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Festival News
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13th Green Mountain Film Festival
Montpelier – March 19-28, 2010
St. Johnsbury – April 9 – 11, 2010
FOCUS ON FILM and CATAMOUNT FILM AND ARTS announce collaboration.
13th Green Mountain Film Festival, Montpelier and St. Johnsbury, VT.
The Green Mountain Film Festival, one of the state’s most exciting and anticipated annual traditions, will return for its 13th season in Montpelier from March 19-28, 2010.
This year’s festival, in collaboration with Catamount Arts, will add a satellite location in St. Johnsbury, expanding its reach into the Northeast Kingdom.
Focus on Film, the festival’s parent organization, has shown independent, international and documentary films in and around the state capital since 1997. The main festival holds screenings at three locations in downtown Montpelier, including the festival’s headquarters at the Savoy Theater.
This year will feature ten days of screenings in downtown Montpelier, then the focus will shift to St. Johnsbury, April 9-11, when Catamount Arts will host the festival at its community arts center on Eastern Avenue and at two other locations in town. In addition to screening many of the same films as the Montpelier locations, Catamount Arts will feature a high school filmmakers showcase.
Donald Rae, the Executive Director of Focus on Film recently commented on the addition of St. Johnsbury as a satellite location.
“The Green Mountain Film Festival has become one of the most vibrant events of its kind in the region. This new collaboration with Catamount Arts enables us to reach an even broader audience, while retaining the intimate scale and friendly atmosphere that is so much a part of the festival.”
Catamount, a long-time mainstay of the arts community in the Northeast Kingdom, has been active as a movie theater and fine arts presenter since 1985. In October, 2008, Catamount opened its new community arts center in the Masonic Temple in St. Johnsbury. This new facility now includes two movie screens, which gives them the flexibility to become an active partner in the expanding Green Mountain Film Festival.
“Catamount Arts’s commitment to presenting the best in independent, international and documentary films is compatible with the philosophy of the Green Mountain Film Festival,” said Jody Fried, the Executive Director of Catamount. “We are happy that we can now offer the excitement and scope of this event here in the Northeast Kingdom.”
“It’s a great fit and a tremendous opportunity on all sides,” concluded Rae.
For more information, please visit GreenMountainFilmFestival.org or catamountarts.org.
CONTACT
Donald Rae
Executive Director
Focus on Film
26 Main Street,
Montpelier, VT 05602
donaldrae@gmail.com
802 262 3423
Jody Fried
Executive Director
Catamount Film and Arts
115 Eastern Avenue,
St.Johnsbury, VT 05819
jodyfried@gmail.com
802 748 2600
If you’ve been saving Shaw’s receipts, the rules of the game are about to change. Shaw’s now requires customers to PRE-REGISTER using their Rewards Card and then credit will be given automatically when the card is swiped. One per cent of eligible purchases, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will go towards a designated cause. Please be sure to enter FOCUS ON FILM (ID# 49001019922) as your chosen beneficiary. (We can continue to save paper receipts until Friday February 27.)
Since November festival fans have collected over $65,000 worth of receipts ($650)
Thanks!
Official feed from the Green Mountain Film Festival now available on Twitter.
From whence may be heard the pitter patter of tiny tweets, when we remember.
You’ll find us at twitter.com/Festivius
Two new ways to support the festival:
- GoodSearch: Search the web via GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo Search) a penny per search goes to Focus on Film. That’s us!
- GoodShop: If you must buy online from the likes of L.L Bean, iTunes, Ebay, Amazon, Expedia, Apple and countless others, at least click through via the GoodShop, a service of GoodSearch, and a few crumbs will fall into festival coffers.
To search or shop now–and support us–click the graphic below:
Festival fans can now get all the latest news through Facebook.
The Green Mountain Film Festival Group on Facebook is the perfect way to keep in touch with other GMFF fans, and get the latest buzz on what’s hot, or not, at GMFF ’09.
The 12th Green Mountain Film Festival will open in Montpelier on March 20th, 2009 and run through March 29th. Over one hundred screenings are planned, and as always, there will be a number of guest fimmakers in attendance. The program will be published in February 2009.
Doron Benvenisti, writer and director of BITTERSWEET, included the 11th GMFF in his 2008 tour of the US.
Doron attended three screenings of BITTERSWEET at the 2008 Green Mountain Film Festival.
BITTERSWEET is a charming comedy with dramatic undercurrents. When six friends meet for dinner, their evening is interrupted by a mysterious stranger and their fragile harmony comes apart.
Doron Benvenisti completed his studies in film directing and graduated from the film department of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. During his studies, Doron directed two short films that were later purchased for distribution. Since graduating, he has worked as both director and director of photography on various film and video projects. Doron received a grant from the Israeli Film Fund to develop a film adaptation of the Israeli bestseller A HERETIC DESPITE HIMSELF by author Yehoshua Bar Yosef. Doron is currently working on a screenplay for a new feature film titled SAME TIME, SAME PLACE.
Recorded Saturday, March 22, 2008 at Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Event info
Podcast (Audio Only)
Download an Mp3 of the conversation with Kathleen Carroll (86 minutes)
Full-length Video
A Conversation with Kathleen Carroll from Dave Raizman on Vimeo.
Crankies on television: more about the Green Mountain Crankie Festival on WCAX
10 October 2007
The Green Mountain Film Festival has announced the program for the World Cinema Series held in October, November and December every year in Montpelier.
28 September 2007
Albert Maysles is presenting a masterclass in Montreal next month. The class will be led by film critic Matthew Hays, himself a guest at GMFF in 2006. This event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2007, from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Tanna Schulich Hall of McGill University (555 Sherbrooke W). Tickets are $30 for general admission and $15 for students. Brought to you by the NFB, Film Pop, and the upcoming 10th Anniversary edition of RIDM (Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal). RSVP: maysles@popmontreal.com There will also be a screening of Grey Gardens (for those who couldn’t get tickets in Montpelier) folowed by a Q & A. The film starts at 7pm in the H-110 Amphitheatre at Concordia University’s Hall Bldg. $5 students, $8 general (1455 de Maisonneuve W).
5 September 2007
“The Jane Austen Book Club” adapted and directed by Green Mountain Film Festival guest Robin Swicord opens at the Savoy Theater, Montpelier on Friday October 5. Not just for Jane-ites, is the word. Variety’s Anne Thompson has the story here.
18 July 2007
Welcome intelligence. GMFF ’06 guest Robin Swicord’s feature directorial debut “The Jane Austen Book Club” is to be released in the autumn. A theatrical trailer, depicting the cast in lively spirit, may be viewed here
6 July 2007
One of the highlights of the 2007 festival was the conversation between Rick Winston and Kenneth Turan. A dvd from the event is now available at the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Read Claire Gilbertson’s review on the Kellogg Hubbard Library Blog for June 26th.
3 July 2007
The dates have been announced for the 11th Green Mountain Film Festival
21 – 30 March 2008.
Press enquiries to Donald Rae, Managing Director, GMFF, 26 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 telephone (802) 262 3423
1 May 2007
Meredith at MoMA. Vermont filmmaker and GMFF guest Meredith Holch’s short film “Picture Perfect” will be shown twice this month at MoMA in New York City.
30 March 2007
Record attendances at the 10th Green Mountain Film Festival. The 10th GMFF recorded strong growth in audience numbers, continuing the trend of the last several years.
23 March 2007
Kenneth Turan talked with Neal Charnoff on All Things Considered on Vermont Public Radio. Click here for audio.
21 March 2007 Ticket Office update – ALL Sunday 25 shows have been sold out in advance. The ticket office will be closed on Sunday. All tickets may be picked up at the Savoy Box Office – both new purchases and prepaid beginning at 9am.
14 March 2007
The Times Argus catches the mood.
6 March 2007
BLACK GOLD the documentary about Ethiopian coffee farmers has been making headlines recently. Starbucks has complained that the film “incompletely” represents the work of the company and has posted a statement on its website urging customers to “feel good about drinking Starbucks coffee.” Filmmakers Nick Francis and Marc Francis have responded with a statement of their own, saying:
“We are surprised that Starbucks has gone out to discredit the film again. This is not a film specifically about Starbucks, it’s a film about the winners and losers in the global coffee industry and it shows the daily reality for millions of coffee farmers.”
The filmmakers quote Kassahun Ayele, former Ethiopian Ambassador to the US, and now Ambassador to Germany, as saying: “BLACK GOLD is living witness to the exploitation of coffee farmers in Ethiopia. It shows the need for Ethiopia and others to play a bigger role in the export of their finest products.”
BLACK GOLD will screen twice at GMFF — on Tuesday, March 20th at 8:30pm and again on Saturday, March 24th at 10am.
28 February 2007
Ticket Office opens Monday March 12 at noon (tickets may be purchased before then by mail order only)
24 February 2007
GMFF introduces an alternative energy source for festival go-ers – trail mix. Nutty Steph’s of Montpelier has generously provided supplies of Nutty Steph’s Trail Mix for sale throughout the festival. One hundred percent of the proceeds of sale will go towards supporting GMFF. Don’t go hungry – snap up a bag or three at the Ticket Office when you pick up your tickets. There’s no excuse not to.
GMFF announce free film series at Langdon Street Cafe during the festival – see program for details
December 2006
Kenneth Turan, film critic for the LA Times and NPR will attend the 10th Green Mountain Film Festival to be held in March 2007.
Mermin Speaks! Circus Smirkus founder and renowned Mime Rob Mermin to talk at GMFF ’07 on Forgotten Art of Silent Film acting.
November 2006
Albert Maysles, the renowned documentary filmmaker, to attend GMFF ’07 and introduce several of his classic films.
October 2006
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) grants additional funding for 10th Green Mountain Film Festival. [click to continue…]
