04/21/2025
The 11th annual Blackbird Film Festival returns to welcome movie lovers under its wings.
From Friday, April 25, to Sunday, April 27, an international array of independent filmmakers will arrive at SUNY Cortland to show off their projects, discuss their craft and celebrate an artform that brings big ideas to the big screen.
With viewings held on campus in Old Main’s Brown Auditorium, the nonprofit festival created by Sam Avery, associate professor in the Communication and Media Studies Department, selected 60 films this year out of 454 entries.
Blackbird is free and open to the public, sponsored by SUNY Cortland, SUNY Cortland Auxiliary Services, CNY Arts and the Experience Cortland County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“My passion for filmmaking came from the creation and building process,” Avery said. “The idea that you would gather shots and then assemble them, like a puzzle, into a cohesive story.”
That level of devotion has led an array of filmmakers and film fans to gather in upstate New York for a weekend of appreciation on movies made.
“Outlets for noncommercial film appreciation are getting fewer and further apart,” Avery said. “Blackbird stands as a free space to engage in this type of storytelling within our community.”
The review process begins when SUNY Cortland student interns work in teams to review assigned films. Top entries then going on to “pro judge” alumni filmmakers from earlier festival seasons.
Finalists go on to a last review led by Avery and select other judges. During the festival, attendees can weigh in by voting on their pick for an audience choice award.
Production quality, story and characters all play an important factor in selection, according to Avery. But he said the “make or break” moment comes during the final review, when the festival judges look for common themes among films.
“Inevitably, there are always pockets of films that are about a similar topic — like “Discovering Oneself” or “Escaping Entrapment” or “Finding Your Voice” — and we group them together to form a cohesive screening block,” he said. “For instance, this year we have a block called “Tech Support” in which characters grapple with issues of AI. We have another block called “Inherited Scars” in which characters manage generational trauma.”
Blackbird also saw a rise in submitted films that focus on women’s rights, abortion and body autonomy this year, leading to one of the main screening blocks being “Body, Choice, Voice.” A moderated panel will follow.
Campus creators will have a chance to shine as well, with a Rising Star block scheduled for films made by SUNY Cortland students in the Media Production program. The young filmmakers include Jake Baglio, Taylor DeCastro, Brian Dorn, David Garcia, William Keane and Andrew Oliva.
Established events like the kickoff party, meetup with mentors and trivia test all return this year for a sequel, while a new event called “Tacos & Tablereads” will let local actors perform short scripts by filmmakers and SUNY Cortland students.
“Students who traveled with me to the Phoenixville Film Festival last fall to screen our short film JAAQ participated, as actors, in a table read event and loved it,” Avery said. “So, we thought it was a good idea to bring that to Blackbird.”
One of the most popular parts of the festival, “Blackbird Paint + Sip,” has moved this year to AKE Gallery in the city of Cortland to allow for more people, and to highlight the local art scene.
With decreased federal funding for the arts, Avery noted, community support is needed now more than ever before.
“Already, more the 50% of the regional festivals I typically travel to each year have closed their doors,” Avery said. “All this is to say, Blackbird has curated the program and opened the doors, now we need people to show up and make the event come to life.”