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PDF versionOur 2012 venues will be announced by the end of August
WILLiFEST 2011 will take place from September 22-25 throughout Williamsburg, Brooklyn. All questions related to venue locations and accommodations should be directed to [email protected]
A map generator is provided at the bottom of the page for detailed directions to all venues.
Opening Night @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Our opening night gala featuring film screenings and music performance will take place at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, September 22, 2011.
Cut from the same cloth as Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom, with bars on all three floors Music Hall of Williamsburg is an startling beautiful venue. Enviable sight lines from all over the venue complement the great sound. The night opens with a music performance by an emerging new artist and then our film line-up of music video, short film and feature film. Q&A with attending filmmakers will follow.
Opening Night After-Party & Friday Screenings @ Knitting Factory
The Knit will return this year as one of our screening venues. This year our Opening Night after party features a DJ competition. DJs from around the area spin their best mixes of house, world and techno sounds. In the front bar, a DJ mixes pop music for a different vibe.
The legendary Knitting Factory
moved to Williamsburg three years ago after 21 years in the Tribeca section of Manhattan where it gained an international reputation for its eclectic, finger-on-the-pulse aesthetic in music. The Knitting Factory also has locations in Boise (Idaho), Spokane (Washington), Reno (Nevada) and North Hollywood (California).
Washington Plaza | LiVE it UP! Pavilion
On Saturday, September 24, the Washington Plaza (aka Continental Army
Plaza) in Williamsburg will be transformed into a studio set from which Donna Drake, host of the nationally syndicated talk show LiVE it UP!, will interview filmmakers, celebrities and other key WILLiFEST participants for broadcast on the show.
The equestrian sculpture of George Washington at Valley Forge serves as the centerpiece of this plaza. Located under the Williamsburg Bridge, the statue was dedicated in 1906. It was sculpted by Henry Mervin Shrady, a life-long New Yorker, who was commissioned to make his first major public work after winning a design competition in 1901.
Film Screenings @ El Puente
El Puente has been a close partner of WILLiFEST from the beginning. We were also partners in a special one-day El Puente Presente! Film Festival in June of this year. And now this beautiful venue will host film screenings throughout the festival that focus on family, society and environment.
As the largest Hispanic community organization in New York City, El Puente does remarkable work to promote social justice and the arts, often using one to promote the other.
Screenings and Panels @ FSP (WILLiFEST Central)
After a successful first year collaboration, we will be back again at the centrally located First Spanish Presbyterian which acts as WILLiFEST's headquarters during the festival. FSP boasts one of the largest venue spaces in Williamsburg. This year FSP will again host all of our panels. We will also hold screenings in the large downstairs auditorium with beautiful 2K HD projection.
Filmmakers' Lounge & Screenings @ Sandbox 257
Sandbox 257 is a cool and casual HD screening room and lounge in the heart of Williamsburg. Xbox 360s, foosball, wall-mounted HD monitors and snack machines are just some of the comforts of this lounge. Filmmakers can kick back and relax, prepare for their screenings and play personal DVDs for impromptu screenings. This venue also acts as a screening space for two Saturday Night film blocks. We are very happy to announce this new partnership with a space that was created specifically with filmmakers in mind.
Friday Night After-Party @ The Trash Bar
WILLiFEST will be hosting a private after-party at The Trash Bar in Williamsburg.
Completely rebuilt, Trash has turned itself into a band friendly, high quality music venue. The Trash Bar has an impressive staged venue in the back. Already home to rock shows that will go down in NYC live music lore, Trash's driving primary goal is to have a great sounding room with great sounding live bands.
You can use the map generator below to view or print the ideal route from the starting point of your choice to a venue. After you enter your starting point, drop down and select your destination and then click “Go.” You can select the “Public Transit” link below the map. The default is driving directions. To minimize the map, clear the starting point and click "Go" again.
