BEDFORD-STUYVESANT— The Bed-Stuy Film Festival returns for three days of screenings and discussions on the changing entertainment industry.
The festival's fifth annual edition runs Oct. 16-18 at the Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton St., between New York and Brooklyn avenues in Bed-Stuy.
The event opens Friday with The NextShift, a 90-minute feature screening from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
An opening cocktail reception sponsored by Bayab Gin will follow from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Admission to the reception requires a feature-film ticket.
Saturday's program begins at noon with the Therapist, a 30-minute short film.
A panel discussion, "Indie vs. Studio: The Filmmaking Dilemma," follows from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m., bringing together entertainment professionals to discuss thetrade-offs between independent production and backing from established studios.
Panelists include Ahmad Muhammad of Tyler Perry Studios, Sean Charles of ALLBLK and MACRO, filmmaker and actress Nya Estep, and producer Victorious De Costa.
Sunday's schedule shifts to documentary filmmaking with Through the Night, a 76-minute film by director and producer Loira Limbal.
The noon screening explores the lives of working-class mothers and the workers at a 24-hour child care center, examining the demands of balancing employment and family responsibilities.
The festival concludes with "The World of Vertical Films: What's Next," a discussion scheduled for 2:15 to 3 p.m.
Cinematographer Robert Lee Sims III will explore the growing format of vertically filmed content designed for smartphone screens and its implications for filmmakers.
Founded in 2017, the Bed-Stuy Film Festival seeks to create opportunities for filmmakers whose work receives limited attention from mainstream entertainment outlets.
Its host venue, the Billie Holiday Theatre, has supported Black artists and storytelling since opening in 1972.
Located within Restoration Plaza in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the theater has hosted performers including Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Allen, Lena Horne and Ben Vereen.
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