West Chester Film Fest returns

Festival set for April 28-30

WEST CHESTER >> The effort to shine a spotlight on innovative and independent filmmaking on an international scale that began in West Chester several years ago will have the added bonus this year of having a new venue in which viewers can see multiple entries in the West Chester Film Festival.

The Uptown! Knauer Perfoming Arts Center will be one of three main venues for the more than five dozen short films shown during the weekend-long festival, now in its 13th year. The theater was developed on North High Street to provide a cultural hub for the borough, and is having a successful run of plays, concerts and speakers.

Carol Quigley, the president of the Film Festival’s board, said the event this year promises to feature several Oscar-nominated films, as well as the Oscar-winning entry, “Sing,” about a prizewinning grade-school choir and a rule that doesn’t sit well with two of its young participants.

“I am not a film aficionado, but I love the Film Festival because it is a perfect complement to the culture and excitement that exists in downtown West Chester, while being a completely unique experience,” said Quigley on Monday af-

ter releasing the full schedule and lineup for this year’s festival.

“It is the only time of year that you can see and hear stories from all over the world all weekend long on the big screen in the heart of the borough,” she said. “And now that screen is even bigger thanks to the opening of the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center.”

This year’s festival will take place from Friday, April 28, through Sunday, April 30. Filmgoers will enjoy a mix of comedy, drama, animation, art/experimental, and documentary short films in each two-hour film block. There are seven different blocks of films, each screened twice over the weekend.

This community event extends beyond simply watching films. With a party every night, free workshops and networking events for filmmakers and the community, a “Fest Cafe” and opportunities for late-night meet-ups — all open to the public — the film festival organizers say it offers something for everyone.

The festival also offers a Family Film Festival on Saturday morning, April 29, free for ages 10 and younger, directly followed by a Young Filmmaker Festival featuring films made by and for middle- and high-school students.

“We encourage members of the community to come out and view the films, participate in events, and extend a warm welcome to our visiting filmmakers who come from all over the world to share their art,” said Quigley in announcing the schedule. There will be an opening night party on Friday, as well as closing night events.

Nearly 300 films were submitted from more than 20 countries for the 2017 event. The line-up includes over 70 films and is arguably the most impressive in the festival’s history, Quigley proclaimed. The new Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, where film blocks will be shown all weekend long, will also be the site of the closing night awards party. Films shown at the Uptown! Theater will be rerun at the Chester County Historical Society, the venue directly across North High Street, and vice versa.

The West Chester Film Festival is a nonprofit organization that relies on the financial support of dedicated local sponsors as well as the time and labor of volunteers to make the festival an annual success. The 2017 WCFF is presented by the WC Business Improvement District.

To see the full line-up of films, workshops, venues, and events for this year, please see the website at www.westchesterfilmfestival.com.

The West Chester Film Festival is scheduled for April 28-30.