Young Amateur Film-Maker’s Forum will feature submissions from local students
Milford, PA. (September 30, 2011) – The 12th annual Black Bear Film Festival (BBFF) continues its tradition of excellence in presenting the 2011 Film Salon, which showcases cutting-edge short films, animation, documentaries and guest speakers who will entertain questions from the audience on the “behind-the-scenes” of film-making. Ambiance Furniture at 200 W. Harford Street will host the FREE Film Salon.
A new feature at the Salon this year is the Young Amateur Film-Makers’ Forum with an hour each day devoted to local student film makers featuring select submissions from local Middle and High School students including the Delaware Valley and Lake Wallenpaupack Area School Districts.
Cookies and other refreshments will be on sale, provided by Cookie Jar, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to BBFF. The full Film Salon schedule is as follows:
Saturday, October 15:
- 11am White Mane. Introduction by BBFF Salon Co-Directors John Bartell and Justin Riddle followed by the classic children’s film. It tells the story of a magnificent wild stallion and leader of a herd, tamed by a young fisherman, and the strong friendship which grows between the boy and the horse in their search for freedom. Long unavailable in the U.S., this breathtaking film from Albert Lamorisse, (The Red Balloon) is a work of technical sophistication and immense natural beauty. criterion.com/films/943-white-mane
- 12pm Selected High School shorts (Part 1)
- 1pm Presentation by author John DiLeo on Tennessee Williams and film.
- 2pm Cul-de-Sac and Bomb. Two short films by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ian Olds, starring Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo. Cul-de-Sac the true story about an unemployed Army veteran and crystal-meth addict who stole a tank from a San Diego military base in 1995 and went on a rampage. Bomb tells the story of the relationships between two teenagers who find an unexploded bomb in the middle of a field on the edge of town.
- 3pm Selected shorts
- 4p The Farmer and the Horse. Introduction and Q&A by the director and award-winning journalist, Jared Flesher. This is a documentary every young farmer should see, as well as anyone who cares about land use, the environment and good food. It digs into difficult questions about sustainability, self-sufficiency and why we do the work we do, going beyond the usual platitudes of smiling organic farmers talking about the good life. Farming is hard work, especially if you don’t use a tractor. thefarmerandthehorse.com
- 6pm Selected shorts
Sunday, October 16
- 11am Selected children’s shorts and cartoons.
- 12pm Selected High School shorts (Part 2).
- 1pm Presentation by film scholar Seth Goldman on minorities and early film.
- 2pm One Beach. Introduction, Q&A and wine tasting. A film about creativity, optimism and fun cleaning our beaches around the world. Presented by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly. barefootwine.com/blog/one-beach-movie-trailer
- 3:15pm Bone Crusher. An intimate account of the love between a father and son and the powerful bond they share, which is put to the test. It is also a stark journey to the coal fields of Dante, VA., where a tight-knit community of miners face life with a toughness and camaraderie as enduring as the earth itself. bonecrusherfilm.com
- 5:15pm Selected shorts
There is no charge for the Film Salon. Tickets and passes for festival features, held at the historic Milford Theatre October 14-16, are on-sale at the office in the Upper Mill, at 115 Mill Street or at blackbearfilm.com. The office is open Tuesday-Friday 10am-Noon and 4pm-6pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:30am-3pm.
BBFF relies on community support including donations, sponsorships and volunteers. This year’s festival would not be possible without the support of Focus Media, Inc., Bar Louis at the Hotel Fauchere, Tom Quick Inn, Viamedia, LLC, Upper Mill at the Water Wheel, Litzenberger Family Foundation, The Milford Journal, Davis R. Chant Realtors, Biondo Investment Advisors LLC, Mark Edmonds and Christian Garcia, Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, Woodloch Pines Resort, Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, LLP, Progressive Health of PA, Inc., CellularOne of NEPA, Michael and Elizabeth Geitz, Bon Secours Community Hospital, James Pedranti and Rosann Kalish, Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau, Flatbrook Farms, Center Family Foundation, Newton Memorial Hospital, Crystal Springs Resort and Mountain Creek, Pike County Commissioners, Pennstar Financial Center, Thomas and Jean Hoff, Ernie and Adrienne Bertuzzi EBCOR Construction Company, Albert and Joan Waldman, Skip and Lorraine Gregory, Diane E. Smith and Century 21 Roy B Hull.
About Black Bear Film Festival:
The not-for-profit Black Bear Film Festival (BBFF) was born in Milford, PA. in 2000 when a small group of culturally-minded creative types set about creating an event to support and promote innovative, independent films. It celebrates Milford’s rich filmmaking heritage and the conservation movement in tribute to Gifford Pinchot, “father of the American conservation movement”. Zane Grey, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish and John Barrymore are just a few of the legends who graced Milford’s alleys long before us.
The BBFF packed the town and sold out every show the first year, and has continued to thrive for more than a decade, featuring engaging movies, fantastic parties, a free film salon and more. Today BBFF is has returned to its home in the historic, refurbished Milford Theatre, under new leadership, and continues to support innovative and independent films, artistic expression, education, diversity, and cultural enhancement, while promoting the region’s clean air and water, abundant wildlife, natural beauty and the entities that protect them. It also recognizes the area’s history as the birthplace of the American conservation movement and as a popular filmmaking location. For more information, please visit www.blackbearfilm.com or “like” us on Facebook.
