The Made By New York Women Film Festival

Film Otsego’s second annual The Made By New York Women Film

Festival will return to Foothills PAC in Oneonta on Friday, March

6, and Saturday, March 7, with a night of comedy and a night of

drama.

  Film Otsego, the film commission for Otsego County, announced the

lineup of films Tuesday, Feb. 3, with 15 films spread over the two

nights. “I am very excited to be a part of the 2026 The Made By New York

Women Film Festival,” said Festival Director Cheyenne Phillips in

a media release. “This festival has already brought wonderful

opportunities for our female filmmakers. We have had such talented

people attend last year, and I can’t wait to meet more great

filmmakers this year.”

  “We had such great experiences last year, so we are really looking

forward to this year’s event,” Otsego County Film Commissioner

Greg Klein said. “Our plan to show off our region to filmmakers

continues to pay off, and I can’t wait to meet a new group of

filmmakers in March.

  Friday will be a night of comedy. Doors open at 6 p.m., for a meet

and greet with the filmmakers. There will be free food and cash

bar. At 7 p.m., there will be five comedy shorts, followed by a

filmmaker Q&A. At 8:15 p.m., the feature “The List” will be shown,

followed by a filmmaker Q&A.

  Saturday will be a night of drama. Door open at 6 p.m., for a meet

and greet with the filmmakers. There will be free food and cash

bar. At 7 p.m., there will be seven dramatic shorts, followed by a

filmmaker Q&A. At 8:45 p.m., there will be a block of three short

documentaries, followed by a filmmaker Q&A.

“This year’s group of films are wonderful,” Klein said. “There’s

something for everyone, with a night to laugh and a night to cry.

And the talent of the filmmakers overall is just amazing.”

The second annual festival is sponsored by a grant from the

Community Foundation of Otsego County. It is designed to feature

work from women filmmakers who are from New York, live in New York

or made their work in New York. Directors, writers, producers and

women in other key roles are encouraged to submit.

  This year’s submissions include films with Lesley Ann Warren and

Molly Bernard, filmmakers from Binghamton and the Hudson Valley,

and documentaries that include a Fulbright-awarded project and a

musical trip to Cuba featuring a Grammy-winning composer.

Film Otsego is the film commission for Otsego County and was the

pioneer film commission in the state’s Mohawk Valley Economic

Development District. It is a 501c3 non-profit geared toward

growing and helping the entertainment industry in the region.

  All films will be shown in the Foothills Loft, accessible from the

Market Street entrance. Foothills is at 24 Market St. in Oneonta.

Go to filmotsego.org or foothillspac.org for more information.

Friday comedy shorts:

Stuck at the Spaceport (10 minutes), submitted by co-director Dara

Semerad, the animated short focuses on Lore’s first day as a

navigator. She’s eager to start her new job — if only her ship

would show up. I’ve Always Loved Bonfires (12 minutes), submitted by

producer/actor Tal Shashoua, the film is a dark comedy about how

two women deal with an abusive boyfriend.

Eleven:eleven (6 minutes) submitted by Binghamton graduate

Katherine Quinn, the film is about a shy woman waiting for a date,

who realizes she has more in common with the brash, artistic

waitress than she thinks.

Vivving (11 minutes) submitted by director Ondine Bader, the film

is about two hippie girls who decide they’re going to become

capitalist pigs.

A Nice Lady (16 minutes) filmed in New York City by director

Jessica Weber Kass, the film stars Molly Bernard (Younger, Pay It

Forward) as an artist whose career takes a turn when she meets a

cute couple.

Friday feature:

The List (1:25) filmed in New York City, submitted by Writer-

Producer-Actor Francina Smith, directed by Sherean Jones and

  Ayanda Chisholm. The film follows Chanel, an ambitious designer,

who is fearless in life, except when it comes to dating. Pushed by

friends to try the apps, Chanel discovers the list she created to

filter men isn’t really about them, but is about finding herself.

Saturday dramatic shorts:

  Olive (13 minutes) Producer Astrid Peterson returns to the

festival with her second short directed by Tom Koch, starring

Lesley Ann Warren (Cinderella, Clue) and filmed in New York City,

the film deals with dementia and caregiving.

  Golden Affirmations (14 minutes) and 988 (14 minutes) were both

submitted by Producer-Actor Lauren Sowa, who is an alum of the

commission’s 2021 filmmaking tour. Golden Affirmations follows a

caterer as she has to throw a memorial event for a woman she never

met. 988 deals with a call-center helper who must balance her job

and her own issues.

  Sometimes (10 minutes) directed by New York University graduates

Alexandra Blanco and Winter Kay McVey, the film is a depiction of

events told in three short poems, spaced out over the span of

three months, as the central character experiences a painful

heartbreak.

  Cahill Lanes (11 minutes) directed by Marco Jo Clate from

Palisades, the film follows a young woman’s attempt to connect

with her estranged father at a bowling alley.

The Silence After (10 minutes) submitted by director Genesis Taina

Luciano and filmed in New York City, the film a young women who is

mourning her mother’s death and still has to unpack her

belongings.

  Saturday Documentaries

  Living Moments (11 minutes) Brooklyn native Joan Ferebee was in

the middle of making a film when she suffered a stroke. Her new

film chronicles her recovery.

  Resonancia (40 minutes) Grammy-winning composer Ted Nash and his

filmmaking partner, Cathy Barbash, travel to Havana and invite

young Cuban musicians to find inspiration in the colors and forms

of a museum’s paintings. What begins as a search for melody

becomes an awakening, as students uncover hidden voices within

themselves — discovering passion, courage and untapped creativity.

  Dindigul Diaries (52 minutes) Long Island director Annette Danto

made repeated trips over 23 years to the Dindigul area of southern

India to document the lives of women in the region. Made with the

help of a Fulbright Award.