NE Film And Video Festival
For the third consecutive year, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA, is hosting the New England Film and Video Festival (NEFVF). The festival runs from April 26 to May 1 and is directed by Devon Damonte, head of special projects at the Boston Film and Video Foundation. Damonte says the NEFVF's popularity has grown consistently over the years, thanks to attention garnered by locally produced hits like Brad Anderson's Next Stop Wonderland. Last year's event attracted some 2,000 people, and Damonte expects an even bigger audience this year. The NEFVF is geared toward highlighting lesser-known works by screening them alongside more famous selections, such as Floating, which is a natural attention-getter since one of its stars is actor Ben Affleck's brother. "You may come to see one [movie], then be exposed to one or two you know nothing about, and it'll open up a whole new world to you," says Damonte.
	Naturally Native The first film ever made by an Indian Tribal Nation

"For example, Martha Swetzoff, who did Theme: Murder and has been making films for many years, or David Sutherland, who has been making movies for 30 years and made The Farmer's Wife, [will be] shown alongside student films." This year's Best of Festival prize was awarded to FLOATING, a full-length film directed by Cambridge's William Roth. The film, about a young man's struggle to come of age in a troubled family, stars Norman Reedus, who appeared in Six Ways to Sunday with singer Deborah Harry, and Cambridge native Casey Affleck. Damonte points out that New England is not known for dramatic features; traditionally, its documentaries are the attention-getters. "In the case of Floating, it was kind of unusual that a feature film was selected for Best of Festival," says Damonte. "The performances are really what sold it to the jury-they really thought it was the best work of the 81 films they saw." Typically, a film or video must be directed or produced by a New Englander to be eligible for the festival. The 81 works selected this year were chosen in January by a jury of four judges, two of whom are from New England. The other two judges are chosen from outside New England, Damonte explains, to add a non-regional perspective to the judging process. Damonte says more and more feature films are made in New England as funds, equipment and expertise grow with each local film success.

Norman Reedus in FLOATING winner of the Best of FESTIVAL at the NEFVF

A primary aim of the NEFVF is to encourage filmmakers to remain in New England rather than move to New York or California, Damonte explains. "New England is never going to compete with these two places-they'll always be the center of civilization. [But] for a long time, people felt they didn't have a choice. Now, there are resources here. "I also find that a lot of people who grew up here feel strongly about this place and are committed to bringing [the industry] up and making it work here. The community is smaller, more supportive. They make it work because they have to. In New York and L.A., [the industry] is more fragmented." Each screening is followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers. Special panel discussions will also take place on April 27 and May 1, where festival award-winners will talk about the process of making films in New England. Filmgoers will also have a chance to meet and talk informally with filmmakers after each showing. Damonte, whose favorite film genre is experimental animation, is proud of the audience dynamic at past NEFVF events. "One of the unique things about the NEFVF is it really feels like a community of artists. The majority of the audience has direct connections to filmmaking; they are either filmmakers themselves, or their brother is a filmmaker, or they took their first class at the BFVF and they want to learn more. It's a family atmosphere where people support one another. People who have had films shown there in previous years come to support the community." As for festival after-effects, they include heightened inspiration and sometimes an increase in demand among young filmmakers for workshops offered by Damonte's BFVF-though he says there is a constant flow of interest to begin with. "We do get calls from Miramax after the festival," Damonte adds. "They'll ask us, "Who do you recommend?"