ALTOONA, Pa. — A trio of Penn State faculty members will open the second annual Altoona Reel Film Festival with an educational workshop titled “The Nuts & Bolts of Hollywood and Indie Film Production” as they draw on their experience working in Los Angeles, New York City and locally to discuss how film productions come together.
The session begins at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the ArtsAltoona Center, located at 2212 6th Avenue in Altoona, and kicks of the festival that will include 18 independent short films, two educational workshops, a keynote conversation with award-winning director and cinematographer Brad Grimm, and an awards presentation.
Festival tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students with a Penn State ID. Admission includes all workshops, film screenings, the keynote session and awards presentation. For tickets, the full schedule and event details, visit: https://artsaltoona.org/altoona-filmfest
The opening session will be led by Bob Trumpbour, a professor of communications at Penn State Altoona; Mandy Westrick, an instructor at Penn State Altoona; and Jim Westrick, an assistant teaching professor of film production in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State.
Following the workshop, keynote speaker Brad Grimm will present a second educational workshop titled “Shadow, Light, Story, Exploring How Visual Elements and Narrative Structure Work Together to Bring Stories to Life.” Grimm's career includes directing for the History Channel's “The Food That Built America,” creating content for major brands including Lexus, McDonald's, Showtime and CNN, and developing the original television series Intrusion for Universal.
While ARFF offers valuable opportunities for filmmakers, students and those interested in the film industry, the festival is designed for the entire community. Anyone who enjoys movies, storytelling and the art of filmmaking is invited to attend.
"We want people to come out simply because they love film," said Catherine Newman, administrative director of ArtsAltoona. "You don't have to be a filmmaker or know anything about the industry. If you enjoy watching movies and discovering new stories, Altoona Reel Film Festival is for you."
The festival's 18 short films will screen, starting at approximately 12:30 p.m., followed by a “Sit Down with Brad Grimm” and concluding with the Awards Presentation. Festival awards will include the Grand Award for Best Overall Short, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Short Documentary, the Creativity Award and the People's Choice Award, which will be selected by festival attendees.
The Altoona Reel Film Festival is presented by ArtsAltoona, whose mission is to connect people with the arts to strengthen our communities.