All Over Albany

More Than Words: The Photography of Newsman Bob Paley

Bob Paley was an award-winning photographer for the Knickerbocker News for almost three decades, capturing both historical moments and the little details of everyday life.

There's a new documentary this year about his work: More Than Words: The Photography of Newsman Bob Paley. And the NYS Writers Institute will be showing it at UAlbany November 16. Blurbage:

For more than a decade [Paley] also earned national renown as a stringer for the Time-Life stable of magazines with Times Union colleague, John Maguire. Often with a single photo, he captured the mood, moment and meaning of the forces that rocked mid-20th century America.

In this new documentary, Paley's daughter Mary presents the startling and beautiful images of his singular career.

MORE THAN WORDS (co-directed by Mary Paley and Jon Russell Cring) tells the story of how a small city in upstate New York coped with the powerful forces that were unleashed as America came of age in the years following World War II. The film is truly a newspaper story; a tribute to the tireless crusaders of America's fact-based media.

Mary Paley will be at the screening for a panel discussion following. (You might remember that Mary Paley co-directed The Neighborhood That Disappeared, about the Empire State Plaza.)

It's Friday, November 16 in Page Hall on the downtown campus (135 Western Ave). It's free.

The old Knickerbocker News
The Fulton History trove of old upstate newspapers includes the Knickerbocker News, so you can browse through old pages of the paper and see some of Paley's work. (The image quality is, admittedly, not great.) In just a few minutes, you can come across photos of the Empire State Plaza construction, George Wallace's visit to Albany (and the resulting protests) in 1968, and fun photos of the day.

Silent films with live scores return to the Albany Public Library this month

A still from He Who Gets Slapped. / via archive.org

The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular returns next week. The series shows silent films along with live scores performed by local musicians at the Washington Ave Branch:

October 10: The Prolific Magic Egg and Sherlock Jr. - Psychedelic Snakeskin
"'The Prolific Magic Egg' is a 1903 short film directed by and starring Georges Méliès. 'Sherlock Jr.' is a 1924 film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. Psychedelic Snakeskin will provide the live accompaniment using analog and digital instrumentation to bring attendees sound-collage music from the outer edges."

October 17: The Three Ages - Ryan Devine and Friends
"This 1923 film stars Buster Keaton and showcases the wonder of love and romance through three historical periods. [Ryan] Devine plays keyboards for a number of local bands, is a member of Victory Soul Orchestra, and teaches piano."

October 24: He Who Gets Slapped - Raurri Jennings
"Lon Chaney plays a bitter clown in this 1924 film. Jennings is lead singer and guitarist for popular local band Front Business. He is new to the Silent Film Spectacular this year."

The films start 7 pm.

APL advertises on AOA.

Film Columbia 2018

The annual Film Columbia film festival returns October 20-28 in Chatham. And the lineup of films is out.

As in years past the schedule includes a bunch of films that are already getting attention because of screenings at other festivals and/or they're eagerly awaited because of stars or directors involved.

A few of this year's selections that caught our eye are after below.

This year's festival also will honor Brian Cox with four screenings of his films and a Q&A with the actor.

Tickets for the general public go on sale October 13.

Many of the screenings do sell out -- so if you're interested in attending, it's a good idea to grab tickets sooner rather than later.

(there's more)

We The Animals at The Spectrum with special post-film Q&A

The Spectrum is hosting a special screening of the film We The Animals this Saturday, September 8 with a special post-show Q&A. Blurbage:

Youth FX will be hosting a screening of the critically acclaimed film, We The Animals, at the Landmark's Spectrum 8 Theatres in Albany with an exclusive Q & A following the screening with stars Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, and Josiah Gabriel, along with Youth FX teaching artist and Albany High School dramatic arts teacher, Noelle Gentile, who served as their acting coach on the film for three years during the casting process and on set. The Q & A will be moderated by Youth FX director Bhawin Suchak and will be a fundraiser for the Albany-based youth film program. This special screening is sponsored by The Orchard Films, Public Record and Film Albany, who also lent lots of support to the film during production, which happened upstate in Utica, NY.

We The Animals has been selected to screen at dozens of film festivals around the world, winning awards at Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival & Outfest has been called one of the best films of 2018!

The film -- which is based on the novel by Justin Torres -- has gotten very good reviews.

The Spectrum screening is at 7:15 pm. And it wouldn't be surprising for something like this to fill up.

Earlier: Albany's award-winning Youth FX now has a home of its own

That documentary about the heyday of the Albany Patroons premieres at The Palace this month

That documentary about the old Albany Patroons and the Continental Basketball Association -- now titled The Minor League Mecca -- is set to premiere at The Palace September 22. And it's free to attend.

The Albany-based Upside Collective agency produced the doc, which follows rise and fall of the team's heyday in 1980s Albany. Blurbage:

As the leading franchise in the Continental Basketball Association from 1982 to 1992, the Albany Patroons left an indelible mark on the city of Albany, the CBA and the NBA. From elite coaches like Phil Jackson, Bill Mussleman and George Karl to standout players like Michael Ray Richardson, Mario Ellie, Tony Campbell, Sidney Lowe, Rick Carlisle and Scott Brooks, the Patroons' legacy continues to shape the world of professional basketball. We are working to bring you the untold story of the Patroons' quick rise, championship success and ultimate downfall. Beyond the franchise's ups and downs, the stories of the individuals involved, from fans, to executives to coaches and players are implausible, hilarious and inspiring.

A lot of coaches and players who'd go on to have big NBA careers came through Albany as part of the Patroons. And it looks like the filmmakers were able to talk with with a bunch of them, including Phil Jackson, George Karl, Rick Carlisle, and Mario Elie.

The link at the top to the doc's website includes a handful of clips.

The screening on September 22 also has a VIP reception that "will allow fans to mingle and share memories with former Patroon notables while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and an open bar." It's a benefit for Capital District YMCA. Tickets for that are $125 and available online.

Screening of The Place Beyond the Pines at Proctors with director Derek Cianfrance

Proctors is hosting a screening of The Place Beyond The Pines May 5 -- and the movie's director, Derek Cianfrance, will be there to talk about the experience of making the film.

As you know, The Place Beyond The Pines -- starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and many other notable actors -- was largely shot in and around Schenectady. The production used a bunch of local homes and businesses for scenes. And the film was written by Schenectady native Ben Coccio.

The screening at Proctors is at 3 pm on Saturday, May 5. Tickets are $20. There's a VIP mixer at 1:30 pm (extra $50). There will be raffles of autographed The Place Beyond the Pines DVDs and movie posters to benefit the Northeast Filmmakers Lab.

YouthFX 2018 premiere at The Spectrum

The Youth FX program will be debuting its 2018 lineup of short films at The Spectrum April 19. Tickets are available online now -- they're $10 / $8 students. (There's also a $25 benefactor ticket.)

Youth FX is in its 10th year, and the young people involved have turned out a bunch of high-quality works. A handful of the films have played at film festivals around the country and won awards. Program blurbage:

Although we run programs across the region, Youth FX's primary aim is to impact and empower young people who reside in the South End, Arbor Hill and West Hill neighborhoods of Albany, NY. These are communities that have been historically under served and in need of meaningful opportunities for training and engagement in new digital media technology. The skills they are learning not only enables them to be more creative and express their ideas, but they are also valuable skills that are in high demand in today's technology based world. Youth FX participants engage in their communities by creating documentary and short fiction films that reflect their understanding and vision of the world around them.

The Thursday, April 19 screening starts at 7 pm. The youth filmmakers will be there for a Q&A afterward. There's also an encore screening April 24 at 7 pm. These screenings very often sell out, so if you're interested in going, it's not a bad idea to get tickets ahead of time.

Also: "Please note that our screening is rated PG-13 as some of our films have intense scenes and explore teen issues."

Earlier: Albany's award-winning Youth FX now has a home of its own

Altered Hours

The sci-fi film Altered Hours -- which was mostly shot in Albany -- is now available via outlets such as iTunes and Amazon's Prime Video. Plot blurbage:

Recovering addict Will Parker experiments with 'Z', a black-market sleeping serum, in order to cure his insomnia. Instead, the drug sends Will's consciousness tripping through time one day into the future, where he's the prime suspect in the disappearance of a young girl he hasn't even met - yet. Surrounded by drug dealers, mad scientists and a hooded figure stalking his every move, Will must piece together the mysteries of his future - and face his harrowing past - before time runs out.

The trailer's embedded above. It includes a bunch of shots that are clearly from Albany. (And the film poster includes the Albany skyline.) The director, Bruce Wemple, is a Bethlehem High School grad.

You might remember that the film had a screening at The Madison last March as The Tomorrow Paradox. Here's a quick review by Sara Foss after she caught it there.

Earlier: Movies that filmed in -- or were set in -- the Capital Region

Screening for the best of Youth FX's first decade

Youth FX has a "best of" night lined up for March 9 in its new space on Warren Street in Albany.

The program will be screening some of the best films from its first decade, and the filmmakers will be there. This looks like a good opportunity to see the new Youth FX space and learn more about what it's got going on.

Youth FX? Background blurbage:

Youth FX is a hands-on program, based in the City of Albany, designed to empower young people ages 10-24 by teaching them the technical and creative aspects of digital film making and media production. Our primary goal is to work with diverse groups of young people from communities that have been historically under-served and in need of opportunities for training and engagement in emerging media technologies. Youth FX develops leadership, creativity, and critical thinking, through the collaborative process of digital film making and media production giving voice to the stories of young people in the capital region.

The best-of screening is Friday, March 9 from 6-8 pm. It's free.

Earlier: Albany's award-winning Youth FX now has a home of its own

Regal Best Picture Film Festival 2018

Regal Cinemas has lined up another "Best Picture Film Festival" -- it will be screening all nine films nominated for the 2018 best picture Oscar over the next 10 days. And it's selling a pass to see them all for just $35. (That's not even $4 per movie.)

There are handful of local Regal locations participating this year: Colonie Center, Crossgates, Clifton Park, and Queensbury.

That first link above includes the schedule. Some of the screening times are during the day, but it looks like each film is being shown at four (or more) different times.

Oscar-nominated shorts
The Spectrum is also currently screening a few of the best picture-nominated films individually, and it's screening the Oscar-nominated short films -- both animated and live action -- over the next week.

Albany's award-winning Youth FX now has a home of its own

Check it out: Youth FX has a new home.

The award-winning program in Albany that helps young people build digital media skills -- and create some first-rate films -- has moved into a space of its own on Warren Street across from the Capital South Campus Center.

Here's a quick look around, and few bits about what's up with the always interesting program...

(there's more)

The 46ers set to make its local debut on WMHT

That documentary about the Adirondack High Peaks and the people who hike them -- The 46ers -- is set to run on WMHT December 4 at 7:30 pm. Blurbage for the doc, which was directed by Blake Cortright:

The film seeks to discover what transforms ordinary men and women into the legendary 46ers. The project began in the summer of 2012 when Blake first experienced the commanding view atop the lofty summit of Mt. Marcy, NY's tallest mountain.

Over the last two years, the filmmakers interviewed more than twenty 46ers and aspiring 46ers, hiked over 100 miles, and filmed over 100 hours of footage. The crew summited several High Peaks and many shorter hills carrying camera gear to capture the film's breathtaking scenery. The mountains provide an incredibly vast and wild backdrop for the documentary, inspiring a sense of scale and wonder.

The project in the works since at least 2013 when it raised more than 14k on Kickstarter, and it's now being distributed nationally by WCNY in Syracuse.

In addition to December 4, The 46ers will also air on WMHT December 10 at 5:30 pm and 11 pm.

(Thanks, Tim!)

Silent Film Spectacular 2017

The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular series returns for a new season next week. The APL will be showing three sets of silent films during October with live musical score at the Washington Ave Branch:

October 11: Three Short Films with Live Music by Psychedelic Snakeskin
The films are: "Merry Frolics of Satan" (1906), "Menilmontant" (1928), and "The Motorist" (1906)

October 18: Film "Our Hospitality" (1923) with Live Music by Ryan Devine and Justin Fuld

October 25: Three Surrealist Short Films with Live Music by Scum Couch
Films: "L'Etoile de Mer" (1928), "Le Retour a La Raison" (1923) and "Un Chien Andalou" (1929)

The films start each Wednesday at 7 pm. Admission is free.

APL advertises on AOA.

Film Columbia 2017

The annual Film Columbia film festival returns October 22-29 in Chatham. And the lineup of films is out.

As usual, the schedule includes a bunch of films that are already getting attention because of screenings at other festivals and/or they're eagerly awaited because of stars or directors involved.

A few of this year's selections that caught our eye are after below.

Tickets for the general public go on sale October 14. And many of the screenings do sell out, so if you're interested in attending, it's a good idea to grab tickets sooner rather than later.

(there's more)

Ballston Spa Film Festival 2017

The Ballston Spa Film Festival is back this Friday and Saturday (August 4 and 5) in the Saratoga County village. It's an open-air-bring-your-chair festival that screens a family-friendly slate of short films. And admission is free.

For the festival's 10th year, it will be showing 43 short films across four different slates. The lineup includes films are from all over the world and from here in New York State. A handful of them will be making their premieres.

Here's the list of film slates and schedule of events. The films are shown at two sites: Ballston Spa High School and Old Iron Spring Park.

AOA is a media sponsor of the BSFF.

YouthFX screenings at The Madison

There's another chance -- a bunch of chances, actually -- to catch the latest crop of films from the award-winning YouthFX program coming up next week at the Madison Theater in Albany.

The Madison will be screening the new slate of short films at multiple times from June 8-11. Admission is just $5.

That Saturday, June 10, at 7 pm will be a special screening -- YouthFX filmmakers and crew will be there for a Q&A following the screening.

And Sunday, June 11, at 2 pm there will be screening of the Which Way Is Home series of films that look at the concept of home for range of young people in Albany.

What is YouthFX? About blurbage:

Youth FX is an intensive hands-on program, based in the City of Albany, that is designed to empower youth aged 14-19 by teaching them the technical and creative aspects of digital film making and offering a thorough overview of the production process from script to screen. Our primary mission is to work with diverse groups of young people from communities that have been historically under-served and in need of opportunities for training and engagement in emerging media technologies. Youth FX develops leadership, creativity, and critical thinking, through the collaborative process of digital filmmaking and media production.

The students in the program have turned out a lot of good work, some of which has won awards at film festivals around the country.

TVFilm
A trio of YouthFX films will also be appearing in the upcoming season of WMHT's TVFilm series.

1984 x 3

Three local venues are part of a nationwide event next Tuesday, April 4 to screen a film adaptation of 1984: The Opalka Gallery on the Sage Albany campus, Proctors, and the Tang Museum at Skidmore. Event blurbage:

The date is the day George Orwell's protagonist Winston Smith begins rebelling against his oppressive government by keeping a forbidden diary. Orwell's portrait of a government that manufactures its own facts, demands total obedience, and demonizes foreign enemies has never been timelier. The goal of the screenings is to initiate community conversations about how we live at a time when it seems facts and basic human rights are under attack.

All three sites will include some sort of discussion element or accompanying event for the screening. Details are below.

(there's more)

Behemoth Short Film Festival 2017

The Behemoth Short Film Festival returns to the Saratoga Arts Center April 15. Blurbage:

The Behemoth Short Film Festival showcases some of the very best in up and coming cinematic talent from around the world. From horror to sci-fi, comedy to drama, The Behemoth Short Film Festivals goal is to bring unique voices to new viewers and broaden the audiences horizon by delivering something different.

The festival includes two slates of films. Explained organizer Shane Frasier in a post on the festival Facebook page:

The first showcase will be more of a general audience showcase (around a PG-13 rating, roughly), so parents/teens should plan accordingly. Also, our later showcase (which we've dubbed EXTREMEOTH) will be a little more adult (showcasing more horror, action, language, etc.)

That first showcase is at 6:30 pm on Saturday, April 15 and the second is at 8:45 pm. Tickets are $10 for each and available online.

That movie that shot in Troy last fall premieres this weekend

A break in shooting Derailed/Off The Rails in Sage's Gurley Hall.

When it shot in Troy last October it was called Derailed. Now it's Off The Rails and will be shown on the Lifetime Movie Network this Sunday, March 26 at 8 pm. Blurbage:

After surviving a train derailment, Nicole Barrow has lost all of her memories. The only things she remembers about herself are that she has a husband running for Attorney General and she is a geography professor with a love of cartography. Months of recovering lead her to believe she is slowly putting her perfect life back together. However, when she is approached by several strange men claiming she had contacted them to meet for sexual fantasies, she discovers a series of social media pages claiming to be her. Has her identity been stolen, or is this her former self? As she scrambles to put the pieces of her mind together, she questions who she can trust and must fight to remember the truth.

We hear the story is actually set in Troy and at Sage.

The Tomorrow Paradox
Another locally-shot film -- the indie sci-fi production The Tomorrow Paradox -- is set to screen at The Madison this Saturday, March 25 at 7 pm. The director, Bruce Wemple, will be there for a post-screening discussion.

And speaking of Lifetime movies (not sure how it's come to this)...
That movie about Joyce Mitchell and the Clinton Correctional Facility prison break is set to air April 23.

Earlier: Movies that filmed in -- or were set in -- the Capital Region

Henry Johnson: Tale of Courage premiere

Henry Johnson displaying his French Croix de Guerre. / photo via Wikipedia

WMHT has a new documentary about Henry Johnson -- Henry Johnson: Tale of Courage -- premiering April 11 at 7:30 pm. It'll then air multiple times during the month.

But before that, there's a preview screening at the State Museum April 4 at 6 pm. A discussion will follow with producer Zeke Kubisch, city of Albany special community projects coordinator (and author and scholar) Barbara Smith, and historian Aaron Noble. The screening is free to attend, though WMHT does ask that you RSVP.

You probably know (should know) the outline of Henry Johnson's story. An Albany resident, he served in WWI with the Harlem Hellfighters, who had been placed under the command of French forces because of racism within the US Army. While on sentry duty in 1918 he fought off a surprise German attack of at least 12 soldiers and saved a fellow American soldier, all while being wounded multiple times. Upon his return to the United States he was initially hailed as a hero. But he was later marginalized after speaking out about the racism African-Americans faced in the military. Unable to work because of his war injuries, Johnson's personal life crumbled and he died at the age of 32.

It wasn't until 2015 -- and after the work of many people -- that Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

TVFilm 9 call for submissions

The ninth season of WMHT's TVFilm series is coming up later this year, the media is org is still accepting short films submissions. Blurbage:

Hosted and produced by Brandon Bethmann, TvFILM engages dialogue with winning filmmakers to discuss the inspiration, ideas and concepts behind their work. In addition, TvFILM profiles the people, places and events that are shaping WMHT's growing independent film and media community.

The deadline to submit a film is March 31. That link above has info about how to do so.

You can watch previous episodes from the series online.

YouthFX
As mentioned previously, the award-winning YouthFX program has the premiere for its new crop of films set for March 30 at The Spectrum. Tickets are $10 / $8 for students. These screenings usually sell out, see keep an eye out for advance tickets going on sale soon.

YouthFX 2017 premiere at The Spectrum

The YouthFX program in Albany will be premiering its new slate of films at the Spectrum March 30. Tickets are $10 adults / $8 students.*

The screening will include short documentaries and features from the teens in the program, and the filmmakers will be there for Q&A following.

Not familiar with YouthFX? Blurbage:

Youth FX is an intensive hands-on program, based in the City of Albany, that is designed to empower youth aged 14-19 by teaching them the technical and creative aspects of digital film making and offering a thorough overview of the production process from script to screen. Our primary mission is to work with diverse groups of young people from communities that have been historically under-served and in need of opportunities for training and engagement in emerging media technologies. Youth FX develops leadership, creativity, and critical thinking, through the collaborative process of digital filmmaking and media production.

Members of the program have produced some strong work in past years, winning awards at film festivals. And the program's gotten another boost of attention lately because of As You Are, the Sundance prize-winning film from Albany natives Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Madison Harrison who were both part of a very early version of the program at the Albany Free School. (Here's a recent Vice video highlighting the connection.)

The March 30 screening at The Spectrum starts at 6:30 pm. It doesn't look like advance tickets are available yet, but keep an eye out for them. These premiere screenings routinely sell out -- you should get the tickets ahead of time if you're interested in going.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Talking with Miles Joris-Peyrafitte about As You Are, and the film's upcoming local premiere at The Spectrum
+ Hey there, Bhawin Suchak, YouthFX program director

Details for the As You Are Albany premiere

A still from As You Are, which was filmed at many locations around the Capital Region.

Here are the details for that special Albany premiere screening of As You Are, the Sundance prize-winning film that shot in this area in 2015...

The special screening will be at The Spectrum March 3 at 7 pm. Tickets for the event are $20 and only available online, not through the normal Spectrum ticketing system. The event is sponsored by Film Albany and Upstate Independents, and all the proceeds will benefit the YouthFX program in Albany.

The event will feature a post-screening Q&A with the Albany natives behind the film: writer/director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, writer Madison Harrison, and producer/colorist Joseph Mastantuono.

Joris-Peyrafitte and Harrison were part of a program at the Albany Free School that grew into YouthFX, and as the director told us recently, it played a big role in setting them on this path:

(there's more)

Talking with Miles Joris-Peyrafitte about As You Are, and the film's upcoming local premiere at The Spectrum

A still from As You Are.

The Sundance prize-winning film that shot in this area during the fall of 2015 -- As You Are -- is set to make its local premiere at The Spectrum March 3. (Update: Here are the details.)

The film was directed by Albany native Miles Joris-Peyrafitte. And it was and co-written by Joris-Peyrafitte and Madison Harrison, both alums of the Albany Free School. It stars Owen Campbell (from The Americans), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games), and veteran actors Scott Cohen, John Scurti, and Mary Stuart Masterson.

The film got positive reviews after its debut at Sundance last year, where it won a special jury prize.

Miles Joris-Peyrafitte will be at one of the March 3 screenings at The Spectrum for a Q&A. And this week got a chance to talk with him about growing up in Albany, learning to make movies as part of the YouthFX program, and what it's going to be like to have the film shown in his hometown.

(there's more)

The Regal Crossgates is screening every best picture nominee

The Regal movie theater at Crossgates will be screening all the Oscar best picture nominees over the course of 10 days starting February 17. And it's selling a "festival" pass for $35. So that's just about $4 per movie, which is a pretty good deal.

That first link above has the schedule. Each film is being shown multiple times over the course of the run at different times.

The screenings will also be available individually at the regular admission price.

Oscar-nominated shorts
Starting today (Friday) the Spectrum will be showing this year's Oscar-nominated shorts -- both live action and animated -- over the next week.