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MARIETTA -- The Colony Short Film Festival is returning Nov. 14 with a free showing of 25 films and opportunities to hear from filmmakers as the MOV Film Commission works to expand access to independent cinema.
The festival at Marietta College's Gathering Place will feature selections from 78 submissions, along with two panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions, according to Erin O'Neill, director of strategy and community engagement at the MOV Film Commission.
Seven judges selected the films, with screening blocks highlighting student work, Ohio filmmakers, international films and narrative storytelling.
The festival is part of a broader effort supported by a $5,000 Ohio Arts Council grant to bring free screenings and filmmaker discussions to the community, O'Neill said.
"People here locally don't really get a lot of opportunities to see interesting films and talk with the people behind the films," she said.
O'Neill, whose work at Washington State College of Ohio includes grant writing, said the commission proposed four screenings and discussions during a grant cycle that ends in June. The festival will help fulfill those goals while introducing audiences to work they might otherwise have to travel outside the area to see.
The nonprofit commission is about a year and a half old, O'Neill said. While attracting film productions to the region is central to its mission, the organization also wants residents to learn about filmmaking and connect with the people creating the work.
Marietta College helped make the festival possible by providing a location suited to screenings and discussions, she said. Andy Felt, a professor emeritus of theater and member of the commission's board, helped connect organizers with the college.
"Marietta College has been supportive of us from day one," O'Neill said.
Organizers evaluated the Gathering Place's space, audiovisual equipment and ability to accommodate screenings throughout the day while avoiding conflicts with other campus activities.
The submissions came from across the United States and abroad. O'Neill said organizers received a particularly strong response from Iranian filmmakers and waived submission fees for several who reported difficulty transferring payment.
She said the international entries offered perspectives on experiences and cultures that may be unfamiliar to local audiences.
"A lot of the stories were very, very interesting to us," O'Neill said.
The commission also wanted to highlight filmmakers closer to home, setting aside screening blocks for Ohio and student films.
"We had some great student films submitted, and some really good state of Ohio films," she said.
Films included are: "The Meloneers" (Colorado), "On the Street Where You Live" (Ohio), "It's Not Okay" (West Virginia), "From Diner to Destination" (Ohio), "Hands That Fed Us" (Ohio), "Maple, Baby" (Ohio), "Divide" (Indiana), "If I Was a Worm" (West Virginia), "My Date with Frank" (Michigan), "Judgement Day" (Ohio), "Casting Call" (Ohio), "Brain Fog" (Ohio), "Maeghan Tries to Cross the Road" (Ohio), "Sing, Swing, Carry On" (Illinois), "The Children" (California), "Nothing Feels" (Russian Federation), "Spiral" (Iran), "Deeply Darkly Drole" (Iran), "Things Take the Time They Take" (United Kingdom), "The Hole" (Iran), "The Essence of a Memory" (France), "Black Rope" (Iran), "The Dots of a Case" (Iran), "Maiden" (Iran) and "The Lunch Break" (Ireland).
A panel titled "Through Her Lens: Women in Film" will highlight filmmakers Allison Haines, Heather Jarvis and Peyton Burkhammer, O'Neill said.
The program will include an exhibition screening of "Something Beckons," a horror short filmed in Marietta. The commission helped Haines find a location and assemble a crew for the production.
The film is being shown outside the competition because two commission board members participated in the production, O'Neill said.
Beyond the festival, the commission is exploring additional screenings and a partnership with First City Records. O'Neill said the commission purchased a projector to be housed at the record store, where a film screening room is planned.
Possible future programs include screenings of "This Is Pike County" and "Union County," though those arrangements are still being discussed.
O'Neill said "Union County" director Adam Meeks is booked for the November episode of the commission's "Between Takes" podcast. Organizers also have discussed bringing the film to local audiences.
For O'Neill, those efforts are part of making film more accessible throughout the region.
"We're hoping to open that up to provide access to those who want it," she said.
The festival schedule includes:
*10 a.m. - Welcome
*10:15 a.m. - Documentary shorts
*11:30 a.m. - Ohio/regional shorts
*12:30 p.m. - Lunch break
*1:15 p.m. - Through Her Lens: Women in Film and panel
*2:30 p.m. – Student showcase
*3:30 p.m. - William Wedig: The Power of Place
*4:30 p.m. - Dinner break
*5:30 p.m. - Horror/Dark genre
*6:45 p.m. - Narrative shorts
*8:15 p.m. - Awards
*8:45 p.m. - Reception
*10 p.m. - Festival close
Tickets are available online at filmfreeway.com/ColonyShortFilmFestival/tickets.