With 14 entries ranging from a visit from “Death” to vengeful werewolves, the 2011 Statesboro Film Festival was an exciting evening for short-film lovers of all genres.
So, the Statesboro Herald and the Averitt Center for the Arts are teaming up again this year for the fourth annual Statesboro Film Festival to find and honor the best locally made films. The festival is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 19 at the Averitt Center in downtown Statesboro.
Like the past three years, the festival offers everyone a chance to do what Hollywood does — make your own film.
Matt Bankhead again will serve as event coordinator. He is a video producer for statesboroherald.com and the lead producer for the daily Studio Statesboro vodcast.
“Overall, we were very pleased how our first three festivals turned out,” Bankhead said. “One of our goals was to provide a creative outlet for filmmakers in the community. That’s our goal again this year. I really encourage everyone to give it a shot.”
Simply put, the Statesboro Film Festival wants your films.
“I didn’t know what to expect the first year, but I know now — they will be good,” said Jim Healy, executive editor of the Statesboro Herald. “Filmmakers really stepped it up last year with some fantastic productions and good stories. And even the ones that perhaps didn't have the equipment others did offered good storylines.”
Some of the basic submission rules for the festival include the following: All films can be no longer than eight minutes, there is a $15 submission charge and the deadline to submit a film is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11. Also, entered films can not be shown on YouTube, Facebook or any other mass-media site until after the April 19 festival.
All rules and information about the festival can be found at www.statesborofilmfestival.com — the festival’s official website.
“I urge anyone with an itch to see what they can do with a camera to give it a shot,” Healy said. “I know Georgia Southern students have a lot of creative ideas. Let’s see it on film.”
After all requirements are met, all the films will be viewable on the festival’s website. A panel of three judges will review all films and narrow the field eligible to win the grand prize to no more than 20 films. The group of final films will then be posted on the website, where viewers can vote for their favorite films. The film with the most votes will be the grand prize winner.
The winning film and many of the other submitted videos will be screened at the 2012 Statesboro Film Festival inside the Averitt Center on April 19. More than 200 people attended last year’s festival.
Tim Chapman, executive director for the Averitt Center, is excited about the fourth year of the festival.
“It was such a fun event the first three years, and I am always impressed with the quality of films entered,” Chapman said. “Establishing a film festival here on an annual basis just improves the creative aspect of our quality of life. I know the 2012 festival will be just as successful.”
Submissions soon will be accepted online — Connect will keep you posted about all the important dates — and residents of all ages are encouraged to participate.