BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Film Festival will present what the event's organizers describe as “a 10-day cinematic feast of 30 unique and unforgettable films” beginning Friday, Nov. 4, corresponding with the downtown's monthly Gallery Walk.
Festival volunteers culled the final selection of films from approximately 120.
“We are honored to bring award-winning documentaries, dramas, and shorts that truly represent the best of current cinema today to our community to share on the big screen” Merry Elder, BFF president and head of film selection, said in a press release.
“Refugees were a topic that came across in the films very much this year, and we selected four of them out of the many we watched,” said festival volunteer Ian Hefele in a recent interview on BCTV's Roundtable program.
The festival, an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, tax-deductible nonprofit organization, was founded in 2012. The festival focuses on mostly independent and award-winning productions from the United States and around the world that “offer viewpoints and characters often unseen in mainstream media,” organizers wrote.
Partnering with local organizations, the BFF “uses film to raise awareness, facilitate dialogue, and increase civil discourse and community participation,” according to the media release. BFF also has a working collaboration with the Vermont International Film Foundation in Burlington.
Discussions with visiting filmmakers and other experts follow some screenings.
“The If Project” chronicles a program of the same name that helps pave the way for people who are incarcerated to reenter society successfully. After the screening at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, a question-and-answer session will feature both Kathlyn Horan, the director/producer/writer of the film, and the program's cofounder, Kim Bogucki.
Following the screening of “The Refugees of Shangri La” - one of a triad of short documentaries on the worldwide refugee crisis - a discussion will take place with filmmaker Doria Bramante. BFF organizers hope that Bramante will be joined by one or more members of the Bhutan refugee community in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Check the website for other discussions and events with filmmakers and special guests.
The films run at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. throughout the festival, with showings at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on the weekends. A full schedule is available at the website.
Public reception on opening night
The BFF opens Friday, Nov. 4, with a free reception in the Latchis Hotel lobby starting at 5 p.m. where trailers for all 2016 films will be shown continuously.
Reception guests can visit with festival organizers and their fellow cinephiles prior to the opening-night films (“Tanna” at 6:30 p.m. and “Tyrus” at 8:30 p.m.). Film previews will continue to be shown in the lobby for the duration of the festival.
Festival closes with reprise of audience favorites
The festival will close Sunday, Nov. 13, with the audience-chosen “Best in Fest” and “Countdown to Best in Fest” films. These films represent movies voted by festival-goers as the best films overall.
The Countdown films begin with repeat screenings of the top three runners-ups at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6:30 p.m., giving moviegoers a second chance to see (and bring their friends to) festival favorites.
The Best in Fest re-screens at 8:30 p.m. Sunday night. Results will be announced by midnight Saturday on the BFF website and Facebook page.
Free tickets for high-school students
“In an effort to share the joys of watching movies on the big screen with a generation known for watching videos on the very small screens of phones, tablets, and laptops, BFF is offering free tickets to all high school students throughout the film festival,” organizers write.
Students need only to show current and valid high school identification to receive a ticket for any festival film at the theater box office.
Tickets and passes
BFF tickets are $10 per film ($8 for seniors and children younger than 15), and they can be purchased the day of screenings at the Latchis Theatre box office.
Tickets for children younger than 12 are $5 at designated daytime family screenings. High school students enter free with a valid school identification.
Pre-sold packs of five tickets for $40 (a $10 savings) and the $140 All Festival Passes are available at Everyone's Books and during festival theater hours at the festival's desk in the Latchis lobby.