The Hamburg Strand will be a venue for the Reading FilmFest on Nov. 14.
ReadingFilm, local film commission and aGoGreaterReading production, presents Reading FilmFest Nov. 13 to 15 in four venues throughout Berks County: R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX, Goggleworks Center for the Arts, Louis Long Gallery, and the Hamburg Strand.
Hamburg Strand manager Bethany Sholl and her mother, Stephanie Adam, Strand coordinator, are happy that the Hamburg Strand has been asked to be part of the Reading FilmFest.
“I thought it was a good activity for us to get involved in to expose the theater and get involved in theater making,” said Adam. “To be part of the bigger picture of films. Also the independent film makers get exposure and recognition for their work.”
“I think it’s good too to be part of the community and be doing other things than just showing the movies,” said Sholl. “I think it’s exciting to be asked out of all of the theaters in the area… and it’s going to bring us a little publicity and exposure.”
Sholl also believes another benefit is that people from other towns will come to Hamburg.
“They might come for the festival but they might like it so much they might come back,” said Sholl. “People might go out to eat afterwards, go shopping down the street.”
Adam believes Hamburg Strand’s participation shows that the Strand “wants to be part of a bigger picture, that we’re not just serving our community but the broader Berks County area, just continuing the tradition of movies and furthering these young directors, independent film makers.”
She feels it is important to support independent film makers.
“Everybody needs to get started somewhere. Big film companies work with the big guys and these guys have to break into the industry somehow. This is giving them the platform to do that,” said Adam.
Three films will be shown at Hamburg Strand. First-time writer-directors, husband-wife team Ann-Marie Schmidt and Brian Schmidt produced Incredible Adventures of JoJo (and his annoying sister Avila). The Marquee on Main Street is a documentary by Chester Lampman, an independent filmmaker living in Pittsburgh. Wildlike was written and directed by Frank Hall Green, a writer/director and producer and partner at Catch & Release Films. His directorial debut feature Wildlike played more than 100 festivals, has won more than 60 festival awards and comes to theaters this fall via Amplify, Level Film and Inception Film Partners, according to the film makers’ media releases.
The film makers will attend the film screenings on Nov. 14 at 4, 6 and 7 p.m. After the film screening, film makers will be available for a question and answer period.
First held in 2006, the Reading FilmFest has returned after a three-year hiatus. With GoGreaterReading and Berks Arts Council, the festival reached out to venues throughout the Greater Reading community and will screen 39 films.
Reading FilmFest Executive Producer Santo D. Marabella said in a release that “Reading FilmFest is carving a niche in the already crowded festival landscape.”
“With more than 2,000 film festivals in the U.S. alone, we decided the best way to attract filmmakers would be to create a festival that mirrors the film office operating philosophy and provides concierge-like service to filmmakers. So, Reading FilmFest will be the filmmakers’ film festival, where everyone is treated like an Oscar winner!”
Tracy Schott, festival director, said in a release, “That goal is easier to achieve when you have a festival created by filmmakers, for filmmakers. The four principle organizers of Reading FilmFest are all filmmakers.”
Reading FilmFest opens on Friday, Nov. 13 with a happy hour at the Peanut Bar from 4:30 to 6 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., organizers roll out the red carpet for visiting filmmakers at the Goggleworks. Opening ceremonies are followed by a block of movie screenings and an after-party at West Reading Tavern.
“The goal of ReadingFilm is to attract filmmakers to our area,” said Marabella in the release. “Greater Reading is a film-friendly town and we want the FEST’s attendees to know that. This film festival is a natural extension of our service to filmmakers and local vendors.”
For more information visit www.ReadingFilmFEST.com. Tickets are available online, including all-weekend pass or purchase a movie ticket. Tickets can be purchased at The Hamburg Strand the day of the movie screening.
