The LAVA Center is now accepting submissions for its second annual film festival, a showcase of works by filmmakers from across Massachusetts.
The festival will be held Sept. 8 to 11 at The LAVA Center, located at 324 Main St. in Greenfield. The submission deadline is Thursday, June 16, at the early-bird cost of $5, although submissions will be accepted until Thursday, July 14, at the regular rate of $10. Youth under 18 years old can enter for free.
The LAVA Center first opened shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and quickly had to shift to virtual programming. Throughout the last couple years, the center has had to close and open its doors multiple times.
Its inaugural film festival was held online last year, after receiving a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. This year, the festival will be in person.
“This is the second annual but in reel, r-e-e-l, life,” joked Vanessa Query, manager of The LAVA Center. “And we may do some of it online as well, screening the ‘best of the fest’ in a separate program if there’s a demand for it.”
For its first festival, there was no selection process. Organizers screened everything that was submitted and deemed appropriate.
“We’re going to have a selection process this year, but I still like the idea of amateur films,” Query said. “It’s very possible that we won’t be as competitive as festivals can be because we want to highlight young filmmakers as well as more polished professionals. I love the idea of having a range.”
Last year there were about 20 individual filmmakers, plus a couple student groups who made projects. At the moment, The LAVA Center is unsure of how many filmmakers will participate this year.
“We want to highlight regional and local filmmaking,” said Wally Marzano-Lesnevich, a screenwriter, actor and director collaborating with Query to organize the festival. “Each year it grows into a little community of people who are supporting each other’s films.”
The film festival will involve a mix of screenings, question and answer sessions, panel discussions and some networking time, Marzano-Lesnevich explained.
“Our space is generally family-friendly,” Query noted. “If we do have films that are not family-friendly, we will likely batch them together and then have the daytime ones be generally open.”
The festival will hold an awards ceremony, but prizes have not yet been chosen. Each film screening will have a capacity of 49 people.
“I think it’s great to see the variety of people who are involved,” said Matt Demko, a filmmaker from Essex County who participated last year and plans to do so again this year. “It’s a whole community I never knew about until a few years ago.
“It’s a thriving film scene and there’s something for everyone,” Demko added.
The LAVA Center is accepting films and videos of any length or subject. For more information, email info@localaccess.org.