Exclusive: St. Lawrence International Film Festival Announces Second Wave of Programming

The first annual St. Lawrence International Film Festival has just announced its second wave of programming, which includes the Closing Night film, “Frank and Cindy,” the Empire State Filmmaker Award film, “The Preppie Connection,” the shorts programs and more.

Closing out the festival is “Frank and Cindy,” a coming-of age dramedy starring Rene Russo, Oliver Platt and Johnny Simmons. The movie is based on writer-director G.K. Echternkamp’s autobiographical documentary about moving in with his mother and stepfather.

“The Preppie Connection” is the recipient of the inaugural Empire State Filmmaker Award, which honors New York filmmaking. The feature is based on a true story about a private school student who ran a drug trafficking ring to make friends in the early 1980s.

“We are thrilled with the vastly diverse lineup for this year’s festival and the groundbreaking talent we are showcasing,” said Bears Fonte, Director of Programming for the Festival.

Additional Marquee Screenings include: “Cinefix: Film School’d Live – The Great Canadian Comedy Invasion,” “In The Shadow of War” and “Unleashed: A Dog Dancing Story.”

The Film Frontiere program, which brings together a collection of foreign language films, includes titles such as “The Break-In,” “Bright Night,” “Listopad,” and “Princess.” “The Last Treasure Hunt,” “Lost Conquest,” “The Nymphets” and “Soldedad” will all be screening in the Write/Rec slate, which focuses on films made entirely outside of the studio system and with small budgets.

The Festival also released a satiric promo video, starring festival advisory board member and CSI star Mark Valley, who promises that the inaugural film fest will showcase “the best f*cking films in the world.” Take a look at the video above.

The international festival will run from October 22-25, screening 60+ films in venues on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border. The Festival Opening Gala will feature a special 35th anniversary screening of “The Blues Brothers,” with Dan Aykroyd in attendance. For more information on the festival’s marquee screenings, the shorts program, its numerous panels or on how to attend, visit the St. Lawrence Film Festival’s website here.