YoFi film fest will allow artists to watch and learn

Cinephiles in Westchester County and beyond can look forward to the second edition of YoFi Fest, the Yonkers film festival that will run from Oct. 17-19 at the Riverfront Library and the Blue Door Gallery.

“The motto this year is ”˜A little bit bigger and a little bit better,”™” said Dave Steck, YoFi Fest”™s executive director.

Steck, who is the creative director and executive producer at Numeric Pictures, said both fans and film industry insiders will have plenty to feast their eyes and ears upon. He said there will be more than 75 films, including shorts, documentaries, animation and student films, in the festival.

The opening reception at last year”™s YoFi Fest.

“The inaugural YoFi Fest proved to be a great success last year and I am proud that the film festival will return to Yonkers, celebrating the emerging film and arts community in our city.” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “Thanks to YoFi Fest and founders Dave Steck and Patty Schumann, Yonkers is quickly becoming Hollywood on the Hudson.”

The event kicks off with a red carpet reception Oct. 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. One of the most notable films in the festival will be screened that night, giving moviegoers a look at one of Phillip Seymour Hoffman”™s final roles. “God”™s Pocket” was shot primarily in Yonkers, Steck said.

“A lot of people didn”™t get to see it on the big screen, so we”™re excited to give them that opportunity on opening night,” he said.

The film, which was directed by John Slattery, also features Hoffman”™s co-star from “The Big Lebowski,” John Turturro. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 17, about two weeks before Hoffman”™s death from a heroin overdose at age 46.

Among the short films entered in the festival is “Unfit to Print,” a humorous look at the business of hyperlocal journalism co-written and directed by Liam McKiernan and the Business Journal”™s Mark Lungariello.

Lungariello said the short, off-the-wall comedy revolves around “a real bootleg newspaper with a crooked editor who puts a reporter in an uncomfortable situation. Luckily, it”™s not autobiographical.”

For those interested in the craft of filmmaking, YoFi Fest will again feature a “mini film school,” with workshops led by award-winning industry professionals on the aspects of filmmaking, including production, writing, marketing, animation, permits, tax credits and how to break into the industry.

“The Blue Sky Studios animation team is going to be here on Saturday, and they”™re doing a workshop about the animation process,” said Steck. Blue Sky Studios has produced animated features including Ice Age and Rio, and was based in White Plains before moving to Greenwich, Conn., in 2009. “If you”™ve ever wondered why there are so many names at the end of an animated feature, you”™ll find out why.”

Other workshop topics include how to write screenplays that sell and a presentation from the state film office about the film industry in New York.

Steck said the support of the city and the sponsors has been strong and enabled the organizers to keep ticket prices low. Until Oct. 12 at midnight, tickets are available at YoFiFest.com at an advance purchase price of $60 for a full-festival, three-day VIP pass and $25 for a single-day VIP pass. These passes get all-inclusive VIP access to all the screenings, lectures, workshops, events and parties.