Sunday evening, ending with the Syracuse premier of the film “Adult World,” which was filmed in Syracuse. Tickets are available online through ticket master, or can be purchased the day of each event.

Hannah vividly remembers pulling up in the driveway with her mom as a child and sitting in the car as it idled with the radio on, listening to Ira Glass finish his thought on This American Life. When he reached a transition, it was a wild race out of the car and into the house to flip on the story again and keep listening. Hannah’s love of radio reporting has stuck with her ever since.