Sunday, March 9, 2014

RATED SR: Socially Relevant Film Festival hits New York City's Quad Cinema, March 14-20


OK: It's yet another film festival here in NYC, but this one does indeed seem a little different, at least. The Rated SR: Socially Relevant Film Festival New York, a new non-profit film festival running March 14-20, 2014, at New York’s Quad Cinema, offers an international selection of narrative and documentary features representing a dozen nations.

According to its press release, RATED SR "focuses on socially relevant human stories and raises awareness of social problems by offering positive solutions through the powerful medium of cinema. Rated SR believes that through raised awareness, expanded knowledge about diverse cultures, and the human condition as a whole, it is possible to create a better world free of violence, hate and crime.

"Rated SR shines the spotlight on filmmakers (such as Simon Brook, above) who tell compelling, socially relevant narratives across a broad range of social issues without resorting to gratuitous violence and violent forms of movie-making. Rated SR Films are enlightening, uplifting, enter-taining, but most of all artistically appealing. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales each year of the festival will be donated to a charity selected from the fields of: poverty, homelessness, cancer and aging."

Journalist and author Amy Goodman (at right) will deliver the festival’s keynote address on Tuesday, March 18th, and present the “Rated SR Social Justice Award” for raising awareness to issues outside mainstream media. Founded by award-winning actor, filmmaker and curator Nora Armani, the festival will showcase films with human interest stories and socially relevant themes as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling. Rated SR aims to promote positive social change through the powerful medium of cinema.   

Over thirty narratives (such as Dovid Meyer, above, and Little Bi-Beep, the penultimate photo) and documentary films (Control, below, and From the Black You Make Color, at bottom) will screen -- including twelve feature films which will compete for the Grand Prize: a week-long theatrical engagement at the Quad Cinema, courtesy of the QuadFlix Select Program, and ten documentaries will compete for the documentary prize. The winner will receive a VOD DVD distribution deal courtesy of Cinema Libre Studio, a leader in the distribution of social issue documentaries and independent feature films. To take a look at the complete festival line-up, simply click here and then start browsing.

There are various ticket packages and discounted ticket options available, including a 10-ticket package: $80.00 (up to 2 tickets per title) 3-day weekend pass (Friday March 14- Sunday March 16): $65.00 7-day pass (Friday March 14-20) includes all films and panels: $85.00 Group tickets available for parties of 10 or more: $8.00 per ticket through the outreach program. Any of these various packages can be purchased by clicking here. Individual tickets are available at the Quad Cinema.

A selection of close to 100 film trailers from the festival submissions are viewable here, having garnered close to 100,000 visits to date. Media and other festival partners include the Village Voice, NYFA, Indieflix, Unifrance Films International, Cineuropa, Alouette Communications, FIAF, Samuel Infirmier, Final Draft and Center for Remembering and Sharing. New-York based metalsmith designer Michael Aram has donated a special trophy to be awarded to the recognized Rated SR honoree. The festival awards the Vanya Exerjian award to a film that raises awareness to violence against women and girls, in commemoration of Armani’s late cousin and uncle, victims of a violent hate crime.   

Festival Contact: Education and Community Outreach Coordinator: Constance Du Bois -- outreachsr@gmail.com

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