Film festival seeks entries

SANDPOINT — Aspiring filmmakers have the opportunity to reveal their inner Tarkovsky next month when Sandpoint Films premiers its first film festival.

Aptly titled the 2010 Sandpoint Film Festival, the event is designed to showcase both local and out-of-town talent. Janice Jarzabek, chairperson of Sandpoint Films, decided to organize the movie extravaganza after Lakedance International Film Festival announced it was taking its final bow and moving to Edmonds, Wash. Jarzabek hopes to fill the cultural void that the newly-renamed Edmonds International Film Festival created with its departure as well as pacify the film fanatics disappointed by the decision. The day-long event is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Panida’s Little Theater.

“We don’t know how well this is going to do, so for now, we’re starting small by using the Little Theater for a one-day event,” Jarzabek said. “And depending on how things go, we can expand for next year.”

The primary goal for the festival is to acquire submissions from independent filmmakers. Guidelines for submissions are fairly sparse with no story themes or genres to abide by. The only specifications participants must follow are a 15 minute or less runtime and PG-13 or milder content. Jarzabek initially set the deadline for submissions at Oct. 15, but to encourage a broader range of participants, she extended the deadline to Oct. 20.

To submit a movie, the filmmaker must send a DVD to Sandpoint Films at  Box 304 along with a $10 entry fee. In return, the filmmaker receives to tickets to his movie’s time block and a chance to win a $100 first prize, $50 second prize or $25 third prize. There are no regional requirements to enter, and the participant doesn’t need to be present to win.

“We’re encouraging as many people as possible to enter their films to us,” Jarzabek said.

The festival itself is divided into three time blocks: 1-3 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. The first block is free and the remaining two carry a ticket cost of $5.

Sandpoint Films plans to screen some of its productions along with the independent submissions at the festival. A non-profit in operation since 2005, the organization is dedicated to cultural expansion and education through the cinematic medium.

“We’re essentially a teaching organization,” Jarzabek said. “Our mission is to provide an education in filmmaking.”