Tinseltown on the Delaware: Milford welcomes 15th annual Black Bear Film Festival

Posted 8/21/12

MILFORD, PA — Milford rolls out the red carpet this Friday evening, as the Black Bear Film Festival (BBFF) kicks off its annual three-day tribute to the art of independent filmmaking. Over the …

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Tinseltown on the Delaware: Milford welcomes 15th annual Black Bear Film Festival

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MILFORD, PA — Milford rolls out the red carpet this Friday evening, as the Black Bear Film Festival (BBFF) kicks off its annual three-day tribute to the art of independent filmmaking. Over the weekend, moviegoers will be able to view more than two dozen feature films, documentaries, shorts and more, many of them award winners.

According the Jerry Beaver, co-founding president of the 15-year-old festival, BBFF weekend draws between 2,500 and 3,000 people to the sidewalks of Milford, having a significant economic impact on the town. “Many merchants tell us that this is their best weekend all year,” he reported. And not only that, he continued, “Many realtors tell us that they’re so busy not only on festival weekend, but for several weekends after that… and when they get a customer in the car, the first thing they talk about is the film festival and the vibrant artists’ community here.” For Beaver, this is more than a film festival; it’s about furthering both economic development and the cultural enhancement of the town and surrounding county. “The people who come see for themselves what an incredibly wonderful, vibrant town Milford is.” And for those who live in the area year round, “it provides an invaluable amount of positive reinforcement,” he added.

New this year, all screenings in the free Salon Series, held at the Pike County Public Library, will be followed by talkback and Q&A sessions with filmmakers, actors and industry experts. The Salon Series highlights the work of local, young and up-and-coming filmmakers.

The festival opens with the star-filled feature film “Chef” (rated R), a comedy about a man who loses his restaurant job and starts a food truck business, all the while trying to mend his relationship with his estranged family. Jon Favreau, who also wrote and directed the film and plays Chef Carl Casper, is joined by a cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, John Leguizamo and other familiar faces. The film will be will be shown at the historic Milford Theatre, 114 E. Catherine St. at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, October 17.

The award-winning feature film “Calvary,” a darkly comic Irish thriller written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, will be shown on Saturday afternoon, October 18 at 4:30 p.m. in the movie theatre. The film stars Brendan Gleeson as Father James, a rural parish priest threatened with murder as he hears the confession of his unseen, would-be assassin who was abused by a priest as a child. This sends Father James on a journey in which he interacts with several eccentric residents of his parish and forces him to question his own faith.

This year’s nod to local films includes two: a short titled “The Delaware Highlands Conservancy Presents: The Farm-to-Table Movement in Film” by filmmaker Christopher King of Milford (a panel discussion follows); and “Bootlegger’s Picnic,” a historical gangster film shot in Pike County, directed by local filmmaker Will Cart.

The festival’s traditional silent auction of artful bear sculptures takes place under the Sky Tent and will culminate with the winning bidders being announced on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. New this year is a wine bar in the Sky Tent, where film merchandise is also for sale, including this year’s BBFF ornament.

Movie tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 per film online at www.BlackBearFilm.com or in person at the Upriver Home, 202 Broad St. Tickets cost $12 on the day of the film and are available at the Milford Theatre box office immediately before each screening. A gold pass (while they last) costs $150 for admission to all films. The Salon Series films are free, but a ticket is required to get in; these are available the day of the screening.

For a complete list of films, including the Salon Series, visit www.riverreporter.com.

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