FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Katha Cato, Director, Queens World Film Festival, 718-429-2579 [email protected], www.queensworldfilmfestival.com @queensworldfestival

5th Annual QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL Kicks Off on March 17 at Museum of the Moving Image

The 5th annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) kicks off at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, on Tuesday, March 17, with a special opening night tribute to director Leon Ichaso and a sampling of the many films in competition. The Festival runs through Sunday, March 22, with daily screenings at MoMI, at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City and at PS 69 in Jackson Heights.

This year’s program features 117 feature films and shorts from 30 countries, including 19 films made in the Borough of Queens. The Festival awards prizes in all categories for those films that are in competition. The winners will be announced at the closing night ceremony to be held on Saturday, March 22, at the Museum of the Moving Image in its beautiful Redstone Theater. The closing night film, shown out of competition, is the highly acclaimed Dukhtar (Daughter) by Afia Nathaniel.

MORE ABOUT DUKHTAR The closing night film is Afia Nathaniel’s DUKHTAR. Taken from today’s headlines, this is a gripping, beautifully- shot and touching story about the practice of marrying pre-pubescent girls to much older men for tribal, political and economic reasons. In DUKHTAR, the girl’s mother kidnaps her daughter on the eve of such marriage, and they run for their lives. Entirely shot in the disputed areas of Pakistan with brilliant performances by well-known actors , DUKHTAR was acclaimed at the Toronto Film Festival and is fast becoming a festival favorite among those who love art –house films.

Every year, the Queens World Film Festival pays tribute to an outstanding filmmaker for his or her body of work. This year's "Spirit of Queens" honoree is Leon Ichaso, whose films include the groundbreaking El Super, Crossover Dreams, , Paraiso and Bitter Sugar. Cynthia Lopez, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment, will bestow the “Spirit of Queens” award at the opening night ceremony on March 17 at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Mr. Ichaso, who lives in Los Angeles, will present Bitter Sugar in person on March 18 at the Museum. The film chronicles the political disillusionment of a Cuban revolutionary, and is particularly timely in view of the recent thaw in U.S.- diplomatic relations and the controversy that has engendered.

The original film negative for Bitter Sugar was recently found in the vault of DuArt Film & Video by IndieCollect and has since been archived at the Academy Film Archive. The QWFF and Museum of the Moving Image are taking this opportunity to salute IndieCollect’s film preservation and documentation campaign.

In announcing the line-up of films, QWFF Artistic Director Don Cato said: “I love picking films for this Festival because we get to bring the world to Queens and Queens to the world.” Highlights include:

 32 films directed by women (see attached list),  19 films by Queens Filmmakers (see attached list),

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 2 films that debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, the documentary Hole in the Sky (Godka Cirka) about genital cutting in Somalia, and narrative short, Our Blood by Max Chan,  2 films that deal with our criminal justice system, including Truth Has Fallen by Sheila M. Sofian and Unafraid: Voices from the Crime Victims Treatment Center by Karin Venegas,  Dirty Laundry Day by Syrian filmmaker Jamil Lahham, who was the senior animator of Oscar-winning film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Nesmore ,  Reuber, from Germany, starring Heiko Pinkowski, who won QWFF Best Actor in 2013 for Heavy Girls,  Adagio by Rafael Escobar, from Argentina, whose last film, Uomo, won Best Feature at QWFF 2013.

David Schwartz, Chief Curator of the Museum of the Moving Image, added: "The Queens World Film Festival is a vibrant, energetic event, showing an exciting array of new films while also highlighting the achievements of established filmmakers. We're pleased to partner with the Festival on the screenings of Bitter Sugar and Dukhtar, and also to be a venue for many of the other screenings."

Festival Director Katha Cato reflected on the organization’s 5th birthday: “I’m proud that we got our official non-profit status from the IRS this year, one of several milestones we are celebrating. I’m also so grateful for the support of New York City Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer and Daniel Dromm, and that of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, as well as that of our corporate sponsors, especially Investors, Bank of New Jersey. I admire our independent filmmakers, many of whom have overcome enormous odds to complete their films.”

Tickets for all QWFF film presentations are available now at www.Queensworldfilmfestival.com

HOW TO SEE THE WINNING FILMS & MORE ABOUT THE JURY A distinguished jury consisting of Josh Green, Michael Lieber, Don Torrance, Tom Lowenhaupt, Patrick DiRenna, Laurence Hoffman, Sarah Alli, and Elizabeth Pasieczny selected the 2015 QWFF award winners, to be announced on the evening of March 21. Audiences will have an opportunity to see all the winning films during a day-long marathon on Sunday, March 22, at the Museum of the Moving Image.

ASIAN FILMMAKERS and FILMS A Boy's Prayer Chao Koi-Wang (Taiwan) ASINTADO (Between The Eyes) Luisito Ignacio Phillippines Carry On Yatao Li (China) DUKHTAR (Daughter) Alfia Afia Nathaniel (Pakistan – lives in Brooklyn) Love Express Patrick Chen (Queens) TNT (Tago Nang Tago) Roberto Reyes Ang (Queens)

LATIN FILMS Abriendo Puertas Tomás Bases (Spain), Adagio Rafael Escolar (Argentina) AZUCAR AMARGA (Bitter Sugar) Leon Ichaso (Cuba) El Mal Trato Daniel Vivanco (Chile) El Marioneta Ciega (BLIND PUPPET) Jaime Fidalgo (Mexico) ENHEBRADO (THREADED) Tatiana Pinzón Salavarrieta & Sandra Marcela Obando Morales (Columbian) NJINGA - Rainha De Angola (QUEEN OF ANGOLA) Sergia Graciano (Portugal) Short Steps Laura Aguinaga (USA) Tras Bambalinas (Three Scenes) Rafa Garcia (Spain) Trato Preferente (Preferential Treatment) Edna Fontana, Antonio Gómez (SpainLIST OF 2

QUEENS FILMMAKERS and FILMS Barrio Boy Dennis Shinners Big Girl Lisa Melodia Blood Memory Marc Macaluso Chosen Family Neha Guatum Clean Break Michael Chmiel Comic Book Heaven E.J. McLeavey-Fisher Dirty Laundry Day Jamil Lahham Diwali Dream Garage Johnny Pik Dressed Neal Hemphill Juice It Christina Raia Love Express Patrick Chen Millie and the Lords Jennica Carmona Paradise Found, Paradise Lo$t Conrad Stojak Short Steps Laura Aguinaga The Lives of Hamilton Fish Rachel Mason The Way You Love Lydia Darly TNT Roberto Reyes Unafraid, Voices from the Karin Venegas and Eddie Venegas Crime Victims Treatment Center Wild Woman Joy Shatz

FILMS BY WOMEN DIRECTORS A Broken Man Ellen Andries & Thomas Maddens A Teen's Guide to Understanding & Alexandra Jackman Communicating with People with Autism Big Girl Lisa Melodia Bright in Here Julia Thompson Chosen Family Neha Gautam Come Back Hailey Ela Thier Coming Back to the Hoop Jane Pittman Destination Home Maria Seppälä & Veera Lehto-Michaud Dukhtar Afia Nathaniel Enhebrado (Threaded) Tatiana Pinzón Salavarrieta, Sandra Marcela, Obando Morales Erstwhile Beatrice Copeland Gaspar & Son Hannah Jayanti, Jen G. Pywell, Miguel A. Rodriguez Getting through to Syria: Those Who Dare Lucy Chapman Hanging By a Thread Catya Plate Juice It Christina Raia Memory of Forgotten War Deann Borshay Liem & Ramsay Liem Millie & the Lords Jessica Carmona -196 Anna Arlanova My Kingdom Debra Solomon Not New Russians Abigail Spindel Semiotics of Islam: A Primer of Kuffar Fouzia Najar Short Steps Laura Aguinaga Something You Can Call Home Rebecca Kenyon 3

The Dum Dum Capitol of the World Holly Hey The Last Piece Rosalyn Coleman Williams The Lives of Hamilton Fish Rachel Mason The Park Bench Ann LeSchander The Way You Love Lydia Darley Truth Has Fallen Sheila M. Sofian Unafraid: Voices From the Crime Victims Karin Venegas and Eddie Venegas Treatment Center We Came to Sweat Kate Kunath & Sasha Wortzel Wild Woman Joy Shatz

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