New this year, the festival launches a film program in partnership with the Phoenicia Playhouse, presenting four powerful films that explore themes of identity, culture, and transformation:

Sunday, August 31 at 3:00 PM
Festival Film Series
An eclectic afternoon of short films and documentaries that explore gender, identity, culture, and creative expression.

"The Gender Symphony" – 14 minutes
Directed by Phoebe Legere
A visually rich blend of Commedia dell’Arte and hand-drawn animation, The Gender Symphony tells the story of Columbina, a servant transformed by a magical accident, who challenges the authoritarian Dr. Pants in a surreal duel. Featuring Ivan Galietti (Fellini’s Casanova), Lorenzo Pozzan (Queer, 2024), and Phoebe Legere. The film uses hand-crafted costumes made from recycled materials, lush original music, and archetypal storytelling to explore contemporary gender politics.
Festival accolades include:

WINNER – Best Story, Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival

WINNER – Best Art Film, Cannes Arts Fest

WINNER – Best Soundtrack, NYC Independent Film Festival

WINNER – Best Experimental, Miami Women Film Festival

WINNER – Best Comedy, New York Movie Awards
Also recognized by festivals in Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, London, Athens, San Francisco, and others.
Praise from critics includes:
“Best short film I’ve ever seen.” – Rosa von Praunheim
“Whimsical and psychedelic... My favorite movie of the festival.” – Hollywood Press Corps

"Mixed Messages" – 19 minutes
Directed by Kathy Brew
An experimental video collage originally created in 1989–1990, Mixed Messages critiques gender stereotypes in media and culture using a mix of found footage, animation, interviews with girls, and performance. Inspired by a young girl’s audition piece (“I Enjoy Being a Girl”), the video offers a feminist lens on the messaging received by the next generation.
Decades later, it continues to resonate in the wake of the “Me Too” movement and the erosion of reproductive rights.
As featured in Hyperallergic (2020): “A potent and timely work of media criticism.”

"Following the Thread" – 22 minutes
Directed by Kathy Brew
A documentary exploring Indigenous textile traditions in the Peruvian Andes. Through intimate portraits of weavers and the communities supported by the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC), the film addresses the threats of cultural erasure, economic exploitation, and intellectual property theft. Featuring ceremonial rituals, natural dyeing techniques, and weaving demonstrations, the film honors both the artistry and the resilience of the Andean people.

"Sparrow" – 30 minutes
Directed by Paul Smart and Eduardo Padilla
Sparrow: Hecho en Guanajuato follows Hudson Valley-based poet and essayist Sparrow on a poetic journey through the winding streets and tunnels of Guanajuato, Mexico. Accompanied by filmmaker and former Phoenicia Times editor Paul Smart and local poet Eduardo Padilla, the film weaves conversation, observation, and lyrical commentary into a reflective portrait of place and creativity.
This short is part of the forthcoming omnibus feature POESIA: Language in Motion.

About the Phoenicia Festival of the Arts
Held annually in the heart of the Catskills, the Phoenicia Festival of the Arts celebrates the creative spirit of the region through music, performance, visual arts, and, for the first time in 2025, film. This inaugural film series brings new voices, visual storytelling, and cinematic experimentation into the community conversation.