Voices of Astoria

This short film tells the story of several people in Astoria and their relationship with the Kaufman Studios. For some the new movie studio has helped their businesses grow and introduced the neighborhood to new movie theaters and restaurants. Others are unhappy about changes that have been made to their neighborhood, which includes the closing  of  a street and a rocky relationship with film crew workers. Residents in Astoria feel as though they were uninformed about the drastic changes made to their neighborhood, but in reality many new measures were openly voted on in a public council meeting. Many feel as though the changes are taking away from Astoria’s authenticity, but Kaufman Studios has an elaborate history dating back to Hollywood’s Studio Era. And of course the big question of everyone’s mind is: has Kaufman Studios gentrified Astoria? For now it is too early to tell, but within 20 years Astoria will be radically different.