Socially Relevant™ Film Festival NY Official Selection films revealed for fifth edition March 16 - 22

 SR Socially Relevant Film Festival 2018 (SRFF 2018) brings in its Fifth Season with international and local films, industry workshops and panels, and other events dedicated to social issues and the filmmakers that highlight them. SRFF 2018 will be held from March 16 to 22, 2018 at Cinema Village and neighboring venues. $5 early bird tickets and $100 all-access passes are available via Eventbrite in limited quantities until full price kicks-in February 16.

The Official Selection to be screened in the heart of Greenwich Village covers a diverse mix of five narrative features, 15 documentaries, 38 shorts, and more. There will also be a script-writing contest with readings from finalist scripts. The films represent over 22 countries. Visit www.ratedsrfilms.org for full slate and film details.

Opening night will take place Friday, March 16, 2018, 7:00 PM with the narrative feature film Lou Andreas-Salomé:The Audacity to be Free (Germany). A stunning period piece on the 19th-century female novelist, poet, and essayist, the film follows Salomé as she shuns traditions in pursuit of intellectual perfection.

Among the other selected narrative feature films (full list on website) are :

• Darcy (USA)

• Find Your Voice (Australia, New Zealand)

• Hot Country, Cold Winter (Armenia, The Netherlands, Germany)

Highlights from the selected documentary features (full list on website) include:

• Cause of Death: Unknown (Norway)

• Sands of Silence: Waves of Courage (Mexico, USA)

• Shiners (Canada, Japan, USA)

• Stitching Palestine (Lebanon)

• Talien (Italy)

• Tampon, Our Closest Enemy (France)

Themes for selected short film groupings include:

• Ageing Gracefully

• Dreamers Having a Nightmare

• Sustainable Communities

• Where is Home?

• Whose Disability?

Monday, March 19 features a keynote evening event celebrating women, in partnership with Apne Aap - an organization that rescues women and girls in India from sex-trafficking - including a series of films from India and elsewhere that promote empowering women and young girls. A panel discussion follows, lead by Ruchira Gupta.

The script writing competition features readings with actors, in the presence of the scriptwriters, from the seven finalist scripts. Other workshops and panels on offer include industry forums, an engaged theatre workshop, a live music performance to silent films, and more coming soon.

Presented with Gear VR provided by Samsung, the festival presents cutting-edge VR/360º experiences that push the boundaries of immersive storytelling. Among the six selected pieces is The Great - a VR Great White Shark Experience, which shows firsthand the grace and beauty of this misunderstood and endangered creature.

The festival will close on the evening of March 22 with a glistening Awards Ceremony and screening of the winning films at Cinema Village, and party for the filmmakers at Doux Supperclub featuring appearances from NYC local filmmakers and industry veterans.

Festival Founder and Artistic Director Nora Armani says, "SRFF 2018 is very happy with our fifth year's selection.  We have been able to incorporate films from more films, and have been able to hone in on specific social issues in more depth. This year's festival goes back to basics: the filmmakers, the films, and the issues, with a number of interesting partners and sponsors accompanying us."

Future press releases will refer to our partners and sponsors. Some sponsorship and partnership opportunities are still available. Partner organizations and schools receive substantial discounts. Contact ratedsrfilms@gmail.com if interested.

ABOUT SR SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM FESTIVAL NY

SR Socially Relevant ™ Film Festival New York is a 501(c)3 non-profit film festival founded by actress Nora Armani. 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. The festival was created as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. SR™ believes in the power of cinema in raising awareness towards social issues and promoting positive social change. During its first four years, the festival showcased 207 films from 35 countries. Submissions are received from all over the world.