*Originally published in Worcester Magazine on Oct 18, 2012
Worcester may not be known as a filmmaker’s mecca, but the city and surrounding areas have a flourishing movie scene that will be showcased over the next year. The cooperative group Future Focus Media has been providing urban youth with lessons in photography and videography. Out of this, came the idea to bring a film festival to Worcester.
Worcester may not be known as a filmmaker’s mecca, but the city and surrounding areas have a flourishing movie scene that will be showcased over the next year. The cooperative group Future Focus Media has been providing urban youth with lessons in photography and videography. Out of this, came the idea to bring a film festival to Worcester. “We have an opportunity to teach kids about documentary filmmaking, movies, music videos, commercials; but there is nothing [to showcase the work] in Worcester,” explains founding member of the Central Mass Film Festival Dee Wells. If you look a little further outside of Worcester County, you can find film events taking place in Western Massachusetts, Boston, and Providence, R.I., but nothing in the heart of the commonwealth.
Leading up to the festival, which will take place next September, local filmmakers from Worcester County and beyond will be provided with an opportunity to highlight their featurelength and short films in a series of screenings that will take place each month. Each screening will include discussions, and question-andanswer sessions with the filmmakers, and will strive to engage potential filmmakers and film viewers alike.
“You aren’t just going to the theater, watching a movie and then walking away,” explains Kristen Lucas, a committee member of the film festival and producer of her company Goldilocks Productions. “Depending on what movie is shown, actors might be there, the director might be there, the crew might be there, and I think that personally, there are so many aspiring film makers and video makers and story tellers that don’t know where to start, and when they get to talk to somebody who did it, it is another educational piece.” With the lack of a specialized film school in Worcester County, presenting the opportunity to speak with other filmmakers could provide aspiring filmmakers with the educational tools to develop their ideas and eventually see them unfold on the big screen.
The Central Mass Film Festival’s first screening will be Saturday Oct. 20 at the Cantina Bar and Grill, 385 Main St., in Worcester and will feature “The Muse” written and directed by Rufus Chaffee. Chaffee’s passion for filmmaking began at a young age. “The Muse” is his second feature-length film.
“I think any film festival is important because it gives filmmakers opportunity to show and promote their work. It’s great for Worcester because there are a lot of Worcester area fi lmmakers that can now not only show their films locally but also see other films and work, meet other filmmakers and get more immersed in the industry and inspired,” explains Chaffee. “Through ‘The Muse,’ I have gone to a couple festivals and won some awards. To have somebody else recognize you and tell you you’re good at something that you’ve worked so hard on and care so much about is always incredibly rewarding.”
Monthly screenings, that will be free of charge, will lead up to the festival. The first screening on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. will feature a short film “Cat Scratch” at 7:30 p.m. and “The Muse” at 8 p.m. followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmaker and an after-party to provide participants with an opportunity to network. The Central Mass Film Festival will be held Sept. 12-15, 2013. Each day of the festival will feature two to three films and workshops to educate people in the many areas involved in acting and filmmaking.
For up to date information of the screenings that will take place each month leading up to the festival next year, visit cmf2.org.