25 Sep Independent Film Festival Planned by UD Students
University of Dayton faculty and students have overcome challenges related to COVID-19 to put on the Dayton Independent Film Festival.
The film festival will be available online Sept. 25-28 and also will feature a special physically distanced in-person event at the Dixie Twin Drive-In in Dayton at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28. The festival focuses on short films created by artists from the Dayton area and across the Midwest.
The online festival will feature six blocks of films with one stand-alone two episode web series. The event will be ticketed through Seed&Spark, a crowdfunding platform that allows creators to build audiences, raise funds and launch careers. The festival also will feature special events including a free workshop for aspiring filmmakers.
The live event at the Dixie Twin Drive-In will feature two blocks, the first focusing on the theme of “Resilience” and the second showcasing the festival’s award winners. It takes advantage of the sudden resurgence of drive-in theaters this summer because of the pandemic. The event will feature 10 of the 39 films in the festival, allowing the community to enjoy a physically distanced night out.
The full Dayton Independent Film Festival lineup is available on the festival’s website.
Tickets for the live event can be purchased here.
“The best part about the festival is that our filmmakers will still get to have their films shown, and the overcoming spirit of Dayton has been uniquely epitomized,” said Abby Rutan, second-year graduate student from Dayton, Ohio. “I hope our film festival continuing in a safe, socially-responsible way will encourage the filmmakers who may have had other opportunities cancelled or postponed. It is absolutely indicative of Dayton’s character that, through misfortune, we are united as a community and are continuing to support the arts.”