Register for Workshops now at
http://catskillmountainsfilmfestival.org and on Facebook at Catskill Mountains Film Festival.
In the beautiful Catskill Mountains, a new cultural institution is about to be born. The Catskill Mountains Film Festival (CMFF) promises to enrich the already fertile artistic life of the region by promoting the film business in New York State, showcasing local talent, and nurturing a new generation of local filmmakers. Its mission is to provide a forum for regional filmmakers to gather and screen their films, network, and exchange information about their craft.
Jointly sponsored by the State University of New York at Delhi (SUNY Delhi) and the Greater Delhi Area Chamber of Commerce, the CMFF will also receive public and private funding, including a bequest from the De-Centralization Grant Program of the New York State Arts Council, administered by the Roxbury Arts Group. In addition, the festival committee plans to work closely with local arts institutions and businesses.
The festival will include a Seminar on filmmaking (to occur annually in September) and an Awards Ceremony and Festival Weekend (to occur in May the following year).
The Seminar will take place on September 21, 2013, at SUNY Delhi. Industry professionals will lead four filmmaking workshops: Writing for the Screen with Kim Cummings, Cameras & Lighting: The Right Tool for the Right Job with Michael Huss, Audio for Video: What You Need to Know with Jeff Edrich, and Your (Best) Documentary Approach with Bill Kavanagh and Linda Porto. In the evening, attendees can choose either to view and/or discuss the award-winning movie “Francine,” by filmmakers Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky, or to attend an extended workshop session on iPhoneography with David Kenny.
These workshops are intended to provide practical instruction and guide filmmakers toward submitting entries to the festival competition. All film students — from grammar school to graduate school – are encouraged to participate. By soliciting entries from schools in the region, as well as the film departments of college-level institutions in New York State, the festival organizers hope to introduce young filmmakers to the technological advances that offer them more creative opportunities. Independent young filmmakers and professional cineastes are also encouraged to submit entries.
The CMFF Awards Ceremony and Festival Weekend will be held every May on the SUNY Delhi campus and at theatres, auditoriums, and outdoor public spaces throughout Delaware County. Following a gala reception, close to 100 selected films will be screened over a 2-day period. Winners will be chosen from among the student and professional entries representing a variety of genres and technical categories.
Film submissions will be accepted between December 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014, and processed with the help of "Without a Box," a clearinghouse for film festival entries. Films chosen to participate will be announced on April 5, 2014.
Register now at
http://catskillmountainsfilmfestival.org and on Facebook at Catskill Mountains Film Festival.
