New York City International Film Festival 10th Anniversary Honors Vincent Pastore

The New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF), presented by Russian Standard, announced that its tenth consecutive edition will take place from February 25th to March 1st, 2019 in New York City at The Dolby Screening Room. A VIP Opening Reception and Closing Award Ceremony will bookend the week of events and screenings.

Founded by Roberto Rizzo, the NYCIFF celebrates storytelling in all its forms, from feature filmmaking to short-story narrative, and web series to documentaries. The 2019 edition will introduce 29 screenings throughout the week.

The Opening Night will feature the North American premier of Factory Cowboys - Working with Warhol, where it will be introduced by director Ulli Lommel. Based on Lommel's 2017 biography "Factory Fame - Working with Warhol," the feature film focuses on Warhol's factory life in Manhattan during the late 1970's.

Veneno - The First Fall, starring accomplished actor Manny Pérez in the role of Dominican wrestler Jack Veneno, will also screen on the opening night. Following the screening, Roberto Rizzo will host a Q&A with Perez, one of the most recognizable Latino actors in Hollywood, and additional cast members to discuss Veneno's impact and legacy.

The Closing Ceremony will feature the NYCIFF award ceremony to honor the achievements of industry luminaries who have made a significant impact in the creative arts, in addition to naming individual category winners.

Actor Vincent Pastore, will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and actress, philanthropist and comedian Renée Willett will be recognized with The Rising Star Award. Both Pastore's films The Kids Menu and St. Joseph directed by Kathrina Miccio and Renée's film Flight 666 will be screened on Friday, March 1st.

This year, NYCIFF will expand with new juried award competitions for web series and Sci-Fi, in addition to the remaining eight category awards, which will be selected by the jury, led by its President, R. Couri Hay.

"The New York City International Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the most powerful voices in film, as well as nurturing up-and-coming talent, so we are thrilled that our 10th anniversary will celebrate both," said Founder and Director Roberto Rizzo. "We look forward to sharing the best of what the festival has represented for a decade with our New York audience and esteemed guests."

Debuting this year, New York City International Film Festival will showcase filmmakers and documentarians who use their craft to explore social issues.

Included in Best Documentary Short category is, Depicting the Invisible, which traces the creation of a portrait series by artist Susan Barron that depicts 15 American veterans suffering from PTSD and their inspirational stories. A Q&A session will be held with director, Roberto Rizzo, creator Susan Barron, and last year's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Tony LoBianco, who is nationally recognized for his work on veterans' issues.

Nominated in this category is also Freedom Education Project Puget Sound: College in Women's Prison. The documentary short focuses on the subjects of the Seattle-based nonprofit which provides a rigorous college program for incarcerated women, trans-identified and gender nonconforming people at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Washington state.

Renowned artist, Robert Cenedella will introduce a special screening of his award-winning documentary, Art Bastard, on Tuesday, February 26th. The provocative feature film explores collusion and corruption within the art industry.

The world premiere of Monarch Butterfly, a psychological thriller starring actress Deborah Kuhn is nominated in Best Narrative Short category.

For a full screening schedule, please visit https://nyciff.com/schedule-19. VIP and General Admission tickets are available for purchase on www.NYCIFF.com including special pricing for the Opening VIP Reception and Closing Award Ceremony.

Tickets sales from NYCIFF will benefit the New York International Film Festival's Foundation for the Arts-established to provide scholarships and opportunities to aspiring filmmakers, directors, and performers around the world.