PHILIPSBURG – Philipsburg will be host to “Stories at the Rowland,” a weekend film festival that includes six award-winning feature films, one world premiere, eight award-winning short films and a showcase of new work by area high school students, live music and master classes led by film and documentary professionals.
The film festival will take place Nov. 8-10 at the Rowland Theatre, 127 N. Front St., Philipsburg. The historic theatre seats 1,000. Tickets are on sale now.
Organizers of the festival hope to sell out each night and draw film and theatre fans from across central Pennsylvania. It is first project by Centre Film Workshop.
“The film festival has multiple goals – all leading to the community coming together to not only engage in the arts, but also to build a lasting film society that creates space to make new work,” said Pearl Gluck, artistic director of the festival, founder of Centre Film Workshop and a PSU assistant professor of film.
“Accomplished filmmakers and special guests from around the country will be visiting for the festival, discussing their work with us and teaching master classes to teenagers.
Moviegoers can expect to see films ranging from roots music, to the fate of historic movie palaces, to hobo living, to the life of a Vietnam veteran who is overcoming the impact of war to enrich his own life and the lives of people around him.
All of the feature films are about experiences that are organic to the lives of people living in central Pennsylvania.
“We have a cinematic gem right here in our county, the 100-year-old Rowland Theatre,” said Gluck.
“Here there is already a symbiotic relationship that can be reawakened or cultivated between the appreciation for the arts, the need to tell our own stories and the ignition of intercultural and intergenerational dialogue.
“The goal of Centre Film Workshop is to enable that relationship with community partners and in our historic spaces.”
A full list of the schedule for the film festival as well as attending filmmakers and guests are available at centrefilm.org.
Because this is the inaugural film festival, all films were curated by Penn State assistant professor Pearl Gluck. Future festivals will include a traditional competitive call for entries.
The inaugural Centre Film festival is hosted by the Centre Film Workshop, a grassroots organization founded in the summer 2019 to bring local stories to film and create a platform for multimedia storytelling, dialogue and screening.
The festival is in community partnership with the Rowland Theatre, CIU10 Galaxy and the Philipsburg Revitalization Corp.
The Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded a $5,000 marketing grant to the workshop in June of 2019. The Bellisario College of Communications and the Pennsylvania Partnership on the Arts also provided funds.
“The Rowland Theatre is sometimes an often-hidden treasure, and to be able to open our doors to filmmakers and attendees from across the county and the country to celebrate film and music and art is a perfect way to honor our heritage,” said Rebecca Inlow, director of the Rowland.
Free workshops on photography, music and storytelling taught by filmmakers and special guests will take place the Saturday of the festival for youth and adults.
Students, representing various school districts across central Pennsylvania, have already participated in a filmmaking workshop on Sept. 6 to assist them in telling their stories.
High school students are invited to direct, shoot and create their own short films to enter into the festival. One student director will win a full scholarship to the Penn State Bellisario College of Communications 2020 Summer Film Workshop.
Students can also apply to serve as members of the youth jury who will judge student films entries for the festival. Deadline for student submissions/applications is Oct. 11.
More than a dozen local businesses have come onboard to support the festival and sponsor films. Different levels of sponsorships are still available.
Tickets are on sale and are available for purchase online and at the door for the following prices:
- All access VIP pass for the weekend, $50 (includes a copy of The Rowland Story, a book by Rebecca Inlow)
- Opening night, double feature, $15
- Saturday day pass, $25
- Saturday night film and concert, $15
- Individual films, $8
Student, senior and veteran discounts are given. Portions of the proceeds will benefit the Rowland Theatre.
For tickets and more information visit, centrefilm.org, the Centre Film Workshop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/centrefilm/ and Instagram at @centrefilm.