ArtsFest Film Festival Includes Short Films and Panels with Industry Professionals

Grab your popcorn! The two-day ArtsFest Film Festival will be a celebration of local and international films, combining captivating film segments and insightful panel discussions with industry professionals including Director Malcom D. Lee (The Best Man), actress Monique Gabriela Curnen (Power Book II and IV), actor Frank Harts (A Raisin in the Sun), writer and director Candice Sanchez McFarlane and more.

Festival Director Delano Allen says “I am so thrilled for this event. The lineup of films is  truly breathtaking, and each story is told in its own unique way.”

Allen says the Film Festival was created as part of ArtsFest “ to offer an environment for creatives to feel inspired and appreciated.” A graduate of New Rochelle High School, Allen adds “ I don’t believe you should have to leave your hometown to experience the arts. This is more than a film festival, it’s an opportunity to build community.”

The ArtsFest Film Festival will take place Saturday, October 18  from 1:30 to 6:30 pm  and Sunday, October 19 from 2 pm to 7 pm at The Picture House (175 Wolf’s Lane, Pelham; 914-738-7337; www.thepicturehouse.org) Tickets cost $10 for the day or $15 for both days from newrochellearts.app.neoncrm.com

On Saturday the schedule begins with the screening of 11 short films between 1:30 and 3 pm, followed by a panel discussion “Working in Television” (3:10 pm – 4:10 pm) with Maria Clinton, Joe Holt, Paton Ashbrook, and Erin Hicks, hosted by Monique Gabriela Curnen. The Feature Screening “Our Journey to Pride”, directed by Benjamin Thomas Scarsbrook, will take place at 4:15 pm. Then the day wraps up with “Film Noir,” a final segment featuring 10 short films.

On Sunday the day starts with Special Screenings from 2 pm to 2:50 pm — four short features that include Be True to Your School (Dir. Frank Harts),  Sabrina’s Town (Dir. By the late Aaron Davis), Feelin’ It (Dir.  Delano Allen) and Morningside Prep (Dir. Malcolm D. Lee). A panel discussion at 3 pm “Directing in Film” will feature Malcom D. Lee, hosted by Frank Harts. Seven short films will be shown from 4:05 to 5:05, followed by another panel discussion  “Writing & Producing for Television” (5:10 pm – 6:10 pm) featuring Candice Sanchez McFarlane, hosted by Michele Prettyman. Five more short films will be screened at 6:15 pm, followed by Film Festival Awards and closing remarks.

ArtsFest is organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The mission of NRCA (founded in 1975) is to encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts. The complete ArtsFest calendar can be downloaded from the  NRCA website at www.newrochellearts.org.

Sponsors for this year’s ArtsFest include Golden 50 Year Grand Sponsor Cappelli Organization and LRC Construction, ArtsWestchester, The Gwendolyn Appleyard Trust Fund for New Rochelle Charities,  New Rochelle CLD,  Montefiore New Rochelle, Town House Kitchen + Drinks, Alvin & Friends, Orange Bank and Tecas Tacos,  plus in-kind donors The Dining Lab at Monroe University, AJ’s Burgers, The Picture House, the New Rochelle Public Library, The Atelier,  and Hotel NoMa. The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive Ken Jenkins.

PANELISTS BIOS:

Monique Gabriela Curnen

Monique Gabriela Curnen is an actor and producer. As an actor she is known for her work in a string of critical successes including Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s Half Nelson, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, and Laura Moss’s birth/rebirth. She has also been a part of acclaimed and audience-favorite series such as Noah Hawley’s comedic drama “The Unusuals,” FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” the FOX drama “Lie to Me” opposite Tim Roth, and Courtney Kemp’s “Power.” Monique was an executive producer on the feature documentary, A Run For More (PBS, Prime Video). She independently produced the short films “Absent,” and the Joe Holt helmed “Noël.”  She is currently producing the feature film Sheila & the Punk Rock with K. Lorrel Manning.

Malcolm D. Lee

Writer-director-producer Malcolm D. Lee has been making films since the age of 12 in animation, video and Super-8 film formats.  He has been working professionally in the industry since age 17 as a production assistant, apprentice film editor, casting associate, assistant director, and director’s assistant. Since 1999, his directorial work includes his critically-acclaimed feature film debut The Best Man which opened at No. 1 at the box-office, Undercover Brother, Barbershop: The Next Cut, the smash hit Girls Trip — with which Lee made history as the first film with a full African-American creative team in front of and behind the camera to surpass the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, grossing over $140 million worldwide — and Night School, another box office hit grossing over $100 million worldwide. 

 Frank Harts

A Juilliard-trained actor, Frank made his Broadway debut as George Murchison in the Tony Award–winning revival of A Raisin in the Sun. He recently portrayed series regular JT Tarmel on Prodigal Son for Fox and Warner Bros. As a writer and director, Frank’s award-winning short film Two Wongs premiered at over ten major festivals and is available on TinyScripted.com. His latest short film, Be True to Your School, tells the story of a young math genius who takes her gifts for granted and is now streaming on PBS. Frank is also the host of the podcast Harts & Minds, an insightful and heartfelt exploration of fatherhood from both U.S. and international perspectives. With equal parts wisdom and wit, the show dives into the joys, challenges, and occasional chaos of parenting—think deep conversations, global perspectives, and a few rogue LEGO injuries. It’s available on all major platforms and can be viewed on YouTube and Substack. @frankhartstruly and @hartsandminds.

Maria Clinton

Maria Clinton is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, and photographer. Her work is driven by a deep creative curiosity, and a passion for stories that celebrate the strength of the human spirit. Alongside her work in documentary filmmaking, she has contributed to episodic film and television productions in the Locations Department, while also working with clients as a freelancer. Maria has spoken at conferences about the intersection of media and humanitarian affairs. As she has transitioned into an educator role teaching film full-time, she is also in production of her first feature-length documentary, and the co-founder and co-host of an original podcast series titled The Little Souvenirs.

Candice Sanchez McFarlane

Candice Sanchez McFarlane is an award-winning writer, producer and creative director whose innovative vision has shaped impactful storytelling across film, television, and branded content. As the Chief Creative Officer of Cinereach, she leads a renowned, Oscar winning, story incubator and production company celebrated for critically acclaimed films including “Moonlight,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and “Sorry to Bother You.” In television, she has made significant contributions to the “Law & Order” franchise, serving as a writer and producer for both “Special Victims Unit” and “Organized Crime.” As a screenwriter, her work has garnered recognition at major festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. Her storytelling approach combines compelling character development with nuanced exploration of complex social issues.   A proud Harlem native, Sanchez McFarlane’s work is informed by her deep connection to community and authentic storytelling. She holds a degree from Georgetown University, where she developed the foundation for her multifaceted career in creative leadership and impactful media production.

Joe Holt

Joe Holt has spent the last 30 years carving out a professional career on stage, television, and in film. Recent credits include Bel-Air, Paradise, Untamed, All-American: Homecoming, The Accountant: 2, and Albany Road.

Paton Ashbrook

Paton Ashbrook is an actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA and Brooklyn, NY. Selected TV credits: ADA Jenny Sullivan on “Power Book II: Ghost,” “House of Cards” (Netflix), “Shameless” (Showtime), “EVIL”, “Madam Secretary”, “The Good Fight” (CBS/Paramount), “Instinct,” and “Reverie”(NBC). Film: Minor Premise (HULU) and Come Home (Best Feature at the Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest.). She’s currently in post-production for her directorial debut of the sci-fi horror short “Harvest,” which explores isolation and our increasing reliance on AI to “save” us from it.

Michele Prettyman

Michele Prettyman is a scholar of African American cinema, visual and popular culture, and a media consultant. Her recent publications include “The Persistence of Wild Style: Hip Hop and Music Video Culture at the Intersection of Performance and Provocation” in the In Focus Series on Black Liquidity issue in the Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. Over the years, Michele has taught courses in film, history, African American cinema, global cinema, digital storytelling, race, gender and media, Southern film, and screenwriting. Michele is a contributor and member of the advisory board for ‘liquid blackness’: A Research Project on Blackness and Aesthetics housed at Georgia State University and its journal published by Duke University Press. She curates panels and events for film festivals and has enjoyed a partnership with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) as part of Daughters of Eve Media, of which she is a co-founder. She has worked with the Tubman African American Museum curating its inaugural film festival in 2019 and both the Macon and College Town film festivals.

Erin Hicks

Department Head Hair Erin Hicks was born in New York City and grew up on the streets of Harlem. While in High School, she was asked to fill in as a hair assistant at the New York Shakespeare Festival working on the off- Broadway play “The Winter’s Tale”.  The production starred Alfre Woodard, Mandy Patikin, and Diane Venora.  She jumped at the opportunity.  It required a lot of her personal time, hard work, and acquired skills.  She had no idea that this would be the start of a wonderful career. Erin’s Film & TV Credits include Power [Season 4 – 6], Rise & Fall of Reggie Dinkins [since Season 1], Power Book III: Raising Kanan, WuTang – An American Saga [Season 3], The Last OG, The 40 Year Old Version, Shame.