LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
In Brief |
Film Festival Invites Input In Film ChoicesFrom May 15 to Aug. 31, the Rehoboth Beach Film Society will offer opportunities for film lovers to view and critique works that have been submitted for prospective entry in the Third An-nual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, November 8-12. "We anticipate around 400 submissions this year," says Festival Director and Programmer, Barry Becker "and our process for reviewing them gives locals a rare opportunity to see what filmmakers around the world are doing from year to year. We can't guarantee that every entry is an award-winner, but we can promise a good time hanging out with film buffs who want to help enhance the cultural landscape of their community." Last year, the Second Annual film festival presented 55 feature and 39 short films from 22 countries in an effort to provide fare that appealed to every segment of the resort area's diverse population. With special events such as the silent film classic, "Ben Hur" with an orchestral accompaniment punctuating the top-notch line-up, the event's audience nearly doubled from its previous year with just under 12,000 tickets sold. According to Film Society Board Member and Film Review Chair, Glenn Bowman, the review phase consists of filmmakers sending their works in on videotape to be screened and rated by groups of film buffs who might have a free weeknight or a Saturday afternoon. "Although we only select 100 or so of the 400 submissions," says Bowman, "that doesn't mean that the non-selected are not good or valuable. Its all relative to who shows up at each session. The process is the most fun, though, when we discover that true gem-of- a-film that somehow touches everyone in the room." According to Bowman, full-length and short films are submitted in a variety of categories, including narrative, documentary, experimental and animation. "For those interested in a specific film genre," said Bowman, "We've added special theme sessions to the review schedule this year." Foreign Comedies(subtitled) will be featured June 6 and July 11; Foreign Dramas (subtitled), June 20 and July 25; Debut Films, June 28 and July 31; Gay and Lesbian topics, June 13 and July 18 and Short Subjects on June 22 and July 27. Documentaries will more than likely be included in Saturday sessions. Bowman has created "Principles For Reviewing" that encourage participants to keep an open mind when attending a session. He is a self-professed "film junkie" who attended over half of the screenings during the 1999 review. "I couldn't think of a better way to volunteer my time, especially if I got to do something I loved," says Bowman. "And now that I'm one of the organizers, its even clearer to me just how important it is to get the community involved in this process. In the end, the festival is really for them, so we do need to know what they want to see." Starting May 15, film review sessions will be held every Monday through Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the "screening lounge" at the new Film Society office next to Radio Shack in the Rehoboth Mall. Beginning June 3, sessions will also be held on Saturdays, juice and bagels inclusive, from 9:30 a.m. until mid-afternoon. Exceptions to this schedule include holidays and every second Thursday of each month when Society Board meetings compete for the space. Every third Thursday, films will be screened at the monthly Film Society Meeting at 7:00 p.m., upstairs at Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats, 320 Rehoboth Avenue. Please check local calendar listings also. For more information or to volunteer for any of the 2000 festival events, call 645-9095, visit the website at www.rehobothfilm.com or e-mail rbfilm@dmv.com. The Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival is sponsored, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 4, May 5, 2000. |