Review Fix Exclusive: Katha Cato Talks Queens World Film Festival

Review Fix chats with Queens World Film Festival director Katha Cato, who discusses this year’s event and what makes it a special one for film lovers from not only Queens and New York City but in the North East as well.

Review Fix: What makes this year’s festival different?

Katha Cato: We are bigger! We have expanded our relationship with Museum of the Moving Image and will be screening films there all week long. We are opening there on March 15 with an excellent taste of what is to be expected from QWFF festival week, then we follow up with Sweet Sweetback’s BadassSong with the legendary Melvin Van Peebles on hand to discuss this incredibly challenging, groundbreaking work that he produced in 1972 and end the week with Smithereens from Susan Seidelman, the first indie film that was invited to Cannes in competition and she pioneered the way for women to direct on TV and went on to direct the pilot of Sex and the City.

We have also expanded into Sunnyside this year, giving us a footprint in that wonderful community for the first time. We are in MoMI (Astoria) the Secret theatre (LIC) PS 69 (Jackson Heights) and the All Saints’ Episcopal Church (sunnyside)

We have more films – last year we screened 117 films, this year we are doing 144 films from 23 nations and we have fallen in love with all of them. We are happy to tell you that we are screening 29 films from local filmmakers, and 40 films were directed by women. We are inclusive and when you look at the faces of the volunteer Festival Associates and the roster of films, you will see that we represent the global community.

Review Fix: How have the past five festivals played a role in this one?

Cato: The thematic programming that our Artistic Director Don Cato has perfected really creates a great screening atmosphere. By grouping films together around a theme creates an event that attracts all the right people to the films screened within the block. This year we have grouped the films in over 50 themed BLOCKS, they are all named and they all have a Moderator who will host the screening and we think that this year we have really hit our stride on that element.

We have built up a group of projectionists, moderators, venue managers who are committed to making this a festival that everyone in the borough can be proud of. We have a strong, seasoned group and we are ready to welcome the world to queens and to make sure that everyone has a great experience with us.

We have also built a strong reputation with the international filmmakers who send us their work, their art. They have so many festivals all over the world that they could submit to, so when they choose ours, it is an honor. The films this year are incredible and reflect a fine degree of craftsmanship, skill and professionalism. We like to believe that is because we have developed a reputation for honoring good work and screening it well to appreciative audiences in a welcoming borough!!

Review Fix: What has the prep been like for this year’s festival?

Cato: We work year round. Every day, all day. We host encore screenings all over Queens, building audiences, introducing the festival to new neighborhoods, finding new filmmakers. We open submissions in May and as the films come in, we log them in, have them screened, log in the comments, the scores. We hold screening sessions with our screening committee. When the selections have been made – and this year we had 551 submissions and took 144 films – the real intense work steps up: programming, digitizing the films, creating the drives, the reels, the loops, the press releases, the website with a page for every single film and then producing the show, producing all of the screenings with signage, programs, tablecloths, tables, projectionists, people, the films, the filmmakers and YOU!!!  It is a lot of work.

Review Fix: What are some of the films you’re really excited about?

Cato: I can honestly say that all 55 Blocks have something that is worth the experience. I am particularly knocked out by the Animated films – no matter what block they are in you will not be disappointed.

I would have to say that I am particularly proud of the films included in the Family Friendly block of films on Sunday, March 20, 12:30 at PS 69 in Jackson Heights, featuring 6 films that take you literally around the world from Singapore to Germany to Buenos Aries to Australia and back to the USA. There are two references to the street name of Dog Poop in the piece from Buenos Aries, so we caution parents about that, but the films are wonderful and we hope families will come out to experience an alternative to the loud and noisier films about gigantic robots or magical princesses that could never ever really exist.

Here is a code to reduce the adult tickets for all films at PS 69 only – taking them from $12 to $10: QWFF6
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2494107

Review Fix: How does it feel to be honoring Melvin Van Peebles?

Cato: He is a maverick, a brilliant, brilliant artist who has walked his own path. He has always been aware and respectful of the responsibility of his talent….he produces great work in no matter what medium he works in – paint, music, short story, film –  he taps into this extremely real and truthful place and takes everyone else with him. It is gigantic that we are bringing his work to MoMI and sharing it with young filmmakers. It is a flat out honor and we are thrilled.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Cato: This is an incredible event and we are so lucky to be involved. The experience of presenting these films, these blocks, these filmmakers is heady and exciting. The entire week will have parties, gatherings, conversations and screenings from incredible work from around the work….and around the corner.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13821 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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