BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Thanks to an $800 grant awarded to Rockingham Entertainment Development, LLC (RED) by the Claremont Savings Bank, a regional, one-day film festival will occur at the Bellows Falls Opera House on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Bellows Falls Vermont (BFVT) Film Showcase will feature filmmakers whose work includes a focus on Vermont topics and locations, or whose actors, director, and team members are from Vermont.
RED will partner with FACT TV in Bellows Falls to produce the festival. Ten years ago, FACT TV offered the No Film Film Festival at the Opera House, and since then, aspiring filmmakers associated with the cable public access station have gone on to produce a number of independent films including a recent documentary, “Called to Duty,” about the 1981 Star Hotel fire in which two firefighters lost their lives.
The BFVT Film Showcase will offer three categories of filmmaking: seven to 15 minute micro film, all genres; 30-45 minute shorts, all genres; and 60-90 minute feature, narrative or documentary. Submissions will be accepted beginning Aug. 1, and details will be uploaded to Film Freeway and the Bellows Falls Opera House website. Entry fees are not required, and anyone is welcome to submit a micro or short film, which will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until available time slots are filled. Feature films will be juried in advance, and the selected feature will be shown at 7 p.m.
Audience members will be able to come and go throughout the day, to enjoy local offerings and remain downtown for shopping and dining. Audience voting for best micro and short films will end at 6 p.m. The winning feature filmmaker will receive a $200 cash prize, and the opportunity to have their film screened in the 500-seat Bellows Falls Opera House at 7 p.m. that evening.
Musicians will also have an opportunity to participate. Organizers will accept submissions for a two minute festival theme song that focuses on the importance of village life, with the tagline: “The BFVT Film Showcase… right in your own backyard.” Files can be uploaded beginning Aug. 1, 2023. For all details, watch the Bellows Falls Opera House website, www.bellowsfallsoperahouse.com.