Art galleries, delicious restaurants, beautiful architecture, and quaint small-town feel are what give the city of West Chester its distinctive charm. The cultural atmosphere of West Chester is always growing and changing, and the success of the third annual West Chester Film Festival has certainly made a lasting impression on the borough. The festival was created with the goal of reopening an independent theater in West Chester that would screen films from all over the world. The West Chester Film Festival is a celebration of the art of filmmaking, embodied in the screening of films, film workshops, guest speakers and fine food and drink.This year’s celebration commenced with the Opening Night Gala at The Chester County Historical Society on October 5 at 7:00 pm. The Gala provided an opportunity for filmmakers to mix and mingle with fans and friends. Victory brewing company provided drafts of handcrafted beer and Stargazers Vineyard facilitated a wine tasting. Music was provided by local recording artist Laura Shay and the band Eyelevel. Several West Chester University students were volunteers that evening, helping to ensure the night went smoothly. WCU student volunteer Marla Urban commented, “I was glad to have the opportunity because I want people to see how classy West Chester is downtown, and see the different opportunities available for the communication major.” Casey Spiwak, another WCU volunteer, commented, “I enjoyed meeting film majors and gaining a different perspective on film creation.”
The celebration continued with film screenings from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Ninety-one short films were screened during the weekend of October 5 through 8 from cites around the world. Sweden, India, Australia and Los Angeles are extremely distinct locations, but all and more were represented in the films shown. “Binta and The Grand Idea” is a 30-minute drama by Javier Fesser of Madrid, Spain. “Binta admires her father, a humble fisherman who, concerned about the development of mankind, is determined to carry out an idea that has occurred to him.” In addition to viewing the films, the general public was afforded the opportunity to participate in film workshops and listen to guest speakers.
Secret Pants, a comedy sketch troupe from Philadelphia, was in town for the weekend and shared their enormous talent. They facilitated workshops Friday to Sunday on the development and execution of short-film screenplay ideas. They also encouraged audience members to participate in the editing and filming processes. George Bobby Jones, video artist from New York, facilitated a workshop on Sunday October 8 at 1:30 pm concerning experimental filmmaking and video art. During this session he also exhibited his film “A Conversation with Bill Viola,” a documentary on distinguished video artist Bill Viola. In addition to workshops, child actor Charlie McDermott gave a lecture on the world of professional acting from a child’s perspective. Charlie is known for his roles in numerous films including “The Village” by M. Night Shyamalan.
With workshops, guest speakers, film screenings, and fine food and drink, the Film Festival was lacking nothing. Brett Anderson Walker, artist, filmmaker, writer, and Vice President of the West Chester Film Festival, begged to differ. “We need West Chester University students,” he commented, “they can learn so much by just attending. It’s an incredible way to have access to the world.” He stressed that students can gain a new perspective on society and the world through the medium of film, international film in particular. “Just go, go, go!” he comments “It’s amazing.” Brett Anderson Walker is one of seven volunteers on the Film Festival board. In its third year, the festival is growing constantly. “Our goal is to double the film entries each year, and we have achieved that goal for this year” comments Anderson Walker. Better equipment, venues, and organization made this year a true success, bringing the team closer to their goal of reopening an international film theater in West Chester. For the winners of the festival and more information, visit www.westchesterfilmfestival.com.