Get 'First Look' At International Movies In Astoria Film Fest

ASTORIA, QUEENS -- In the next month, movie buffs can have the latest international flicks from all corners of the world at their fingertips without breaking the bank or setting foot on a plane.

Just head over to Queens, where they'll all be under one roof at the Museum of The Moving Image for its annual film festival from Jan. 5 - 15. The Astoria museum's "First Look" Film Festival is back and better than ever, said Chief Curator David Schwartz, who called this year's edition "exceptionally strong."

In what will be the festival's seventh year at the museum, this year's 10-day lineup features flicks from more than a dozen countries across the globe.

“The films are at once remarkably assured yet boldly experimental," Schwartz said. "There is a sense of discovery to all of the works, whether they are by established masters or bold new talent."

The festival opens Friday evening with a showing of "Prototype." The 3-D science-fiction movie by Toronto-based filmmaker Blake Williams puts moviegoers in the aftermath of the catastrophic Galveston, Texas, hurricane in 1900. Williams is among several highlighted filmmakers that will be at the festival's opening night.

The lineup that follows will include a mix of feature-length and short films from Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Indonesia, Lebanon, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Syria, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Tickets to each show are $15 unless noted otherwise, or free to the museum's Premium-Level Film Lover members. A festival pass is also available for $45 View the full "First Look" lineup here.

Lead photo via Shutterstock.