Every film begins with a story, and storytelling in the filmmaking process is the essence of the New York State Writers Institute’s Albany Film Festival.

Join the NYS Writer’s Institute for their annual Film Festival featuring full-length films, short film screenings, panel discussions and more. This year’s special guests include Gregory Maguire, author of “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” the basis for the major Broadway musical and 2024 blockbuster “Wicked.”  Maguire, a UAlbany alum, will discuss his new novel “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.”