Since its inception five years ago, The
Syracuse International Film Festival (SYRFILMFEST) has sought to produce
a yearly festival of newly-made, independent, international film and
video for the local and regional community to experience and enjoy.
Our goals have also included the use of film as a medium to demonstrate
the accessibility, relevance, and broad appeal of international film. By
reaching out to all segments and age groups in the community with
year-round programming, the SYRFILMFEST can enhance each individual’s
experience as a citizen of the global community.
"The Syracuse International Film Festival is a reunion, a bringing back
to Central New York of its offspring, for the history of cinema has a
special place in our community. In addition to being an important
location in the development of what was later to become Hollywood,
Central New York was also the home of many pioneers in independent and
experimental film and video. So the film and video that now returns to
us from all continents speaks to the legacy of both traditions: the
independent and experimental that attempts to push, probe and expand the
boundaries of the art of the moving image, and the mainstream commercial
cinema and television. That is why a festival in Syracuse is a sort of
homecoming, as our community welcomes the heirs of its legacy as
progenitors of the dominant arts of our time."
Owen Shapiro, Festival Artistic Director
