By Mabel Pais

The 11th Edition of the SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival, NY (ratedsrfilms.org) opens March 13 at the Maysles Documentary Center, then on March 14 at MRHS, and continues March 15-17 at Cinema Village, and finally March 18 at the National Arts Club for the Awards Ceremony.

International Women’s History Month

On the occasion of International Women’s History Month, SRFF celebrates the Women Filmmakers of 2024 with a dedicated program of films, a webinar, and a screening followed by a panel discussion at NGO CSW’s 68th UN Forum.

The in-person events are preceded by two webinars respectively on March 8, with all the women filmmakers of SRFF 2024 (26 in total representing 50% of the Official Selection), and on March 11, when  SRFF participates with two films made by women and about women, followed by a panel discussion, as a partner organization in NGO CSW’s (the Committee on the Status of Women) 68th annual UN Forum. The two films are Lego Oma, by Karina Sturm (Germany), and Women on the Move, by Alice Lemkes (UK). Details and registration links may be found on the SRFF website – ratedsrfilms.org/2024scheduleandvenues

Social Issues

SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival, NY covers a broad range of social issues. Totaling (ratedsrfilms.org) 53 films, the Official Selection, including the short films lineup, can be found on the festival’s website under the 2024 Program – (ratedsrfilms.org/2024program). The main themes are 100 Years of Armenian Cinema, Black History Month, BIPOC films, Aging and Disability, Women, LGBTQI+, and more. A special in-person program was presented on February 26, on the occasion of Black History Month at MRHS, one of the festival venues (ratedsrfilms.org/2024scheduleandvenues).

Most of the line-up films stream online starting March 19. The Festival’s YouTube Channel (youtube.com/channel/UCTSz55oZhoPPlhJos82RoSw) streams ‘Meet the Filmmakers’ live interviews, and the trailers of the selected films can be viewed there.

AWARDS

The SRFF 2024 competition award categories are The Vanya Exerjian – Empowering Women and Girls Award, Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Actor, Best Actress and the Vision Award by festival partner IndiePix. The Finalist Screenplay Awards are sponsored by InkTip and NetworkISA.

“Eleven years have gone by quickly. We’re proud to have had the opportunity to present 700 socially relevant films from 40 countries over the past 10 years. The work of talented and dedicated filmmakers has offered us the bonus of learning about the human condition, filmmaking, and ways of engaging an audience, as the first steps towards raising awareness of social issues.” Festival Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani said.

TICKETS

For a limited time only, Early Bird Tickets, Trio Tickets are available at discount prices at filmfreeway.com/SRFF24/tickets.

Full price tickets are also available.

Press and Media are invited.

The SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival, NY

Website – ratedsrfilms.org

Email –    ratedsrfilms@gmail.com

SRFF was founded by Actress/ Filmmaker Nora Armani in 2013 as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. Following a family tragedy that cost the lives of two of her dearest and nearest, namely her cousin Vanya, and uncle Jack Exerjian, Armani founded the festival to commemorate them in a meaningful way.

SRFF believes in the power of the film medium in raising awareness of social issues and promoting positive social change. This new edition deals with topics such as Climate Change, Family and Adoption, LGBTQ Rights, Home and Health, Disability, Incarceration and Freedom, New York City, Racism, and BIPOC cultures.

The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant, human-interest stories across a broad range of social issues without resorting to gratuitous violence and violent forms of storytelling.

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Education, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)