Arts & Humanities Society & Culture

EcoFocus panel to offer behind-the-scenes view of film festivals

Athens, Ga. – EcoFocus Film Festival, the University of Georgia Filmmaking Union, Film Athens, 6X6 Media Arts and Ciné will present “Meet the festival organizers: The inside scoop on film festivals and film festival programming” Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Ciné. The discussion is free and open to the public.

The six festivals represented range from the Academy Award-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival, now entering its fourth decade, to the Athens Jewish Film Festival, founded in 2008.

“If you’ve ever wondered how films are selected for festivals, or if you’re an aspiring filmmaker who wants to learn how to navigate the world of film festivals, you won’t want to miss this discussion,” said Sara Beresford, who is director and lead programmer of the EcoFocus Film Festival.

Panelists include Beresford; Charles Judson, Atlanta Film Festival programmer and director of industry outreach and communications; Pam Kohn, former director of the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival in Athens; Harry Musselwhite, Rome International Film Festival executive director; Terrell Sandfur, Macon Film Festival organizer; and Ken Sherman, president of the Athens Jewish Film Festival. Dave Marr, a Flagpole Magazine columnist and Ciné board member, will moderate the panel.

“Each of these festivals is unique,” Beresford said. “They vary widely in size, format and subject matter. It will be a rare opportunity to hear so many different perspectives on film and film festivals.”

The three organizations hosting the discussion-EcoFocus, UGA Filmmaking Union and Film Athens-all work to promote independent films at UGA and in Athens.

EcoFocus is an initiative of the UGA Odum School of Ecology. The annual environmental film festival screens high-quality films that promote discussion and inspire action on behalf of the environment. For more information, see www.ecofocusfilmfest.org.

The UGA Filmmaking Union is a network for aspiring filmmakers. For more information, see http://ugafilmmaking.wordpress.com.

Film Athens, a nonprofit founded in 2003, is a networking and support organization working to educate, promote and advocate the growth of the film community and film industry in the Athens area. For more information, see http://www.filmathens.net/.

Ciné programs international and domestic films including features, documentaries and experimental films as well as works in other media in a state-of-the-art cinema in downtown Athens. For more information, see www.athenscine.com.

6X6 is a monthly media arts event held at Ciné. Curated short video, film, performance, sound or other time-based combination works are presented at the CinéLab each month. 6X6 is organized by Lauren Fancher. For more information, see http://hexadic.blogspot.com.