The Syracuse International Film Festival (SYRFILM) has brought together representatives from several educational institutions throughout Central New York to form a regional consortium of media educators and presenters that will work to bring increased recognition, tourism, business and cultural opportunities to the area.

The Central New York Film Consortium consists of a broad network of organizations involved in media-based curriculum and programming. It will foster and strengthen connections and partnerships among academic institutions and also between community-based cultural organizations that offer media programs. 

The Consortium will provide greater opportunities for visiting filmmakers and media audiences. It will share resources and information, coordinate scheduling, and participate in the block booking of filmmakers, among other activities. These extensive collaborations will permit greater audience development for all of the participating organizations. The regionalization of film programming will benefit the entire Central New York community. 

Members of the Consortium include representatives from Syracuse University, Le Moyne College, the SUNY College at Cortland, Cazenovia College, the SUNY College at Oswego, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Ithaca College, Onondaga Community College and the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival. Broader information exchange and online participation will involve universities and colleges from the Southern Tier to Watertown, from the Finger Lakes to Utica. 

The Central New York Film Consortium is a program of the Syracuse International Film Festival. SYRFILM consultant Leo Crandall is the consortium facilitator.

The Consortium is currently collaborating on several projects, including the creation of an information/discussion/planning website where Consortium members can connect and exchange information. Consortium members will also have their own Web links.

Consortium members will host satellite locations for screenings/visiting filmmakers throughout the year.

In addition, Consortium members are participating in a Scriptwriters Symposium in October. Representatives from educational institutions and the community at large will be able to work with established script writers, including Rob Edwards, who recently received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay for “Princess and the Frog,” and Robert Knott, who wrote the screenplay for “Appaloosa.” Additional script writers who may participate, depending on enrollment, include Syracuse University alumni Susan Emshwiller and Jeff Stockwell.

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