Film festival finds sponsor

SANDPOINT — Less than a week after dissolving its partnership with Schweitzer Mountain Resort, the Lakedance Film Festival has picked up a new title sponsor for its annual film extravaganza.

Festival director Trevor Greenfield announced Tuesday that after serving as a presenting sponsor since 2007, Sandpoint’s laser image, inc. has taken over title sponsorship duties.

“This is a dream match up for both of us and it’s exactly what we want,” he said. “They’re the type of sponsor that says ‘You guys decide what’s best for the film festival and we just want to help you in any way we can.’ ”

The agreement marks the first time laser image will act as a title sponsor for a local event, and company president Joel Whitaker said the partnership is a perfect match.

“We have been proud to support the Lakedance Film Festival since it first arrived in Sandpoint in 2006, and the opportunity to be the title sponsor is an honor,” Whitaker said. “This partnership makes perfect sense for us and we are pleased to help further Sandpoint’s exposure to quality international independent films.”

Greenfield said the move will give the festival access to laser image’s state-of-the-art sound and projection technology. Among other goals, Greenfield hopes the sponsorship will enable the festival to add full-definition film projection and surround sound to screenings at the Panida Theater.

“Because of laser image’s access to technology and new sound equipment and new home theater equipment and new projectors and things like that, we will be able to immensely expand the projection capability and sound capability of what we do at the Panida.”

The festival, now known as Lakedance by laser image, runs Oct. 31 through Nov. 8 and features more than 50 independent films from around the world.

Visit lakedance.com for more information.