Sci-fi film fest heads to Astoria

The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria will host the Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in March. Photo courtesy of MOMI.

By Victoria Merlino

Do androids dream of Queens? 

A film festival celebrating science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick and independent filmmaking will land at Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image this March, boasting screenings, premieres, panels, demonstrations and more. 

“There is a strong cultural scene and appreciation for science fiction here,” said Daniel Abella, the founder and director of the Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival. “Everyone has been impacted by the advantages and disadvantages of this new world we live in and that knowledge strengthens the overall experience of the festival.”

The festival kicks off on March 4 with the premiere of the film “Imperial Blue,” which follows a drug smuggler looking for a sacred African herb that gives powers of prophecy. Other films that will be featured include “A Poem in Bamboo,” about a mansion plagued by strange noises, “Memory Unit,” about an Alzheimer’s patient’s hospitalization, and more.  

The last day of the festival will be on March 8. To see a full list of the festival’s programming, visit thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com. 

Dick was an American science fiction writer whose innovative works like “The Man in the High Castle” and “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, on which the popular film “Blade Runner” is based, made him a legend in the genre. 

“[Philip K. Dick] had his finger on the pulse of today’s society and our future,” Abella said. “His work resonates so well because he explored themes of artificial intelligence, the surveillance state, and the genetic modification of humans. He established himself as an icon of science fiction, which is truly the science of tomorrow.”