Seneca Film Festival kicks off Friday

WATKINS GLEN--The second annual Seneca Film Festival has announced its lineup of 31 diverse films in competition for this year. The selected films include a cross-section of international and U.S. filmmakers and were curated from over 100 submissions from 20 countries throughout the world. For the second year running, 35 percent of the selections are directed by female filmmakers. Six countries represented this year: United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and the United States.
The films will be presented in six distinct competition programs, which consist of narrative, documentary, narrative short, documentary short, student narrative short and student documentary short.
"For our program this year, we have curated a selection of filmmakers whose unique voices light up the world around us. These new perspectives, with diversity of tone and technique, may inspire people to expand their views and offer some exciting visions of our world today," said festival Chairman and Artistic Director Eric Hollenbeck.
The Seneca Film Festival's opening night film, "Tomorrow," is directed by Martha Pinson. Prior to this she has worked as a script supervisor for major directors including Martin Scorsese ("Hugo," "Boardwalk Empire" pilot, "Shutter Island," "The Departed," "The Aviator," "Bringing Out the Dead," "New York Stories"), Sidney Lumet ("Prince of the City," "Night Falls on Manhattan," "Daniel," "Deathtrap" and others), Milos Forman ("Ragtime"), Oliver Stone ("Wall Street"), Iain Softley, Andrew Niccol and Brian De Palma.
Pinson states, "I've waited a long time to direct my first feature film and this was a script that really caught my attention. I immediately brought it to the attention of Martin Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff who came on board as executive producers and have supported us ever since. I hope you enjoy this movie, that was made with an over 50 percent female crew and is a story about hope, passion, life and love."
Pinson will be in attendance and will participate in a Q&A after the screening, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Glen Theater in Watkins Glen Friday, Oct. 19. A kick-off party will follow the screening at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Seneca Film Festival tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com. See the full lineup of films and activities at senecafilmfest.org, and follow them on social media (Facebook: @senecafilmfestival; Instagram:@senecafilmfestival; Twitter: @senecafilmfest).