Film Festivals and Online Video Contests: News Bytes

(Rockland, ME) On Friday, February 3, the Farnsworth Art Museum and The Strand Theatre in Rockland will be presenting the premiere screening of a new film series entitled Rockland Shorts: An International Film Series. The screening, which is being followed by a Farnsworth Collective after-party, will take place at The Strand Theatre from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The films in the series are not rated. Please be advised that some of the films contain adult language and sexual content, and they are not suitable for young audiences.

Beginning on February 3, and continuing every other month in the spring, the series will include an hour of short films selected from an open call to filmmakers. As part of the screening, select filmmakers and media artists included in the series will join in a post-screening discussion in person or via Skype for a conversation with the audience. Rockland Shorts strives to show contemporary, probing, independent films that help define the digital generation without restriction of culture, format, formula or genre.

The inaugural screening will feature a dozen art films; it is being headlined by a short film by filmmaker Mike Mills. who recently directed the autobiographical feature film Beginners, which stars Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer. Mills is being considered for a Best Director nomination for the 2012 Academy Awards. Mr. Mills will be joining the inaugural post-screening discussion at The Strand via Skype.

Following the screening and discussion, there will be an after-party hosted by the museum’s newest membership group the Collective. The after-party, which will take place at the Yvette Torres Fine Art gallery at 21 Winter Street, around the corner from The Strand Theatre, will feature cocktails, savory treats, a happening artistic scene and hip dance music provided by DJ Sergio Kawasaki. The fee for the screening and after-party is as follows: free for Collective members, $10 for Farnsworth members, and $12 for non members. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling the membership office at 207-596-6256

The Collective event is sponsored in part by Bangor Savings Bank, and by Yvette Torres Fine Art.

Filmmakers wishing to submit films for consideration for the April and June screenings may do so via withoutabox.com. All entries can be no longer than 40 minutes and are chosen solely on the quality of the material. Rockland Shorts is a partnership between the Farnsworth Art Museum and The Strand Theatre, and is being organized by Rockland Shorts Program Directors Sally Levi and Nicole Marie Fuller, Farnsworth’s Education Department staff and The Strand staff.





Resources:

www.farnsworthmuseum.org