Posted by editor@vimooz.com on December 12, 2008 under Baltimore Jewish Film Festival, Baltimore Women's Film Festival, Chesapeake Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival | 
The state of Maryland yesterday announced the creation of the Film Festival Grant Program which is intended to support existing film festivals and to inspire the creation of new ones across Maryland
“Interest in film festivals is a great way to boost tourism, as well as showcase Maryland’s very talented filmmakers,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement. “We hope that these funds will help leverage private sector support for the film industry, and encourage new festivals throughout the state.”
The grants available range from $1,000 to $5,000. Proposals will be evaluated based on such criteria as the quality, quantity and diversity of the programming, the anticipated attendance, and community involvement and support. Applications, available at marylandfilm.org, must be submitted by Jan. 30. The grants are scheduled to be awarded Feb. 20.
Maryland is home to several film festivals, including the Chesapeake Film Festival, which held its inaugural event in September; the Baltimore Women’s Film Festival, which returned for a second year in October; the Maryland Film Festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in May; and the Baltimore Jewish Film Festival, which has been going for 21 years.
The state has also lost several festivals over the past few years, including Microcinefest, a showcase for underground films, and the Annapolis Film Festival. [via]
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on October 24, 2008 under Baltimore Women's Film Festival |
The second annual Baltimore Women’s Film Festival runs through Sunday at Landmark Theatres. The festival closes on Sunday with Vanaja, ” a wondrous piece of filmmaking and a sensitive, engaging movie from a first-time filmmaker working on a shoestring budget with a cast of nonactors.” source
Vanaja, the 15 year old daughter of a financially troubled fisherman goes to work in the local landlady’s house in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance. She does well, but when the Landlady’s son returns from the US, what begins as innocent sexual chemistry turns ugly, ending in a rape - a rape of a minor. Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than ancient fort walls, the film explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to come of age.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on October 20, 2008 under Baltimore Women's Film Festival |
Dedicated to furthering the contributions of women to the film industry, the Baltimore Women’s Film Festival will screen nearly 200 films during the weekend-long event from October 23 - 26.
Fifty percent of proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center. One film set for a screening at the Festival deals directly with this issue. In Beyond Breast Cancer: Stories of Survivors, nine women candidly discuss their individual struggles with the disease.
Another Festival documentary dealing with women and health is My Dead Husband’s Land. The film details the social revolution happening in the Orongo region of Kenya, where one in four people are HIV-positive.
The Baltimore Film Festival will be held at Landmark Theatres at Harbor East from Oct. 23 until Oct. 26. It will kick off with live music on Oct. 23, and screenings run from Thursday through Sunday.
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