The Ballston Spa Film Fest is coming up, so mark your summer calendar for August 1st and 2nd! Don’t miss seeing great short films produced by local talent and others around the world, showing right at your doorstep! Both World and USA premiers of domestic and foreign short films total 41 films in all this summer at the 2013 Ballston Spa Film Fest!
Ballston Spa’s Film Fest is HUGE! Hosting 41 short films from four countries, these films hail from Spain (3), The UK (3), and even France (1)! 18 are from young filmmakers, and the films come from a wide range of states in the US.
The Film Fest also hosts 9 world premiers and 1 USA premier — these films have never been seen before in a film festival setting in the US or in the world! The selection mixes 19 submitted films from NYS, especially the local area, and brand new international shorts!
The 48 hour Film Festival runs Friday and Saturday, August 2nd & 3rd. The planned schedule is:
7-8pm Juried slate at BSHS (Ballston Spa High School)
8-9pm Activities prior to 9pm screening in Old Iron Spring Park — refreshments, movie trivia and more.
9-10pm Juried slate in Old Iron Spring Park
10-??? After Party! Come for movie trivia games and great conversations with filmmakers and other fans.
On Friday, the After Party will be at STRATA on 51 Front Street, and on Saturday it’ll be held at The Brickyard Tavern, 72 Milton Ave.
Film Fest Awards will be in the following categories:
- Best Film (Best of the Fest) — awards for both youth and non-youth
- Best New Film (Premiers only)
- Best Original Score
- Best Sound
- Best Editing — awards for both youth and non-youth
- Best Screenplay — awards for both youth and non-youth
- Most Creative Youth Film
Eight of the films come from the Niskayuna High School youth film project “Reel Adventures.” 16 local students were involved in their production. In addition, two films come from 10 year-old Californian Emma Penaz Eisner (“Chee-Wi Learns to Growl”) and 11 year-old Floridan Elizabeth Herrick (“Killer App”)!
The Festival also features some returning local filmmakers. From the young crowd, there will be Zach Durocher (“Kite Falling”) and Jacob McAuliffe (“The Accidental Felon”). In general, Kevin Craig West (“One Kiss”), Rich Lounello (“You Have One Message”), and Saralyn Armer (“A Lovely Treat”), who grew up in Ballston Spa but moved to California, will all be featured.
As a special, there will be 3 screenings of PSA’s made by 4th grade students from Malta Ave Elementary School. Led by Mike Feurstein with The Don’t Wait Project’s How to UnMake A Bully Campaign, students learned about the film production process and made the shorts based on their own experiences with bullying.
Here’s the Full Schedule for the Film Fest:
Friday August 2nd:
7pm Ballston Spa High School:
- Kite Falling – Zach Durocher, Ballston Spa, NY
- Cameron & Stephanie – (2012 Lake Placid Film Festival), NY
- Lennon’s Poster – Joe Fellos/Nick Esdaile, UK
- Shadows in the Moonlight – Ron Pucherelli, NY
- One Kiss – Kevin Craig West, NY
- News to Me – Zack Danek/Jordan Whittemore, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Mi Ojo Derecho [The Apple of My Eye] – Josecho De Linares, Spain
- The Last 3 Minutes – Po Chan, CA
9pm Old Iron Spring Park (Rain location — Ballston Spa High School)
- Chee-Wi Learns to Growl – Emma Penaz Eisner, CA
- Talk it Out – Mrs. DeGregorio’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballson Spa, NY
- The Accidental Felon – Jacob McAuliffe, Ballston Spa, NY
- Woods – Scott Antolick, NY
- Escape – (2012 Lake Placid Film Festival), NY
- Notice the Inside – Mrs. Balbian’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballston Spa, NY
- Pigeon Impossible – Lucas Martell, TX
- Pressure Within – Emily Foreman, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Killer App – Elizabeth Herrick, FL
- Friends All Along – Mrs. Townsend’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballston Spa, NY
- Reset – Proctor’s Reel Adventure students, NY
- Be the Change – Pedro Pimentel, NH
- Destiny – Fabien Weibel, France
Saturday August 3rd:
7pm Ballston Spa High School
- Too Shy – Ryan Hutchins, CA
- Lioness – Kerry LeVielle/Jordan Whittemore, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Chocolates – Aron Campisano, CA
- You Have One Message – Rich Lounello, NY
- Red – Jordan Whittemore/Natalie Dicocco, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Weirdo Records – Laura Brincat, NY
- Stages – Alex Hass, NY
- The Long Off Season: A Babe Ruth Documentary – Calvin O’Connor, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- A Lovely Treat – Saralyn (Armer) Critchlow, CA
9pm Old Iron Spring Park (Rain Location — Ballston Spa High School)
- The Magician’s Gateway – Rachel Lambert, NY
- World’s Smallest Movie – IBM
- Talk it Out – Mrs. DeGregorio’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballston Spa, NY
- Creamen – Esther Casas, Spain
- Board of Love – Dan Leap/Autumn Flannery/Erick McCarthy/Andrew Thorne/Nick Wagoner/Omer Osman, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Chet’s Pet – (2012 Lake Placid Film Festival), NY
- Notice the Inside – Mrs. Balbian’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballston Spa, NY
- Social Security – Peter Smith, UK
- Satisfied Mind – Caitlin Stedman, NY
- Square – Christopher Lemelin/Jack McGill, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- Eggistentialism – Jake McKenna/Jeff Twitty, Niskayuna Highschool, NY
- NGUTU – Felipe Del Olmo/Daniel Valledor, Spain
- Friends All Along – Mrs. Townsend’s 4th grade class PSA, Ballston Spa, NY
- Sign Language – Oscar Sharp, UK
What films are you looking forward to? Can’t wait to see you at the Ballston Spa Film Fest!
Not what you were looking for? Check out other movie venues in the area.
