Our October 13th screening of 'Little Fugitive' is a preview event for Park Slope Civic Council's upcoming, 2nd annual film fest, Art Slope "Shorts in the Slope" which is scheduled to occur in April 2019. For tickets and more info on the event, please visit our Eventbrite page here.

Little Fugitive - Ray Ashley, Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, Directors

Nominated for an Academy Award for best motion picture story in 1953 and winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Included in the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1997!

Francois Truffaut said “Our New Wave would never have come into being, if it hadn’t been for the young American, Morris Engel, who showed us the way with his production, ‘Little Fugitive.’”

Morris Engel and award-winning photographer/filmmaker Ruth Orkin married in 1952 during the making of “Little Fugitive.” They would also collaborate on “Lovers and Lollipops” in 1955. They had two children, Andy and Mary, that Orkin photographed extensively.

"Little Fugitive"  will be introduced by the filmmakers' daughter and Gowanus resident, Mary Engel. The evening will also include a talk on the two neighborhoods featured in the film - Bensonhurst and Coney Island, by noted architectural historian Francis Morrone.

Refreshments will be served, and hit songs from the era will be performed by members of Brooklyn's own "Opera on Tap."

'Shorts in the Slope' film festivals are an initiative of the Arts Committee of the Park Slope Civic Council, which has sought to enhance the lives of Park Slope residents and visitors since 1896. Our next installment will be 'Shorts in the Slope' 2019 which is scheduled for April 2019.

The inspiration for our 'Shorts in the Slope' 'film festivals came out of September 2016’s popular 9-day neighborhood-wide arts festival, 'Art Slope 2016,' which featured the work of over 150 artists from across all disciplines, in over 50 venues, including 9 large installations in Prospect Park. Art Slope 2016 attracted visitors from all over the City and beyond for music, dance, theater, visual art in all media, literary readings, and art panels.

One of Art Slope 2016’s most popular events was “Shorts in the Slope,” a 90-minute program
of 12 short films, many of which had been featured at prominent festivals, and which were selected by filmmaker Bill Schaumberg. Shorts in the Slope '17 was held at the new, state of the art 315-seat Marlene Clary Performance Space of the Berkeley Carroll School last year, and featured three 90-minute screenings of unique films - selected from submissions from around the world. Shorts in the Slope '17 was also pleased to present a special matinee showing of the seminal, independent film, "Little Fugitive," which was introduced by the filmmakers' daughter, Mary Engel. Francois Truffaut famously said that this award winning 1953 work was a key inspiration for the French New Wave.