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Film festival returns to Jackson Heights

By Bill Parry

The couple behind the Queens World Film Festival will have special screenings in Jackson Heights over the next two Saturday evenings.

Katha and Don Cato will host FLIC NIC, a free outdoor event in Travers Park, at 78th Street and 34th Avenue, at dusk each evening.

On July 19, they will show nine short films from around the world that won awards during the festival’s six-day celebration of cinema in March.

“These were the real crowd-pleasers during the festival,” Katha Cato said.

One of the films, “Recursion,” was produced in Astoria, winning the Best Short, Best Actor in a Short and Founders Choice awards during the festival.

“It’s a darn near-perfect festival film,” she said.

There will also be winning films from Brazil, Belgium, Ireland and Cuba.

“The Cuban experimental film ‘Shift’ is visually gorgeous, truly stunning animation,” Cato said.

Four films made in the United States will also be shown, lending credence to FLIC NIC’s slogan “Films from around the world and around the corner.”

On July 26, the Catos will show three family-friendly films about fathers and their children, including the French film “Tu Seras un Homme” (“You’ll Be a Man”), which took home the Best Feature Award at the Queens World Film Festival.

“The director, Benoit Cohen, will be here with his wife and several members of the cast,” Cato said. “It’s a quirky and sweet film.”

FLIC NIC is in its fourth year and growing in popularity.

“It’s one of our favorite events of the year. Last year more than 250 residents came and enjoyed a laid-back evening, bringing food and beverages, sitting on lawn chairs and blankets,” Cato said. “It’s got a real small-town feel to it, it’s such a community event. It distinguishes Jackson Heights and Queens, in particular, for all it’s wonderful diversity.”

This summer’s event will be special for the Catos.

“We finally bought our own screen, thanks to a couple of grants,” Cato said. “No longer will we have scramble to rig one onto the fence.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.