Brattleboro Film Festival, Media Release
Contact: Lissa Weinmann (917) 239-8743
BRATTLEBORO, Vermont (January 20, 2014): On the heels of a very successful November 2013 event, the Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) announced the 3rd Annual Brattleboro Film Festival will take place from Thursday October 31 to Sunday November 9, 2014 at the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont.
BFF is a unique, all volunteer-led and -run festival. The 30 films and accompanying events of the 2013 festival were enthusiastically received by more than 2,200 festival-goers. Enough revenue was brought in by attendance to get a strong start to this year’s fundraising effort, which has already commenced.
2013 audience favorites–like Best in Fest winner ‘Short Term 12” and “Maidentrip,” as well as the more controversial films such as “Act of Killing” and others–have gone on to gain international attention and accolades. “It was a privilege to bring these groundbreaking films to the community early on,” Merry Elder, BFF President and Head of Film Selection, said. “The film selection folks are already hunting for another great lineup in November.”
BFF’s Southern Vermont festival premiere of “Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie” was a huge hit. All six parts of this locally produced epic were shown on consecutive days to intensify the effect of this hugely entertaining and educational examination of what makes Vermont, Vermont.
BFF’s first “Green Carpet Gala” at The River Garden offered a chance for local filmmakers to rub shoulders with the many community leaders who attended. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin extolled the festival’s positive creative and economic impact for the region in a videotaped greeting. BFF provided free tickets to opening night showings and discussion with Director Nora Jacobson to all high school students, a practice BFF seeks to repeat in 2014 with community support.
Leading up to the 2013 festival, BFF partnered with the BEAMS after school program at the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS) to offer a free film appreciation class with a focus on media literacy and the vocabulary of film. The collaboration continues with BFF’s Diane LaVerdi teaching another free, after-school video production class that started in January 2014. Students from area schools provided community service at the festival as well in a new relationship with Brattleboro Union High School. BFF seeks to expand its work with schools and increase high quality family programming in the year ahead.
BFF’S two-day screenwriting primer with Hollywood screenwriter and BFF Advisory Board member Tim Metcalfe was well attended by a diverse group of writers. BFF hopes to expand community access to such practicums and educational/professional events including community interactions with more visiting filmmakers in 2014.
BFF’s first free classic film noir screenings and discussions at Brooks Memorial Library went so well that Brooks Memorial Library has inaugurated a free, weekly film noir series throughout the spring with discussions led by screenwriter and BFF Advisor Tim Metcalfe and journalist Tom Bedell.
BFF’s first collaboration with Burlington’s Vermont International Film Festival (VIFF) enhanced both festivals’ ability to access high quality movies. BFF and VIFF will continue collaborating in 2014 to enhance viewing opportunities for their respective audiences.
The Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) presents films from the USA and around the world that inform, challenge, entertain and inspire, emphasizing viewpoints and characters often unseen in mainstream media. Partnering with local organizations, BFF creates educational initiatives and promotes special events spotlighting issues that raise awareness, facilitate dialog and increase audience diversity through community participation.
The community can continue to invest in BFF’s continued success by volunteering for enjoyable and important work, becoming a sponsor or by making a tax-free donation to BFF through the Arts Council of Windham County. BFF also values film suggestions and all feedback. See the BFF website www.brattleborofilmfestival.org and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BrattleboroFilmFestival for more information.
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