To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Council Member Antonio Reynoso organized the first Southside Film Festival, which ran from October 8 to October 10. Spectacle (124 South 3rd Street) a screening space established in 2010 curated and hosted the film screenings, which featured Nuyorican cinema circa late 1960s to 1980, although the festival began with a 90-minute collection of more contemporary short films from 2015–2021. Many of these shorts were documentaries on beloved Williamsburg icons such as Tonita (Caribbean Sports Club), Papa Frenchie (Frenchie’s Gym) and boxer Wesley Ferrer, AKA “El Bongocero”. A block party was held on Saturday, October 9, on S 3rd Street between Driggs and Bedford Avenues where grills were fired, music played, Los Sures Comida offered fresh vegetables, and fun was had by all who attended. When the block party ended at 7 p.m. the festivities continued as the 1972 film Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa Latina) was shown al fresco.
When asked to comment about this being his last event as council member for the 34th District after, Council Member Reynoso said, “Earlier this month, I hosted the Southside Film Festival and Block Party, an event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through films by Latino film makers. Over the course of this weekend, residents from Williamsburg and beyond came out to enjoy the diverse array of films, along with refreshments and a chance to be together in community. Over the past eight years that I have served as Council Member for the 34th Council District, I have worked alongside residents to uplift, celebrate, and promote the contributions of Latinos in our community, and this event was an extension of that work. I thank St. Nicks Alliance, Los Sures, Spectacle, Mi Casa Studios, and Comparsa Guadalupana for their partnership in making this event possible!”
The Greenline 