The first Hoosier Films Annual Festival was rescheduled to September 3-6 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, according to a press release sent by Meredith McGriff, co-founder and CEO of the festival.
In the coming week, the theater will reach out to everyone who purchased a pass to provide information about cancelling and refunding paid passes for the original dates, McGriff said in a press release.
Hoosier Films Annual Festival was founded in October 2019. Thomas DeCarlo, co-founder of the festival, said the event’s purpose is to bring together Indiana filmmakers to showcase their work and bring awareness to Indiana filmmakers.
“I really wanted to bring filmmakers from around the state together so they are all in one place and could really foster stronger relationships,” DeCarlo said.
DeCarlo said Hoosier Films received 80 submissions, but only 40 films will make the cut to the festival.
“I had been trying to find filmmakers around the state for about two years when we launched the festival, and I’d say about 80% I had not known before,” DeCarlo said. “Our main goal of the festival is to discover more filmmakers around the state.”
The festival has two categories: short and feature. The festival will present three feature films and 37 short films. The films are the works of Indiana natives or were produced in Indiana. The movies are selected by judges, who are experts in movies, who look at the quality of the story, acting and cinematography, McGriff said.
“Films aren’t just made in Hollywood,” McGriff said. “And I think a lot of people don’t realize what amazing films are made right here.”
Juniors Clarisse Gamblin and Robert Mack entered their short film in the festival. Their movie “Midnight in the Park” will be featured 1 p.m. March 21. Gamblin said this movie portrayed a life of a widower who just recently lost his wife from his childhood to present. She said this movie is a dance film, and the story is told through ballet without dialogue.
“Being able to show ballet and art form through film is important,” Gamblin said.
There’s an element of bittersweet nostalgia to the film, Gamblin said. She said even though the character lost his wife, he still experiences happiness through his memories of her.
“I think anybody who’s ever dealt with loss of someone important, a loved one or a friend, can certainly relate to this film,” Mack said.
The movie featured an original score by Jake Handelman, a Jacobs School of Music student. Gamblin and Mack said they commissioned an original score for JacobsSchool of Music, and they wanted to find music that triggered old Hollywood romanticism and nostalgia.
“What’s really important for us is having a unified theme throughout the entire score that varied depending on what kinds of life the characters live in,” Gamblin said.
Throughout the film, the instrumentation varies depending on a certain stage in the main character's life.The music is playful and lighthearted in the characters' childhood, while the characters’ teen years includes more romantic instrumentation, Gamblin said.
McGriff said the festival will have a workshop series, "A Community Approach to Filmmaking", so filmmakers to learn more about the Indiana film industry.
“We’re all about community building and we’re all about connecting with the Indiana community,” McGriff said.
The event is ticketed. VIP pass will receive access to the reception and awards lunch on Sunday. Tickets will be available through this link.
