LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Rehoboth Independent Film Festival Set for November |
In November, Rob RectorBeachComber editor and syndicated film critic of seven yearsannounced the creation of the Rehoboth Beach Film Society, the goal of which is to produce the first Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival over the Veterans Day holiday, November 12-15, 1998.
Since then, the Festivals life has taken dramatic and exciting leaps forward. Richard Derrickson, President of Atlantic Management which owns the two theater complexes on Route 1, has donated the use of the Rehoboth Mall Cinemas 6 screens for the use of the festival. Barry Becker, who co-founded and produced Washington, DCs gay and lesbian film festival from 1991 through 1995, has been brought on as the festival producer. Committees have been established and nearly 50 Film Society members are hard at work making the festival a reality. Some 80+ programs will be scheduled with an expected 100 or more films. Independent films from around the world will be chosen that represent the diversity of our community in southern Delaware, films that will otherwise never be seen here. In addition to the theaters, venues in town will be used for video programs and events with speakers and film makers. The festival is not only designed as a major cultural event, but as an effort to extend the season for local businesses. Festival organizers have met with the Chamber of Commerce and Main Street, and seek the support of business leaders in the area to help promote the festival throughout the summer and develop some creative business tie-ins during the festival. To become a part of this dynamic team, join the Society at its next monthly meeting at Dogfish Head [320 Rehoboth Avenue] on Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. Or, call the Festival Voice Mail at 226-3744 to join the Society, get on their mailing list, or tell them ways that you want to be involved. Art League: Inuit Art & Sister Wendy The Rehoboth Art League currently has a must-see exquisite exhibit of native art from two very different cultures in Canada. Sculptures by the Inuit are made of fossilized whalebone, stone, caribou antler and walrus ivory. Each sculpture symbolizes the individuals connection with the environment, the animals of the Arctic, and the Inuit culture, with bears, loons, whale hunters, and heart-stopping sculptures of women and children featured. Inuit prints use the techniques of stonecutting, stenciling, and etching, and reflect the same sense of wonder of nature and mythology. The other half of the exhibit consists of prints made by native Canadians of the Pacific Northwest Coast, as well as ceremonial masks incorporating fur and feathers. The exhibit runs through February 28. Hours 9 - 5, Monday through Friday, and Saturday 10 - 4. Stop by the office first at 12 Dodds Lane, Henlopen Acres. Great job! On Friday nights in March, the Art League will feature a very different breed of art, that fabulous Sister Wendy. If youve never seen this remarkable art critic on public TV, make sure you dont miss her! An elderly nun in full habit, Sister Wendy travels the world to view and wax passionately about art, from paintings to sculpture, but while shes making the art and artist come to life she says things that would make most nuns turn crimson. Im sure somewhere in the Vatican theyre praying for her soul. But along the way, youll learn much about art, and be drawn into her zestful life. Friday nights in March. Call the Art League, 227-8408 for more details. Broadway at the Beach The Henlopen Theater Project, an initiative to bring "Broadway to the Beach," has announced that it has collected $100,000 in cash and pledged donations. Two months ago, on December 8, 1997, a group of local community leaders launched a fundraising campaign to bring quality, professional theater to the coastal area of Delaware. Helen Pelikan, founder and chairperson of the Henlopen Theater Project, said, "In less than two months, our committees efforts have generated a tremendous amount of community support with several major Delaware and regional companies expressing interest in granting us future funding. We knew from the beginning that our goal of having the funding in place in such a short period of time was extremely ambitious. The fact that we have come this far in two months indicates to me that this project is certainly viable." When the project was originally announced, the staging of two or three plays in the summer of 1998 was contingent on raising $250,000 by January 30, 1998. The early deadline was necessary to secure contracts with actors and directors. All of the contributions collected to date will be used to fund the operational expenses for special theater events in 1998 and the 1999 inaugural season. According to Pelikan,"Now that our self-imposed January 30 deadline has passed, the focus of the Henlopen Theater Project shifts to a year-long fundraising campaign filled with exciting theater events allowing us to mount a full season in the summer of 1999." For information, call Sussex Arts Council, (302) 856-5421, or CAMP Rehoboth, (302) 227-5620. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 1, February 6, 1998. |