The NYS Writers’ Institute has announced the 6th annual Albany Film Festival scheduled to take place at UAlbany on Saturday, March 28th. The festival is free and open to the public from 11am to 7pm and offers an array of events, screenings, and discussions.
Paul Grondahl, Opalka Endowed director of the NYS Writers Institute at UAlbany, stated that, “We are proud that we’ve carved out our niche as the ‘bookish’ Albany Film Festival while nurturing a wonderful audience of filmmakers and film lovers. Our approach to our festival centers conversations and discussions while exploring the intersection of writing and filmmaking in all its forms.”
Headlining the event is the acclaimed novelist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker, John Sayles. Sayles will also accept the Ironweed Award for Exemplary Achievement in film. Sayles grew up in Schenectady and is a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay: “Passion Fish” in 1992 and “Lone Star” in 1996. Sayles also published a story, “I-80 Nebraska,” for which he won an O. Henry Award, along with his novel Union Dues, 1997, which was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. The festival will feature a discussion led by Sayles regarding his film career and his new novel, Crucible (2026).
In addition, the festival will feature presentations of the Ironweed Awards to filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, who are co-founders of Rada Studios. Their documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” won a Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. These award ceremonies will be completed over Zoom.
The festival will additionally feature other conversations including “Dylan and Springsteen: Biographies and Biopics,” which will be a discussion around Elijah Wald the author of Dylan Goes Electric!, which inspired the film “A Complete Unknown,” and Warren Zanes, the author of Deliver Me From Nowhere, which was an inspiration for the film “Springsteen: Deliver me From Nowhere.”
Other discussions include “On the Set of ‘Forest Gump,’” with Phillip Caruso, and “Discussion of ‘Trump and Television,’” led by James Poniewozik.
In addition, the festival will feature an array of different film screenings, including a screening and discussion of “The Self-Love Act,” by Kareema Bee, “Death by Numbers,” led by Sam Fuentes, “The Truck,” by Lix Rao, “Calico Rebellion,” with Victoria Kupchinetsky, Misha Gutkin, and Nancy Newman.
Throughout the day, screenings of short film finalists will be shown at the Republic Records Music Hall (Campus Center West Auditorium) and Campus Center West Boardroom from 11 am to 5:30 pm.
The 6th Annual Albany Film Festival is a free event open to the public with no registration needed. More information can be found on the Albany Film Festival’s website. A full schedule of the festival is available below.
Screening of Short Film Finalists 11 am – 5:30 pm
Republic Records Music Hall (Campus Center West Auditorium) and Campus Center West Boardroom
“The Anti-Rent Wars: A Multimedia Presentation”
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom
“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project”
Virtual Q&A: 11 a.m. – noon, Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room
With filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
“Dylan and Springsteen: Biographies and Biopics”
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Film screening and discussion of “The Self-Love Act”
12:15 – 1:15 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room
Discussion of Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America
12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Joel Perez: Film screening and discussion of “Villa Encanto”
1 – 2:00 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom
Film screening and discussion: “We Were the Scenery”
1:45 – 2:45 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room
Discussion of Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star
2:15 – 3:15 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
John Sayles: Discussion about his film career and new novel Crucible
2:30 – 3:30 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom
Film screening and discussion: “The Truck”
3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room
Phillip Caruso: “On the Set of ‘Forrest Gump’”
3:45 – 4:45 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
“Death by Numbers” with writer Sam Fuentes
4 – 5:15 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom
Film screening and discussion of “Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief”
4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room
Presentation of the Ironweed Awards and Short Film Awards
6 p.m., Republic Records Music Hall (Campus Center West Auditorium)
Ironweed Award recipients: Filmmaker and acclaimed novelist John Sayles, and Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, co-founders of Rada Studios.
Short Film Award categories: – Animated / Comedy / Drama / Documentary / Experimental / Horror / Best Student / and Best Overall.
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