17th Annual Chesapeake Film Festival

The 17th annual Chesapeake Film Festival continues in Easton at the historic Ebenezer Theater September 27-29 with a celebration of the very best in independent filmmaking with almost 40 films and panel discussions from filmmakers throughout the world.

Schedule:

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Cid Collins Walker leads Q & A with Director, Glenn Holsten

Special Event

“The Art of Storytelling” Panel and Workshop at the Talbot County Free Library - Immerse yourself in the world of creating a strategy for your film as professional filmmakers and authors share their stories on the making of their films. Join Glenn Holsten, director of Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye, Leslie Shampaine, director of Call Me Dancer, Vincent de Paul, director of The Genius of Gianni Versace, Rebekah Louisa Smith, the Film Festival doctor who will share strategies for distribution, Monda Raquel Webb, CFF Board Member and director of Mother Knows Best and Zoo will share details about what it takes to publish and Theodore Adams, III, CFF Board Member and director of Tri, Tyndall Typewriter and other films will talk about his screenwriting experiences with new films Shine Box and Breathe.

Location: Talbot County Library
100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601

12 Noon - 2:30 pm

Documentary Features, “Imagination & Truth”

Ted Adams: welcome and introduction

12 Noon - 1:00 PM Imaginarius - International Documentary Feature - TRT: 62 min - Chile directed by Juan Ignacio Bello - Florencia, Amanda, Matias and Agustin, fantasize about the Total Solar Eclipse that will arrive at their quiet hometown, The Elqui Valley an astronomic hotspot near the Atacama Desert. Amid the unusual frenzy that surrounds their town, the kids dream about a more sustainable and brighter future.

Ted Adams, Q & A with Director Juan Ignacio Bello, Ted Adams to introduce Truth Teller

1:25pm - 2:30 pm Truth Tellers  - Documentary Feature -- TRT: 57:54 min - USA directed by Richard Kane -- Truth Tellers is a film about political artist Robert Shetterly’s “Americans Who Tell the Truth”, a project that explores our country’s ongoing struggle to live up to our democratic ideals with those who are
not afraid to speak the truth nor challenge the status quo.

2:45PM - 4:15PM CFF 2024 Student Awards Showcase - Sponsored in part by Harley Gates

Tim Smith, Development Project Leader welcomes and introduces the films.

Missing Figure - Student Short - directed by Jeremiah Battle - TRT: 6:04 min A young man makes a call to his father who is no longer in his life before his upcoming wrestling match.

For the Love of the Game, Student Short - directed by Ollie Killip - TRT: 15:27 min USA Towson University’s Women’s Basketball Team fight through their turbulent first season under their new management team. Experience the season as they do, with a look into the lives of the players, coaches and staff that make the team tick, and be ready to fall in love with the sport all over again.

Dance Party, Student Short - Directed by Lucy Saper - TRT: 1:43 min USA - Layers of colorful screen-printed and airbrushed collaged dancers come to life in this vibrant animation.

Things I Wish I’d Said - Student Short - directed by Riley Frutiger - TRT: 5:21 min - Unable to sleep, a girl writes a letter trying to articulate the complex emotional turmoil towards her dead brother that’s keeping her awake. Monarchs in Motion - Student Environmental Short TRT: 13:14 min directed by Mason Mirabile.

Monarchs in Motion is a documentary featuring footage from the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserves in Michocan, Mexico. The film tells the story of the migratory Monarch and challenges across its migration from Canada to Mexico. The film features experts from WWF, Monarch Watch and Natural Habitat Adventures.

Beauty - Animation TRT: 1:41 min USA Student film directed by Carley Dernetz - In a visually engaging stop motion, a powerful slam poem delves into the weight of beauty standards and body image, as words cut out of paper are intertwined with images from Towson’s literary magazine, revealing the struggle for self-acceptance in a world obsessed with appearance.

Amathus - Animation TRT: 3:34 min USA Student film directed by Lydia Mastrangelo. Amathus is a retelling of the birth of Aphrodite that explores modern storytelling and femininity.

Portrait Day - Animation TRT: 2:53 min USA Student film directed by Romina Melissa Nunez -- When a cat and dog are paired to draw each other for a class portrait assignment, total chaos ensues.

Mary Through the Glass - Animation TRT: 7:02 min USA Student film directed by Wyatt Cooper Carson -- Busy cars, dotted distant windows and aimless lights make up a city through the whimsical perspective of an indoor cat. “Mary” tells the story of a curious cat who finds the company of an imaginary friend more intriguing than the neighborhood cats, leading her to a new world.

Q & A following the screenings with Lucy Saper, Jeremiah Battle, Mason Mirabile and Lydia Mastrangelo.

Tim Smith takes Q & A with student filmmakers

4:30 PM - 6:15PM - “Spotlight on Maryland”

Heritage Award: Waterfowl Festival Environmental Short - TRT: 3:37 min In 2022, the Waterfowl Festival (Talbot County) received a Heritage Award in the category of Tradition. The Festival is an annual cultural event in Easton that celebrates and educates the public about waterfowling culture and conservation traditions on the Eastern Shore. Founded in 1971, the Festival is among the oldest and largest continuous events of its type, featuring decoy carving, sporting art, and the World Waterfowl Calling Contest.

The Last Epic Ride - Narrative Short - Spotlight on Maryland - TRT: 10:57 min - directed by Rick Kain. The Last Epic Ride is the story of a terminally ill man that, aided by his friends, goes for one last motorcycle ride along a familiar route.

Get on the Bus - Documentary Feature - TRT: 68:26 min directed by Justinian Dispenza. A journey involving over 50 individuals from Chestertown, MD, traveled to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery on August 25. Along the way, stops at significant civil rights locations in Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, and Atlanta offered profound insights into often overlooked aspects of Black history and the contemporary African American experience. These experiences are captured in the documentary Get on the Bus!, which chronicles the transformative journey.

Kimberly Skyrme: Q & A with Rick Kain, Vickie Wareheim, Justinian Dispenza and possible Waterfowl Festival person

6:30PM - 8PM Closing Night Film

In the Whale - Documentary Feature

Sandy Cannon Brown introduces film

TRT: 81:14 min USA directed by David Abel. An award-winning feature-length film. Arguably the greatest fish story ever told, though this one is true. It’s the account of a man who survived to tell the tale of being swallowed by a whale, and what happened after he escaped. In the shark-filled waters off Cape Cod,xxxx Michael Packard has long tempted fate.

Sandy Cannon Brown provides Closing Remarks

Location: Ebenezer Theater
17 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD 21601