Town Hall Theater presents International Short Film Festival

The All Shorts Irvington Film Festival (As iFF) will screen its spring program at 7:30 pm on April 22 at the Irvington Town Hall Theater. An after-party for all festival ticket-holders will follow at an Irvington restaurant where audience members can meet and talk with filmmakers and actors. The spring program features 11 outstanding live action and animated shorts (ranging from 1 to 28 minutes in length) from countries including Canada, England, France, Iran, The Netherlands, and the United States. Although many of the selected films have won awards at other international festivals, several are being screened for the first time in the United States.

As iFF receives hundreds of submissions for each of its festivals; entries are judged, selected, and curated by an esteemed jury of film professionals. Jury prizes are awarded by the As iFF Advisory Board (which comprises established and highly-acclaimed film editors, animators, writers, actors, directors, and producers). Audience members vote for the top winners at the end of the evening. The spring festival will include three New York premieres ("Light Sight," directed by Seyed Tabatabaei; "A Love Story," directed by Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara; and "Cradle," directed by Zanyar Lotfi), two United States premieres ("Roommates," directed by Matthew Adetuyi, and "After the Ashes" directed by Eduardo Sosa Soria), and one world premiere ("The Perfect Age," directed by Thomas Brunot).

Audiences will delight in breathtaking performances by actors never before seen on American film screens, and also rediscover familiar faces -- such as French film icon Leslie Caron, who stars in "The Perfect Age," and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (who played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show for eight years in addition to numerous other television and film roles). Warner is featured in filmmaker Matthew Manson's "Wannabe."

The program also includes "A Whole World for a Little World," directed by Fabrice Bracq, "Standby" directed by Charlotte Regan, "Edmond," directed by Nina Gantz, and "Ruby," directed by Emma Allen. The spring festival explores themes such as family, work, and romantic relationships and how they fold into the cycle of life and death. Through mediums of stop-motion animation as well as live action drama (and humor), characters contend with everyday conflicts and life-changing challenges. The selected films reflect diversity and imagination in subject matter, cultural identity, and genre.

"One of the things that makes short films so captivating for both viewers and filmmakers is that shorts have the capacity to tell such large and expansive -- even timeless -- stories," notes ITHT manager, Gregory Allen, himself a director of short films.

Explains As iFF Advisory Board member, David Klagsbrun (President and senior editor at Jump Cut Creative, a Manhattan movie trailer house), "The clutter is swept aside and what remains is a little gem of an idea."

Since its sold-out debut in 2015, As iFF has become recognized internationally as a sought-after festival by both renowned and up-and-coming filmmakers. More than 1,200 As iFF audience members have been introduced to over 50 new and innovative short films from countries around the world. The Irvington Town Hall Theater has become a 'must go to' venue to view top-of-the-line films in the greater metropolitan area.

As iFF tickets are $15 for general seating and $30 for "Above the Line" tickets (which include reserved seating and "special As iFF swag"). Advance online ticketing is strongly recommended as this event is expected to sell out. To order tickets, visit: www.irvingtontheater.com .

For more information about As iFF, including Spring '17 film listings and synopses, visit: asiffestival.com.

The Irvington Town Hall Theater (ITHT) is located at 85 Main Street in Irvington; its entrance is on North Ferris Street under the green awning adjacent to the Irvington Police Department. The theater is accessible by Metro-North train (Hudson Line), as are numerous restaurants and eateries where patrons can dine before the festival. Free parking is available for theater patrons in the public school lot and on Main Street after 6:00 pm.

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