2024 Blackbird Film Festival • April 11th - 14th

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THANK YOU

FILMMAKERS

AND ATTENDEES

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WATCH 2024 TEASER

THE BIRD RETURNS

The 10th annual Blackbird Film Festival flies back to Cortland, New York from Thursday, April 11th to Sunday, April 14th with a weekend full of films, workshops, parties, and more! With 103 films programmed across 15 thematic screening blocks, there's something for everyone! As always, Blackbird film screenings and events are FREE and OPEN to the public.

Blackbird Film Festival 2024

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THURSDAY

April 11th, 2024

Popcorn

EVENT

LEARN MORE

EARLYBIRD CHECKIN

5:00PM - 6:00PM

Grab your FREE popcorn and settle in for a full weekend of films, festivities, and fun with a welcome from festival staff!

FILMS

RISING STARS

6:00PM - 8:00PM

A creative mix of films made by students and young filmmakers who are destined for greatness!

EVENT

KICKOFF PARTY

8:00PM - 10:00PM

Join Blackbird at BRU64 for our 2024 KickOff Party and get pumped for a weekend full of new experiences!

FRIDAY

April 12th, 2024

Coffee

EVENT

CAFE MEET UP

9:00AM - 10:00AM

Join Blackbird at BRU64 to caffeinated and chat with visiting filmmakers and festival guests!

EVENT

FILM TRIVIA

12:00PM - 1:30PM

Test your movie knowledge at The Hollywood Restaurant with trivia - full lunch menu available for purchase.

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FILMS

FRIDAY NIGHT FEELS

6:00PM - 8:00PM

Time to sit back, relax and enjoy a wonderful evening of films that will make you feel all the feels on this Friday night!

VIP ONLY

ADVENTURE TOUR

10:00AM - 12:00PM

Filmmakers and VIP guests are invited on a tour of Cortland's art scene with a special visit to AKE Gallery!

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FILMS

NO BOYS ALLOWED

2:00PM - 3:30PM

Women have taken over the world in this exciting feminist collection of dystopian-adventure films!

Red Carpet

EVENT

RED CARPET RECEPTION

8:00PM - 9:30PM

Red Carpet Reception to celebrate the 2024 Blackbird Film Festival with style alongside appetizers and a cash bar!

TALK

FILMMAKING IN CNY

11:00AM - 12:00PM

CNY Arts visits AKE Gallery to discuss all the incentive programs and benefits to making films in central New York!

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FILMS

MAKIN' MOVIES

4:00PM - 5:30PM

The characters in this block of films have a passion for movie making and can't help themselves despite the many challenges...

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FILMS

CRIME + PUNISHMENT

9:30PM - 11:00PM

There's the crime, those who intervene, and the punishment for everything in between in this funky mix of films!

SATURDAY

April 13th, 2024

Meditation

EVENT

SUNRISE MEDITATION

8:00AM - 9:00AM

Filmmakers and guests are welcome to join a guided meditation session to start the day and find inner peace.

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FILMS

LAST WISHES

12:00PM - 1:30PM

How will the ones we love carry out our last wishes after we're gone? Characters in this block are struggling to figure that out...

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FILMS

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX

5:30PM - 7:00PM

The characters in these films want to (or need to) talk about sex in this important collection of stories about consent.

VIP ONLY

ANIMATION BREAKFAST

9:00AM - 10:00AM

Enjoy a cereal breakfast buffet while animator Alex Salsberg presents on ways to incorporate animation into your films!

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TALK

WRITING FOR CAMERA

2:00PM - 3:00PM

Join Blackbird for a discussion with Blumhouse Fellow Chelsea Gonzalez on the art of writing and financing your script.

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VIP ONLY

BLACKBIRD PAINT + SIP

7:00PM - 9:30PM

Get colorful with Blackbird during our annual "Paint + Sip" challenge and see what you can create while enjoying food + drink!

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FILMS

WORD POWER

10:30AM - 11:30AM

Poems, journals, lyrics... Words in all forms are powerful tools used to communicate, express, and bond in these films.

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FILMS

FAMILY DYNAMICS

3:30PM - 5:00PM

Our parents are our parents and our siblings are our siblings and the characters in this heartfelt mix of films must come to terms...

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FILMS

LIVING WITH THE MONSTER

9:30PM - 11:00PM

For the characters in these films, everyday is a nightmare as they struggle to break free from the monsters living under the same roof.

SUNDAY

April 14th, 2024

VIP ONLY

BREAKFAST BREAKOUT

8:30AM - 10:00AM

Filmmakers and VIP guests are invited to a buffet style breakfast along with some ice-breaking activities.

Fajita

VIP ONLY

TACO TIMEOUT

2:00PM - 3:00PM

Enjoy a taco buffet while disability activist Carl Hansen discusses the many ways to make our films more accessible

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EVENT

AWARD CEREMONY

7:00PM - 8:30PM

Join Blackbird for a Red Carpet Reception followed by the 2024 Award Ceremony announcing festival winners!

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FILMS

HUMAN. NATURE.

10:30AM - 11:30AM

Humans are strange. Nature is powerful.

Humans in nature, mind blown! This diverse mix of films will take you on a wild ride!

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FILMS

ANXIETY OVERLOAD

3:30PM - 5:00PM

Anxiety. Stress. Fear. Nonstop pressure from all directions at all times!!! For characters in these films, it's all become a bit too much...

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FILMS

UNDOCUMENTED

12:00PM - 1:30PM

Aliens, Immigrants, Refugees... All just people trying to do the best for their family in this emotional block of films.

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FILMS

HAUNTED HEARTS

5:30PM - 7:00PM

They may be dead but they are far from gone in this collection of shorts in which deceased loved ones stick around a while longer.

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