Yonkers YoFi film festival seeks artists’ entries

Organizers of YoFi Fest have issued a call for entries in the second annual film festival in downtown Yonkers this fall.

YoFi Fest will run Oct. 17-19 at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

Dave Steck, the festival”™s founding executive director and executive producer and creative director at Numeric Pictures in Yonkers, said submissions will be accepted through August and films accepted into the festival will be announced in September. He said filmmakers already have shown “a lot of interest” in participating after last year”™s festival debut, when organizers received submissions from about a dozen countries and 16 films premiered. The 2013 festival also featured 17 films with connections to Westchester.

Films can be submitted digitally at YoFiFest.com.

Steck in a press release said more than 75 films will be screened at this year”™s YoFi Fest, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos and student work.  The festival again will host a “mini film school” with discussions led by award-winning industry professionals on various aspects of filmmaking, including production, writing, locations, distribution, marketing, animation, post-production, permits, insurance, payroll and how to break into the industry.

Audiences will have a chance to meet filmmakers informally at festival receptions and nightly parties. On Saturday and Sunday morning, screenings and programs for children and families will be presented at no charge.

YoFi Fest is supported in part by the city of Yonkers and the Yonkers Film Office, the Westchester County Tourism & Film office, AT&T, Sound Associates, Empire City Casino, Cross County Shopping Center, Yonkers Tennis Center, Jacob Burns Film Center, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Kids FilmFest, Sarah Lawrence College, X2O Xaviars on the Hudson, Slovenia Vodka, Zuppa Restaurant and Lounge, Dolphin Restaurant and Lounge, 66 Main Street and Numeric Pictures.

For more information, visit the festival”™s website.