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Lancaster’s film scene is taking a huge step forward with the debut of The Red Rose Film Festival , being held Friday through Sunday in downtown Lancaster.
Seventy-six films, ranging from documentaries to shorts to feature length films will be screened over the course of the festival, most more than once.
Local films will be joining national and international films.
“Barn Burner”
“The response has really floored us,” says Ian Long, the creative director of the festival. “And we are especially excited about the local response.”
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. each day and the last screening will be held at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday . The final screening on Sunday will be an encore of the Best Picture winner at 7 p.m.
The venues are Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse; Tellus360; the Federal Tap House and Altana, 26 E. King St.
‘Bring Me an Avacado’
“We are expecting somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 moviegoers throughout the course of the weekend based on the tickets we have sold as well as an additional 600 tickets that have been donated to universities and colleges in the area,” says Ryan Shank. the executive director of the Red Rose Film Festival.
Prizes will be awarded in the major categories of the festival. The winner of the feature film will get $10,000; documentary, short films, local films and student (college) films, each with $2,500 prizes. The ceremony will be held in the Ware Center and because of limited seating, will only be open to people with all access passes.
“The Day I Became Alive”
The festival will be set up in blocks of about an hour and a half, depending on the films.
Films will be rated F for family, G for general and M for mature.
“Eighty to ninety percent of the films are G, which is closest to PG-13,” Long says. “
“T.E.M.P.L.E.”
“We are looking to have a short film shown before the feature length film,” Long says. He also hopes to show all of the films more than once so people won’t miss out.
“If you want to avoid getting too much sleep, schedule a film festival,” he says with a laugh. “We are just shy of fifty blocks of screenings.”
On Saturday, the Holiday Inn (which serves as the box office for the festival) will be home to a day-long innovation hub, which is free.
“We’ll have a collection of high tech vendors and other exhibitors showing virtual reality, augmented reality and video games,” Long says. “In addition, industry experts will speak at six panel discussions about filmmaking, financing and exhibiting.”
Long watched about 140 of the submitted films during the summer and was impressed with many of them.
“I wanted to talk to people about the films,” he says.
Approximately 35 judges, including filmmakers, film professors, industry insiders and theater owners , chose the 76 in the festival.
Long points to “T.E.M.P.L.E.” a student film about the growth of Temple University and how it is displacing generations of residents in North Philadelphia.
“Bring Me An Avocado” is a story about a mother of two who ends up in a coma after a shocking act of violence.
“Raising Buchanan” is a comedy feature about two middle age woman who come up with a unique get rich quick scheme: Steal the corpse of James Buchanan and then ransom it back to the people of Lancaster.
“Suncatcher” is about a woman living in poverty who struggles to cope when her car is stolen.
“83 Days” is a short film about the youngest person in U.S. history to be executed by the electric chair.
“Oma & Opa” is a locally produced film about two lively seniors.
“REKT,” also locally produced, is about the pressure a young man faces after being released from prison.
“Barn Burner” is a documentary about Lancaster’s heavy metal scene.
Long is happy that so many films are from students and local filmmakers.
“That is the energy we wanted to see,” Long says.
“My greatest hope is that we create an impact on our community that will incentives films and filmmakers from this area and from all over the world to create their work here in Central Pa,” says Shank. “ I’m ecstatic that we have the turn out from local filmmakers we have.”
To find a schedule of the screenings, go to: redrosefilmfestival.com.
“After So Many Days”
More than 40 people will be volunteering to make the festival run smoothly.
“You can’t do this without volunteers,” Long says.
With all the craziness that will be taking place over the weekend in downtown Lancaster, filmmaker and host Scott Lentz, makes the goal of the Red Rose Film Festival clear: “(C)elebrate and showcase great films from all over as well as showcase Lancaster itself as a city with the talent, dedication and infrastructure to produce films.”
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