‘Cannabis + Creativity’ Encore Set for Friday, April 11

Film Otsego Announces Festival Winners, Upcoming Projects

ONEONTA—The 2025 Made By New York Women Film Festival’s Audience Favorite Award winner for Documentary Film, “Cannabis + Creativity,” will have an encore engagement at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center on Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m.

The film will be screened as part of a fundraiser for the spec television sit-com pilot, “Super Buds,” which is in pre-production for a summer or fall shoot.

“The audience at the first Made By New York Women Film Festival loved Elana Frankel’s short film about creative people and cannabis,” Otsego County Film Commissioner Greg Klein said in a media release. “At the awards brunch, when we were telling her about the ‘Super Buds’ idea, she offered to screen her film here again as a fundraiser. We loved meeting her and some of the cast, and her film is a festival favorite, so she did not have to offer twice.”

“I am thrilled to screen ‘Cannabis + Creativity’ once again at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center to support funding for the upcoming narrative feature ‘Super Buds,’” Frankel said. “As New York builds cannabis best-in-class commerce and a robust supply chain, it is important to me as a filmmaker to support the cannabis community and culture…that fuels commerce!”

Other awards from the festival were: Audience Favorite Short Film to “Lovers & Fools,” submitted by writer-actor-co-director/producer Marie-Louise Boisnier; the Keynote Award to Delfine Paolini, the writer-director of “A Wonderful Way With Dragons,” which opened the festival; and the Otsego Award to Gilbertsville resident Jeri Wachter, who presented her documentary, “Twice Upon A Time in America.”

In addition, Film Otsego Vice President and Festival Programmer Alysa Blasetti was given the “Facilitator Award” for everything she has done to grow the film industry in Otsego County. Blasetti is battling breast cancer and was not able to attend the event. Go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-alysa-blasettis-fightagainst-cancer to donate to her Go Fund Me campaign.

Klein said he thought the event was well attended and well received.

“I know the filmmakers themselves were thrilled because they told us all weekend,” he said. “I thought making it a free event obviously helped the attendance, so we are grateful to our donors for making that happen. We had good crowds all weekend, good panels, great films. Alysa and her committee did a wonderful job planning it and our board member, Cheyenne Phillips, did a great job welcoming the women and making sure they had a great event,” Klein said.

“As a board, we haven’t discussed the second annual Made By New York Women Film Festival, yet, but in my opinion, funding would be the only question now,” Klein continued, “because we’ve seen what a popular, successful event it can be, and how much the filmmakers loved it. Accidentally, the event coincided with International Women’s Day, which was probably divine timing.”

Filmed in New York City in 2023, “Cannabis + Creativity” speaks to six people in New York City who use cannabis to enhance their creativity…and one grandmother who isn’t so sure. “Super Buds” is being developed by the Stoneonta Writers Group, which grew out of the Film Otsego Gala last November.

“Basically, near the end of the fundraising gala last year, people were discussing what could be filmed in Dosha, since the dispensary on Main Street is owned by Film Otsego’s Board President Korey Rowe, who also owns the production and news company, Otsego Media,” Klein said. “There was a group of creative people there who go to the monthly local open mic night at Roots Public Social Club and the idea kind of spread and grew.”

Klein said he loves film, and the growth of film in Otsego County, but he believes a television show or two is the way to grow industry resources in Oneonta and Otsego County.

“A film brings one budget one time,” he said. “A television show brings 10, 12, maybe 22 budgets a year. And it also brings money in the budgets to build things or convert things, which can be used to film more things. We filmed a spec pilot in 2022 in Middlefield, called ‘Bromance,’ and that has shaped some of what we want to do this time.”

With an assist from Film Otsego — the film commission for Otsego County, and the pioneer film commission in what the state calls the Mohawk Valley Economic District — the writers group is raising money for the project this spring, with the intention of filming in June or early summer.

At the Made By New York Women Film Festival, Film Otsego announced it will host the Cannabis Culture Film Festival, a traveling film festival, Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6, at Foothills.

“In a perfect world, we would be able to debut ‘Super Buds’ at the September festival,” Klein said. “We’ll see. In the meantime, it is super fun to see something like this come together from an incredible, talented, diverse group of people.”

Klein described the show as “The Office” meets “Shameless” but through the eyes of a young filmmaker savant who grew up in a trailer park and is a senior at the state college. It is set in Oneonta, and Dosha and several other local establishments will be featured prominently.

“Given the crew that created it, it will be musical, too, and the potential for guest stars will obviously be something special,” he said. “We will have a couple of local musical acts playing themselves.”

The “Cannabis + Creativity” screening will be held in the Foothills’ small, second-floor theater that can be accessed by the Market Street entrance. Space is limited. Suggested donation is $10.00 per person.

E-mail Klein at greg@filmotsego for reservations, for information about the auditions, or for any other questions about filmmaking in Otsego County. For more information on Film Otsego, visit https://filmotsego.org/