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For 18th year, L.I. Film Expo comes to Bellmore

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From July 8 to 16, the Bellmore Movies once again hosted the Long Island International Film Expo, which presented a wide array of movies, from horror to comedy and mystery, by a variety of filmmakers, some local and some international. For the 18th year, the expo gave filmmakers an intimate opportunity to share their work with industry executives and movie-goers alike.

The LIIFE began in 1998 at the request of the Long Island Film and TV Foundation, which was started to encourage film and television production on the Island. Originally, the festival took place at the Malverne Cinema, but in only seven years, it outgrew its first venue. The Bellmore Movies, with 355 seats, sound equipment on stage and a filmmaker’s lounge next door, was the perfect replacement.

This year, the film short “Granny Smith,” by Julian Lucas and Jack White, hailed from Melbourne, Australia (the farthest location from which the festival has received a submission), while other works, like “Who Killed Charlie Foster,” directed by Matthew Goldstein, were shot entirely on Long Island.

The Long Island films felt wonderfully familiar and authentic. Local folks could enjoy catching nearby businesses and parks on screen, making plots and characters feel relatable, certainly when compared with the usual Hollywood blockbusters set in sensationalized versions of Los Angeles and New York City.

At the festival, there were meet-and-greet sessions after each film, when producers, directors and actors answered audience members’ questions. It could be jarring at times –– especially after watching a horror short –– to see a murderer (albeit fictitious) and a victim chatting on stage, laughing about their favorite memories on set, but it’s all part of the fun.

Nassau County Film Office Director Debra Markowitz noted that the networking and the informational panels are invaluable for filmmakers, and the festival gives participants the chance to gain press exposure and potentially win prizes to help further their careers.

Hannah Leshaw, creator of the short piece “Write With Me,” and the film’s photography director, Yessica Curiel-Montoya, both said independent film festivals such as LIIIFE are important. “You get to see films that don’t have a chance in mainstream theater,” Leshaw said. “It’s more exciting and quirky. You don’t know what you’re going to get.”