We’re here in the maw of winter, prime time to explore the great indoors and some film events around the region. Here’s a look at just a few regional film screenings and 2023 fests taking submissions.
Open Screen Night – February
The Foundry Theater, located at the Jean Carlo Stephenson Auditorium, 800 5th Ave, Huntington, hosts its monthly Open Screen night at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16.
Free and open to the public, watch an evening of regionally made short films with fellow filmmakers and indie film fans. Want to submit? Send a downloadable link of your project to [email protected]! They will accept submissions up to the event start time unless the slots fill. They suggest keeping submissions under 10 minutes.
Go online at https://www.foundrytheater.org/ for more info about this and other Foundry Theater events.
WV Black History Documentary Screening
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, the Marshall Artists Series presents a Black History Month celebration WV style at the historic Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center. The night begins with a preview of Deloris Fields’ documentary “Those Who Come Before,” celebrating the history and culture of black music in WV featuring Bob Thompson, poet Crystal Good, Aristotle Jones, Rodney Boyden, and W.I “Bill” Hairston. At 7:30 p.m., Fields, who is known as Lady D, will heat up the night as she belts out the blues with her band Mi$$ion.
Fields a.k.a. Lady D was born in Cabin Creek, WV. She is known as “WV’s First Lady of Soul” and was the winner of the national competition for the best Obama Inaugural Song in 2008 and performed it at the Obama for Change Inaugural Ball in Washington. DC. Tickets are $49.07, $43.58 and $32.62.The Marshall Artists Series accepts all major credit cards. Tickets may be ordered via telephone by calling the box office at 304-696-6656. Tickets can also be ordered using Ticketmaster.com.
Regional Reels
Come and watch a day of regionally-made films in the majestic, grand movie palace that is the Keith-Albee. This one-day film festival produced by the Marshall Artists Series showcases some new and also award-winning films on Saturday, March 4. Featured films include “Peerless City,” “Picture Proof,” “The Wake-Up Call,” and “The Good Fight.”
Debuted at the Boston Film Festival, “The Wake Up Call, “ by award-winning documentary filmmakers Alison Gilkey and Eric Neudel, shows the life of the late, West Virginia native prosthetics pioneer, Dave Evans, a renowned prosthetist, humanitarian and peace activist. A double amputee himself, he dedicated his post-military career to transforming lives shattered by war. From Syrian refugees in a prosthetics clinic in Amman, Jordan, to the fallout of war in places like Iraq, Dave chose a life of service to others. Tickets are $10.
Marshall Artists Series to Screen “Rocketman” with 60-Piece Orchestra
Experience the Oscar-winning musical film “Rocketman” about the life of iconic musician Sir Elton John live in concert with a 60-piece orchestra performing its unforgettable soundtrack live to picture at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31. The film will be shown on the Keith-Albee’s giant screen, while the orchestra brings to life the stunning soundtrack – the legendary music of Sir Elton John. Tickets are $98.42, $87.45 and $76.49.
The Marshall Artists Series accepts all major credit cards. Tickets may be ordered via telephone by calling the box office at 304-696-6656. Tickets can also be ordered using Ticketmaster.com. The Marshall Artists Series box office is located in the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse on Fifth Avenue across from Marshall University’s Student Center. Box office hours are noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Season ticket packages are still available. For information call 304-696-3326.
Third Annual Berkeley Springs Film Festival
Runs Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2 at the historic Star Theatre in downtown Berkeley Springs, WV. Open to the public, the BS Film Fest, features more than 15 hours of curated films from around WV and the world. Guest speaker is Academy Award-winning make-up artist John Caglione, Jr.
There will be an awards ceremony and after party on Saturday night. Festival passes are $10 to $49. Sponsorships also available to assist with the fest, which is planned and financed solely by BHammondFilms LLC, owned by Salisbry Md.-based filmmaker Brett Hammond. Tickets available only at www.bsfilmfestival.com.
Submit Now For the Appalachian Film Festival
The Appalachian Film Festival is back! Last held in 2013, Foundry Theater has collaborated with the original creators of the festival, along with Blenko Glass to restart this tradition of showcasing films created by Appalachian filmmakers. Music videos will be screened Friday, Aug. 18 and the student, short and feature-length selections will be screened Saturday, Aug. 19. The festival will take place in Huntington in the historic Jean Carlo Stephenson auditorium.
The main festival will take place on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 18-19 with a special festival-ending Sunday brunch screenwriting workshop with Mickey Fisher. Submissions are now open at https://filmfreeway.com/AppalachianFilmFestival to submit to the Appy Film Fest.
“With the relaunch in 2023, we are accepting films that reflect and celebrate the Appalachian region, searching for filmmakers or projects from the contiguous counties that comprise Appalachia,” said Rachel Allinder, the direct of the Appalachian Film Festival, as well as the host Foundry Theater, at the historic Jean Carlo Stephenson auditorium in downtown Huntington.
This year, there are four categories, student, music video, short and feature length. Official selections for the 2023 Appalachian Film Festival will be screened during the festival.
First, second and third place will be awarded in each of the categories (music videos, short, feature-length and student films). Each of these winners will receive a Blenko Glass Appy – a piece of custom hand-blown glass from the famous Blenko Glass Company.
“Best in Fest” can come from any of the four categories. The winner of “Best in Fest” will receive a $500 cash prize, as well as a Blenko Glass Appy. Awards will be given at the end of the evening.
https://filmfreeway.com/AppalachianFilmFestivalRelaunch
Mountain Craft Film Fest Announced
Submissions are now open for the Mountain Craft Film Film Festival, which is set to run Sept, 29-30 at the historic Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center. West Virginia’s newest film festival will feature long and short documentary and scripted narrative films created by Appalachians, about Appalachia, or featuring Appalachian locations/crew.
The folks at Mountain Craft will be hand-picking 3-4 feature films to be included in the fest lineup. These films have been specially selected and will be announced as the festival gets closer. Because they are curating the feature film selections, the fest will only be accepting short-form content submissions in 2023.
The 2023 call for submissions is open now and will run through late July 2023. Submit at https://filmfreeway.com/MtnCraftFilmFestival and join the email list at https://www.mtncraftfilmfestival.com
Submissions Now Open for 2023 Appalachian Queer Film Fest
The AQFF was founded in 2014 to bring Queer Film from around the world to Appalachia and to promote Queer filmmakers within the region. Started in Lewisburg, the AQFF will have its 2023 festival at the Foundry Theater, located in the historic Jean Carlo Stephenson Auditorium at Huntington City Hall in Huntington, WVa. The AQFF will run Oct. 6-8.
The festival has been covered by media outlets around the country, including Huffington Post and Indiewire. Our founders have been named to Vice’s 50 LGBTQ Activists in 50 States list. We are a branch of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Appalachian Arts Academy. We have held multiple in-person events, but have recently moved to an online/awards format and look forward to receiving your submissions.
Their vision is to show the world how incredible our Queer community is here in Appalachia and to introduce Appalachians to Queer cinema around the world. Their mission is to promote Queer film and filmmakers across the world, to offer Queer content to the underserved Appalachian region, and to discover and amplify Queer artists in the Appalachian region.
Submissions are open now for the 2023 festival. The festival accepts films that contain Queer and/or Trans content or have a Queer and/trans writer, director, or producer. They love films that have rural settings, especially Appalachian settings, but that is not a requirement. Submit films here at https://filmfreeway.com/AppalachianQueerFilmFestival
Awards & Prizes will be given for: Best Short Film, Best Feature Film, Best Acting in a Short, Best Acting in a Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Production Design, Best Composer, Best Director and Best Producer.
