Harlem To Host NYC's Newest Film Festival Next Week

EAST HARLEM, NY — The city's newest film festival is heading to Harlem, as a neighborhood housing complex prepares to host the inaugural edition of the "Outdoor Film Festival" next week.

The free event will run from Wednesday to Friday, mostly in the outdoor gardens of the George Washington Houses — a New York City Housing Authority development that runs between Second and Third avenues from East 97th to 104th streets.

It will consist of film screenings and interactive workshops focusing on intergenerational healing within the Black and BIPOC communities in Harlem, and across the city. The festival was organized by Hi-ARTS, a Harlem-based urban arts incubator, as well as a residents' group of the George Washington Houses.

Free registration is encouraged for many of the events — to sign up, visit the event's official website.

Wednesday's kickoff event from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Peaceful Antilles Garden (East 99th Street between Second and Third avenues) will include two interactive workshops led by the artist and film producer Hakim Pitts, consisting of community gardening, meditation, and a group discussion of "individual and familial histories," organizers say.

Thursday (7-9:30 p.m.) will feature a screening of two in-progress films: "GODSPEED: A Story from the Black Future" by Celia C. Peters, and "I DIGRESS: The Intimate Insights of a Childhood Weirdo by Sauda Aziza Jackson and April Sweeney" — followed by two short films. This will take place at the George Washington Houses’ Community Circle Stage.

Friday, finally, will move over to the front lawn of El Barrio's Artspace PS109 on East 99th Street east of Third Avenue, with a 7 p.m. discussion followed by a screening of the new documentary "In Our Mothers' Gardens."

"The Outdoor Film Festival is not only an opportunity to showcase Hi-ARTS’ incredible artists, but also welcomes our audiences, artists and immediate neighbors into a shared space while centering topics of healing and community - building," Hi-ARTS executive director Aaron L. McKinney said in a statement.

"We’re committed to offering experiences that reflect and engage our communities, especially in times of unrest, trauma and uncertainty."

To learn more or register to attend, visit the Outdoor Film Festival's website.