Film

September 27, 2017 - 3:48pm
Preview: The three day festival will feature film screenings, and opportunities to hear from the directors behind these projects.

This weekend, the fifteenth annual Syracuse University Human Rights Film Festival will bring stories of human struggle from around the world to the Syracuse University campus. Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 28 and lasting through Saturday, Sept. 30, the festival has brought in a program of documentaries that speak to the universality of human suffering. Here's the full rundown of films on the schedule:

February 3, 2015 - 8:47pm
Review: Sundance entries make audiences laugh, cry, cringe and everything in between.

It may seem as if the Sundance film festival has been around forever, when in reality it has only been around since the 1980’s. Sundance's roots go back to 1981 when Robert Redford founded the institute, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide a space for new, fresh voices in the American film industry.

October 29, 2014 - 1:27pm
Everyone knows The Shining, Rosemary's Baby and the slasher flicks of the 1970s and '80s, but do you know these nine psychologically daunting horror concoctions?

When it’s October, and the nights come quicker and the leaves are crunchier, millennials (and probably older people too, but they’re less seasonally nostalgic) want to watch scary movies.

October 18, 2014 - 10:30am
Review: The Indian film, featured at the 2014 Syracuse International Film Festival, asks philosophical questions and presents beautifully orchestrated answers.

In ancient Greece, a ship became reason for much confusion. The Ship of Theseus, a thirty-oar structure, had been preserved for a long time. Then decay lead to a restoration process, where its old, sagging parts were replaced one by one.

October 16, 2014 - 11:55pm
In anticipation of the new Brad Pitt vehicle, Fury, film fan and arts journalism graduate student Kevin Garcia examines the five war films most often mentioned as shining exemplars of the genre.

With Fury starring Brad Pitt coming out this Friday, we look at five highly celebrated war films that have stood the test of time. They will be placed in chronological order. Check them out.

1. Apocalypse Now (1979)

October 15, 2014 - 9:31am
The 1997 film, which screened as part of a showcase honoring Cassavetes at the Syracuse International Film Festival, is a particularly zany take on love triangles.

She’s So Lovely is about a love story, but that kind of love rarely exists in the real world. Maybe director Nick Cassavetes wants to let us forget about the real world and just watch his film to experience the crazy love that most people won’t experience in their whole lives.

October 13, 2014 - 4:37pm
A look at the perceptions, the stereotypes and the realities of Indian cinema through the lens of one particularly prolific director, honored at this year's Syracuse International Film Festival.

The concept of Bollywood has often been confused with romance. It is assumed that every Bollywood movie is a chapter from a mushy Danielle Steel novel or a whole lot of dance and sparkle.

October 9, 2014 - 11:43am
In honor of the new legal drama The Judge, we take a look at five of the most beloved cinematic courtroom dramas in the history of the medium.

With The Judge coming to theaters this Friday, here are five courtroom films that can't be missed. Disclaimer: I have not seen all the courtroom films ever made, but of the ones I have seen, here are the five most worth mentioning. This list is in chronological order.

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

October 3, 2014 - 6:01pm
The 11th annual festival kicks off this Sunday, Oct. 5, and runs for a week, incorporating domestic and foreign films from past and present.

Movie lovers of Central New York, rejoice!

This Sunday, Oct. 5, marks the start of the 11th annual Syracuse International Film Festival. The fest runs from October 5-12, showcasing movies from India, Israel and Spain. It also features local talent.

Founded in 2003 by Syracuse University professor Owen Shapiro and wife Christine Fawcett-Shapiro, SIFF has expanded over the last decade to include year-round screenings and media-centered programs.

September 25, 2014 - 4:54pm
Review: Syrian director Tala Derki paints a violent reality of the ongoing Syrian unrest with the documentary 'Return to Homs.'

A nation is burning right now. As we sit in our pretty little homes fuming over petty little problems, millions in Syria are being snuffed out. And as we glance at the newspaper, a country where a civil war rages since 2011 finds no place. It is old news.

Talal Derki’s documentary Return to Homs, which screened at the Syracuse University Human Rights Film Festival last Saturday, is a reminder to the world to act.