In its twenty-fifth year, the Stony Brook University Film Festival will go completely online.
In previous years, the festival was held in the Staller Center for the Arts at the main stage theater. Viewing the festival is not simple, but the new method lays the groundwork for inclusivity. Now, people can simply watch the films from the comfort and safety of their homes.
A central theme of this year’s festival lineup is the difficulty of dealing with life when it is put on pause. In a press release, the Staller Center explains, “Whether by war, violence, substance abuse, sexual abuse, birth, death — or even just really bad traffic — this universal experience of having to put one’s plans on hold weaves its way through our series this year.”
After purchasing a ticket, attendees will have 72 hours to watch their desired movie. A pass for $60 grants viewers, “access to all feature films, short films, introductions, Q&A sessions, live panel discussions, and all extra bonus content.”
Only two films are released each Thursday and the schedule can be found on the IndieFlix Festival website. Viewers must download the IndieFlix app in order to get access to the films.
One feature, “Dreamfactory” and one short film, “Extra Innings” kick off the first week of the festival. “Extra Innings” has a run time of eight minutes and is written and directed by John Gray. The short captures fictional moments of the manager of the Boston Red Sox being interviewed by an eager sports reporter whose goal is to uncover the manager’s secrets.
“Dreamfactory” is a foreign language film directed by Martin Schreier. The German film has elements of comedy and romance as it follows the story of two lovers who must find their way back to each other in spite of literal borders made to keep them apart.
Alan Inkles, the director of the festival, hopes “the mix of these socially conscious films balanced with uplifting, often fun and joyous stories, with spectacular performances, will provide the stimulation and entertainment we are all so desperately craving.”
Tickets can be found here. Stony Brook University students can watch all of this year’s films for free, but must provide their SBU email and ID number.
