From Buffalo and beyond, four days of movies at Buffalo International Film Festival

Along with the three traditional “core” venues that previously have been used – North Park Theatre (1428 Hertel Ave.), Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (341 Delaware Ave.) and the Burchfield Penney Art Center (1300 Elmwood Ave.) – the festival will now host screenings and panels at Buffalo Toronto Public Media (140 Lower Terrace St.), Mason O. Damon Theater at the Buffalo & Erie County Downtown Central Library (1 Lafayette Square), Buffalo History Museum (1 Museum Court), Duende at Silo City and Journey’s End Cinema at the Tri-Main Center (2495 Main St.).

Movies include narrative features, documentaries and blocks of short films.

The opening night gala is “If You Were the Last,” starring Anthony Mackie and Zoe Chao, at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 in the North Park Theatre with director Kristian Mercado and producers Andrew Miano and Dan Balgoyen in attendance. The Arthouse Spotlight is “Maria Schneider, 1983 + The Passenger” at 1 p.m. Oct. 6 in Hallwalls with director Elisabeth Subria in attendance.

“Fancy Dance” is the Closing Night – Decolonial Spotlight at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 in the North Park Theatre. It is a free screening in celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Seneca/Haudenosaunee lands.

Several films have local ties.

“Starting from Zero,” 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Journey’s End Cinema. Documentary details the journey of three people whose lives were uprooted during the U.S. military’s sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan. It follows them from a refugee camp as they are relocated around the world, including in Buffalo. Khalid Andish, who is one of the refugees, and director Hassan Amini will be in attendance.

“Heartbreak Falls,” 4 p.m. Oct. 7 at the North Park Theatre. A locally filmed mob thriller by Buffalo-based…