CANCELLED! Jackson Heights Food & Film Fest suddenly bites dust as venue closes

2009 JHFFF Regrettably Cancelled October 20, 2009

Here's the news TrustMovies just received, word for word:

The Community Journal regrets to inform you that the 2009 Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival, scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2009 is regrettably cancelled.

We were just informed that the Jackson Triplex Theater, the planned venue for this year's festival has suddenly and unexpectedly closed for good. As there are no other venue options we unfortunately have no choice but to cancel the festival.

All payments made through the Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival website (via pay pal) shall be automatically refunded.

The scheduled 'after-party' at the restaurant Limoncello is not cancelled. Please join us on October 24, 2009 at 9:30 p.m. at Limoncello for food, fun and festivities! Limoncello is located at 40-39 82nd Street. There is no cost to join us at Limoncello, however, donations are welcome and appreciated. Please RSVP to communityjournal@gmail.com or 718-393-7711.

The Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival is a program of the non-profit organization the Community Journal and each year, scores of volunteers make the festival possible. The untimely and unexpected closing of the Jackson Triplex Theater comes at a great cost, financial and otherwise, to the organization, its volunteers and all the communities that we serve. We thank you for your support and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at 718- 393-7711 or communityjournal@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Bryan Pu-Folkes, Community Journal

email: communityjournal@gmail.com
phone: 718-393-7711
web: http://www.communityjournal.org

Below is the earlier post on what was supposed to happen....

Time again for the annual Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival, this year -- its fourth -- in a rather abbreviated version. The old venue, Jackson Heights' Eagle Theater, is closed for renovation (or perhaps back taxes or trouble in Mumbai) so the movie portion of the festival will be held at the tonier (well, for Jackson Heights -- where, regarding movie theaters, tony is baloney) Jackson Triplex theatre on 82nd Street, just south of the #7 elevated subway train for a single day: Saturday, October 24, 2009

The festival kicks-off with beverages accompanied by appetizers from six favorite Jackson Heights' restaurants: Jackson Diner, Novo Restaurant and Lounge, Uncle Peter's Bar and Grill, Rajbhog, Espresso 77 and Lety's Pastry and Cafe.

Film-wise, this year offers only a single main feature -- the award-winning SOY ANDINA, a worthwhile documentary that TrustMovies saw on DVD a couple of years back and which tells the intersecting stories of two New Yorkers, a modern/hip-hop dancer raised in Queens, and a folkloric dancer from the Andes on an odyssey through Peru in search of roots and a world of folkloric dance -- and two short films: GRACE, an eight minute movie based on a true story about an undocumented immigrant mother from Colombia, who despite having everything to lose, finds hope; and TEAM TALIBAN, a fifteen minute film exploring the impact of The War on Terror in American culture through the unique lens of professional wrestling.

Collectively, the films give a platform to emerging artists and offer a window into different cultural perspectives. They've been selected for inclusion here on the basis of both their quality and their ability to reflect universal themes while capturing an experience that is unique to a particular group or a part of the world.

Following the films will be a Q & A panel moderated by Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer, Executive Director of Queens Council on the Arts, and including Cynthia Paniagua (a dancer from Soy Andina), Julian Pimiento (an actor from Grace) and Benjamin Kegan (the director of Team Taliban).

With the purchase of a ticket, festival-goers will have the opportunity to digest an interesting film experience and then mix 'n mingle with friends, new and old, over food, fun and drinks at the Festival after-party at Limoncello restaurant.

Visit the JH Film & Food Fest website for further details or call the Community Journal at 718-393-7711. If you buy you tickets early, you'll avoid waiting on a long line: $20 general admission and $15 for seniors and students (with ID).

The Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival is a program of the non-profit organization, The Community Journal. Capital One bank, Queens Council on the Arts and Noah's Ark Pet Clinic are the proud sponsors of this year's festival.

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009
Place: Jackson Triplex Theater, 40-31 82nd Street, Jackson Heights
Appetizers: 6:30 p.m.
Films: 7:00 p.m. - 8:40 p.m.
Q & A: 8:45 p.m. - 9:20 p.m.
After-party: Limoncello restaurant, next door to theater, 40-39 82nd Street
Directions: E, F, V, R, 7 to 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue
or 7 train to 82nd Street

See you there!