Just three years after an annual film festival was launched in Williamstown, a Manchester, Vt.-based group has organized its own festival — an ambitious, international event that will combine instruction, recreation and competition and become a year-round cultural anchor for the local region. The festival is scheduled for its debut run the last weekend of June in a wide variety of venues throughout Southern Vermont.
Two veterans in the film industry — Manchester native Michael Charles Hill and artist-turned-filmmaker Alan Scott-Moncrief — cofounded the Manchester Film Foundation in 1999, which will be the host of the Manchester Film Festival and, in the future, many other venues and programs.
Executive Director Hill, a 25-year veteran in the film and television industry, was raised in Manchester and graduated from Burr & Burton Seminary, before heading west to study filmmaking at USC and UCLA. He has worked in many elements of the film world, from writing and producing numerous scripts, commercials, music videos, animated TV and film shorts, to serving as creative director at Mirage Studios, best-known for its creation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Most recently, he’s worked as director of development and acquisitions for Northern Arts Entertainment (NAE), an independent motion picture distribution company, which allows him the opportunity to see a wide variety of work from up-and-coming filmmakers. NAE has released such independents as Chameleon Street, Drunks, Gray’s Anatomy, and the 1996 Academy Award-winner Wallace and Gromit.
Scott-Moncrief, who will be the festival’s executive artistic director, was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied art in Scotland before moving to the U.S., where he has written and directed such movies as An Exorcism of Artistic Phobias and Funk Off Green. He has also taught filmmaking at Trent University in Toronto and currently resides in Arlington, Vt.
The duo developed the idea for a Manchester film festival in June of 1999, and by last spring they had raised enough money, both locally and from the film industry, to launch the operations as a nonprofit organization. Since then, they have held a fund-raising world premiere of Robert Atkins’ popular film Gosford Park, amassed a advisory board that includes Ben Affleck, and unveiled plans to create the Battenkill Film School, a year-round, hands-on program for aspiring filmmakers, especially those working in the burgeoning digital-filmmaking industry.
“We are aiming to become a high-profile, internationally recognized annual film festival that will showcase the best in independent film — a Sundance for the East Coast,†said Hill. “We want to bring people from all over the world to Manchester to enjoy beautiful natural scenery and world-class film.†Film details of the four-day festival, which will take place June 27 - 30, have not yet been released. However, one of the features is a Screenplay Competition open to all independent filmmakers. Awards will be given for Best Film, Best Director, Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Best Short Film and Best Screenplay. Deadline for submissions is March 31 and additional information about rules and requirements can be found at www.manchesterfilmfestival.org.
Scott-Moncrief said in a recent release that local venues have been generous about lending their space to make a diverse group of venues. Festival events will be held at the Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, Vt.; at Arkell Pavilion, the 400-seat auditorium at the Southern Vermont Arts Center; in the newly-restored Dorset Playhouse; at Riley Rink in Manchester, and at Village Picture Shows, the newly-built, state-of-the-art twin cinema theater in downtown Manchester. Outdoor screenings may also be held, weather permitting.
The ambitious project calls for a varied event hosting numerous film-related panel discussions with industry professionals. Talks will be given on screenwriting, directing, producing, and composing music for film scores. The group will be launching OOMFF!, a digital camera event providing an educational forum for aspiring digital-filmmakers. “Advances in digital film technology are revolutionizing the independent film industry, making it affordable and easy to produce quality films,†said Hill.
The group is also planning to hold a free Children’s Film Festival in conjunction with the main event, and will premiere mainstream and independent films throughout the year. Their goal is to develop a year-round lounge/cafe where cinefiles can peruse film periodicals and trade journals, and a general store of Film Festival merchandise. On Dec. 15, the festival held its first benefit event, showing Robert Altman’s Gosford Park at the local movie theater nearly two weeks before its national premiere in New York and Los Angeles.
Another element of the festival will be a “Music in Film†concert series, in which celebrated film composers will discuss the process of writing classical music scores specifically for the movies. Musicians will conduct symphonic performances of select musical scores from their own work.
The Advisory Board for the Manchester Film Festival contains some notable names in the film industry, including actor Ben Affleck (Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting), Eleanor Bergstein (writer/producer of Dirty Dancing), author/playwright Spalding Gray, Ray Hartwick (producer of Scarface and The Untouchables), and Jack Foley, president of theatrical distribution for USA Films. Some Advisory Board will serve as judges in the flagship event, the Independent Film Competition.
Look for upcoming schedule and ticket availability information this spring, check out the Manchester Film Festival web site, or call (802) 362-9960.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
click for more
