Asbury Shorts is returning home to Westbury Friday, Aug. 22 for the annual Short Film Concert.
This is the third year Westbury native Doug LeClaire is bringing the short film festival back to the Piazza Ernestro Strada for what has become a favorite Westbury tradition. The show will highlight some of the best short films from around the world, including award-nominated pieces.
“We’re just excited to have the opportunity to present the finest independent filmmakers around in an outdoor setting that is free to the community,” said LeClaire. “We are grateful to the participating filmmakers for allowing us the opportunity to screen their amazing work where this might not be possible on a regular basis for the attendees.”
Friday’s line-up includes approximately nine films selected from international film festivals. Among them is Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything? a 2014 comedy short that received an Academy Award nomination. The 8-minute comedy from Finland is about a family who realizes they have all over slept on a day when they have to attend a close family member’s wedding. Hilarity ensues as they rush to the wedding.
Another film is Local Commercial starring John Ratzenberger as the owner of a law firm who makes low budget late night commercials. Also on the program is Globe Trot, which shows 50 dancers in 50 different countries all doing the same dance piece, all edited together in one performance. The film was the recent winner of the WorldFest Film Festival in Texas.
LeClaire started the annual Asbury Film Festival in 1980 in a church basement off of Asbury Avenue where he would screen college and indie films. It soon moved to the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Haft Auditorium and more internationally award-winning films were added to the program. Now, as New York City’s longest running short film show, Asbury Shorts travels all over the country and internationally, highlighting the best in great cinematic stories told in 20 minutes or less.
The Westbury Short Film Concert starts Friday, Aug. 22 (rain date Aug. 23) at 7 p.m. at the Piazza (on the corner of Maple and Post Ave.) with a performance by musicians from Center Stage Music School. The films will start approximately at 7:45 p.m. and is suggested for ages 16 and over. Attendees are recommended to bring a chair. The free event is sponsored by The Village of Westbury and Greater Westbury Council for the Arts. For more information call 718-510-6929 or visit www.asburyshortsnyc.com
