Lights, camera, action! The Queens World Film Festival is on its way back for a seventh year!
From Tuesday, March 14, to Sunday, March 19, the Museum of the Moving Image and other venues will be hosting screenings of over 130 of the world’s most compelling indie films from more than 25 nations.
On opening night of this spectacular event, festival directors Katha Cato and Don Cato will present Queens Filmmaker Julie Dash with the 2017 Spirit of Queens Award.
A Long Island City native, Dash’s film “Daughters of the Dust” (1991) was the first American feature by an African-American woman to receive a general theatrical release and was named to the National Film Registry in 2004 by the Library of Congress.
“Daughters of the Dust” will screen at the Museum of the Moving Image on Wednesday, March 15, followed by a Q&A with Dash.
Later in the week, the Queens World Film Festival will be screening Dash’s critically acclaimed short film “Illusions” (1982). Set in Hollywood during World War II, the film follows the story of a female studio executive who is passing for white in the film industry. The film explores the power of perception and the very illusion of racial identity as well as the illusions created by Hollywood. This film was awarded the Jury Prize for Best Film of the Decade by the Black Filmmakers Foundation.
Other works by Dash include “The Diary of the African Nun” (1977); “Love Song” (2000), starring R&B singer Monica Arnold; the romantic thriller “Incognito” (1999); and the domestic drama “Funny Valentines” (1999). Dash was nominated for a Directors Guild Award for “The Rosa Parks Story” (2002) starring Angela Bassett. She has also directed music videos for Tony! Toni! Toné!, Keb’ Mo’, Peabo Bryson, Adriana Evans, Sweet Honey in the Rock and Tracy Chapman.
