It's going to be lit! Brooklyn Public Library is hosting the second annual "LitFilm: A BPL Film Festival About Writers" from Monday, March 18, through Sunday, March 24.
The week-long festival showcases films from around the world that provide an inside look at the private lives and creative processes of the world's best writers and literary figures from Maya Angelou and Pablo Neruda, to Samuel Beckett and the creators of the beloved Curious George, Hans and Margret Rey. The films, which span nearly seven decades, from a short film originally released in 1959 to a recently released HBO documentary, reveal new perspectives on the creators of these seminal works.
"The library is thrilled to present six days of films and director talks for all New Yorkers for free," said BPL President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. "At BPL's LitFilm Festival, guests will have the opportunity to look behind the scenes and to hear the stories about some of the world's most illustrious writers, critics and artists."
The festival kicks off on Monday, March 18, with a panel featuring the directors of HBO's "Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists" Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy.
Festival highlights also include feature films exploring the lives of legendary writers and playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Lorraine Hansberry, Larry Kramer and Wole Soyinka, and literary figures such as Margaret Atwood, Naguib Mahfouz and Zora Neale Hurston, followed by director Q&As and panel discussions with filmmakers, critics and scholars.
"This year's LitFilm line-up provides a compelling inside look at the rare and untold stories of our most notable literary figures, creators whose creative processes and personal histories are mined through film, and from which we can glean timely, relevant perspectives on society today," said BPL's Vice President of Arts & Culture László Jakab Orsós. "We hope the films inspire readers to discover works that were previously unknown and provide new context for works they've already encountered."
LitFilm is free and open to the public, with all events taking place at BPL's Central Library. For a full calendar of screenings and discussions, visit: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/LitFilm
