International celebration of film includes 75-plus films, panels
BANGOR — Maine Student Film Festival, the student film organization known for bringing international student filmmakers to creative venues in Maine, released the schedule for its flagship event being held virtually on Oct. 9-10. The festival is the first in the state to host an entirely-virtual show, which will be free and accessible to the public on Youtube.
No two industries have been hit harder by the pandemic than the film industry, which has forever changed the way media is produced and consumed and the events industry, which has all but shuttered completely. The excitement and feeling of a virtual event can’t normally measure up to a gathering like a film festival or festival.
The pandemic, however, didn’t affect the number of submissions received to the Maine Student Film Festival, nor the merit of the filmmakers. As such, MSFF is going full-speed-ahead with their show in a true “pandemic” style virtual format, featuring over 50-plus films, dozens of panels, all headed up by host/emcee Mateo Gomez.
“The Maine Student Film Festival is a celebration of film and video that has, as in years past, brought together filmmakers from all walks of life,” says Gomez. “While we traditionally hold our show at a creative venue around the state, this year will be one of our most ambitious and unique shows yet as we make the jump to virtual”.
“Transitioning to an entirely virtual show has unlocked an avenue of possibilities in regard to the way we display our content,” says festival director Nathan Sykes. “We’ve been able to work without the traditional constraints of a venue, or a 9-5 event schedule, and have been able to put together a great show for our entire community of filmmakers in 52+ countries. While we can’t wait to go back to a physical venue here in Maine, we’re very excited and comfortable with this being the alternative.”
The Maine Student Film Festival will be available to stream, live and for free, on Oct. 9-10 on YouTube and MaineStudentFilmFestival.org. To learn more about MSFF 2020 and see our scheduling line-up, visit our website or our FilmFreeway page at FilmFreeway.com/MaineStudentFilmFestival.