Program Announced for Brookfield’s ‘Shorts and to the Point’ Film Festival

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

By ALICE TESSIER
housatonictimes@ctcentral.com
@AliceHousatonic

Call Ann Amorossi at 203-775-2895 or email at ann.amorossi@gmail.com

Reservations Information

1. Though all seats are good, seating is limited – reservations are recommended

2. Seats are not assigned – your reservation just promises a seat will available

3. If you would like your group to sit together, we highly recommend arriving one half hour early. enjoy the pre-show entertainment!

4. Groups of six or more may reserve a block of seats – we will hold the block until 20 minutes before the screening begins (see # 3)

5. Admisison is a suggested donation of $15/pp, and is made at the door in cash or check made out to the Friends of the Arts of Brookfield, inc.

6. Your admission includes a complimentary glass of wine!

Enjoy the show!

The Brookfield Arts Commission and The Friends of the Arts of
Brookfield, Inc., have been awarded an Arts Catalyze Placemaking
Grant from the Department of Economic and Community Development;
Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the
National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The grant will
support a public art project, “Reflections in Mosaic”, designed by
Brookfield artists, Joanne and Bruce Hunter.

Partnerships and inclusiveness are essential components of the grant
program thus the BAC has invited the Brookfield Substance Abuse
Coalition, the Brookfield Police Department and others to participate
in the project. Over 100 invitations went out to the town’s commission
and board members, community leaders and a variety of individuals
requesting their participation in the project’s Steering Committee.
More than thirty invitees joined the committee and have successfully
worked with the artists over the last two months to develop and finalize
the design for “Reflections in Mosaic”.

The mural will consist of 10, 3 x 5 foot mosaic panels and will be
installed in the lobby of Town Hall. The unveiling will take place in
October during Brookfield Days, as part of the commemoration of our
225th anniversary of incorporation. The Steering Committee will insure
everyone has access to the art by providing both an audio program and
a braille plaque, both describing the project process and the mural itself.

The fabrication of the mural will rely entirely on members of
the community volunteering to get messy and being part of
something bigger than life. If you would like to participate, please
contact Katherine Daniel, Community Development Director at
kdaniel@brookfieldct.gov or Mary Daniel, Chairman of the Brookfield
Arts Commission at mmgadaniel@earthlink.net. We hope that
neighbors, work colleagues, friends and families, clubs and book
groups will team up for a shift and then get together and celebrate their
accomplishment. No experience necessary – we promise!

Published: Housatonic Times, Wednesday, February 06, 2013

By ALICE TESSIER
housatonictimes@ctcentral.com
@AliceHousatonic at Twitter

Brookfield will be making its mark on the film scene again this year, with a few notable changes.

There will be a new venue, a different calendar slot and a more considered programming focus for the fifth annual “Shorts and to the Point” film festival, according to Mary Daniel, the chairwoman of the Brookfield Arts Commission, which sponsors the event.

“We have enjoyed being at the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts very, very much, but we couldn’t get the dates we wanted this year,” she said.

“Since last August or September, we’ve been looking for a new venue,” she continued. “We visited West Conn [Western Connecticut State University in Danbury] and the Newtown town hall, and the Newtown location seemed perfect, in terms of its short distance from Brookfield and its special character.”

The festival will be held upstairs in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall at 45 Main St/, and there’s elevator service to that floor.

“It’s a charming room, and we’ll be able to have an additional screening,” Ms. Daniel said. “There’s also a kitchen there, so it will be easy to serve refreshments. There’s also plenty of parking space available.”

According to the town’s Web site, Edmond Town Hall is the seat of municipal government and also houses a movie theater, banquet hall, gymnasium and meeting rooms. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The film festival usually takes place the last weekend of March, but since that is the Easter holiday this year, the festival will be held the following weekend, April 5-7, according to Ms. Daniel.

Since the festival’s inception, “Shorts and to the Point” features short films that have won awards at other festivals.

“We thought this would be a perfect niche for Brookfield,” Mrs. Daniel said in an earlier interview. “We wanted to cultivate an appreciation for independent filmmaking.”

The festival is a project that is undertaken by the Arts Commission, an eight-member board, with the help of a group of volunteers.

“Chris Aher, a Brookfield resident who had been involved with the film festival at Lincoln Center, is part of the group this year,” Ms. Daniel said.

“Shorts and to the Point” continues to grow each year—in recognition, audience and support, according to Ms. Daniel.

“It’s a lot of work to put it together and a lot of fun,” she said.

Given the great tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in mid-December, when 20 children and six adults lost their lives as a result of an attack by a young gunman, the festival organizers are giving a lot of thought to the program selections.

“We’re being very, very selective,” said Ms. Daniel. “We’re deliberately seeking out films are more inspirational this year.”

As in previous years, a video workshop will be offered as part of the festival. “A Production Challenge” will give participants an opportunity to learn how to make their own short film. The three-day workshop will be taught by Dr. J.C. Barone, a professor at Western Connecticut, from March 22 to 24. The fee is $150, and some scholarship money is expected to be available, according to Ms. Daniel.

“He runs the workshop every year, and it is quite popular,” she said.

It is usually open to older high school students and adults, and no prior experience is necessary.

Mrs. Daniel previously noted that it would be useful for anyone interested in producing public service announcements as well as film and video buffs.

For more information about the workshop and to register, contact Ray Dori, the commission’s vice chairman, at 203-740-2019.

The Brookfield Arts Commission is proud to present the fifth annual Brookfield Film Festival (BFF), to be held Friday, April 5, Saturday, April 6, and Sunday April 7, 2013.  Now in its fifth year, the 2013 BFF, “Shorts and to the Point,” will include an arrangement of short films that have been nominated for or received awards from industry competitions and festivals, such as the MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival and the Academy Awards®.

Organized by the Brookfield Arts Commission, the Brookfield Film Festival is created to cultivate appreciation for quality filmmaking and to provide screening opportunities for local audiences to view unique and entertaining films from around the world.

The short film collection will be showcased in 4 screenings: 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 5;  2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6; and 3PM Sunday April 7.

This year the Brookfield Film Festival will be held at the Alexandria Room in Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St. Newtown, CT.

The specific short film selections will be announced at a later date.

The “Shorts and to the Point” program is not rated and is intended for an adult audience. Admission is $15 and refreshments will be served during intermission. Seating is limited and reservations are suggested. Reservations can be made through Wednesday, April 3 by phone at 203-775-2895, by email at ann.amorossi@gmail.com.

In addition to the film presentation, the 2013 Brookfield Film Festival will also include “A Production Challenge” a comprehensive workshop on the fundamentals of digital video production.  Dr. J.C. Barone of Western Connecticut State University will teach this interactive and hands-on workshop during which participants will create their own three-minute short films. The dates for this workshop are March 22, 23 and 24, 2013.  To receive more information about the workshop,  contact Ray Dori at redori@charter.net.