WV Film Festivals Guide 2024

Spring is right around the corner and we’re excited to be looking at a full bloom of film festivals across the Mountain State.

Here’s a look at 2024 WV film fests already officially on the books - and up on Film Freeway - with many now open for submissions, sponsors and ready for your support. There are several other tentative fests scheduled for 2024 but are still organizing their events.

?If you know of a WV film festival not listed below, please reach out -? Dave Lavender at [email protected] or contact us at our WV Film Office website (www.wv.film.com) where you can submit info about your project.?

The 21st American Conservation Film Festival

Celebrating its 21st year in 2024, ACFF runs Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 10, rolling 27 films over the weekend inside the historic Shepherdstown Opera House in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. With a theme of engage, inform and inspire the ACFF features a wide array of conservation and environmental films from around the world This year’s Festival kicks off on Thursday, March 7 at noon with a Free Hike at the Yankauer Nature Preserve and closes with a Community Dinner at Alma Bea on Sunday, March 10 at 6:30pm. To attend, you can purchase a full festival pass for $64 which will give you access to all 27 films* or you can purchase single tickets at $14 for each screening/block.

Students 18 and under as well as college students with ID are admitted FREE to all screenings with a ticket. To obtain a student ticket, use the code Student24 at checkout. Please be aware that not all films are appropriate for all ages.

*A full festival pass does not include admission to the Community Dinner at Alma Bea. You can? purchase an additional ticket for $35 and enjoy delicious food and great company.

Connect online at https://conservationfilmfest.org/

Marshall University Student Film Festival

See the latest batch of fresh films from students at Marshall University home to West Virginia's first BFA in Filmmaking, a new degree program that starts in the Fall 2024. Films will be screened at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center on campus. The screening is free and open to the public. The screening is sponsored by the MU Department of English and the MU Film Studies Program. Find out more about the BFA in Filmmaking degree at https://www.marshall.edu/art/filmmaking/

Harpers Ferry Outdoor Adventure Fest

The first Harpers Ferry Outdoor Adventure Film Festival will run March 22-23. Harpers Ferry Parks & Recreation is sponsoring this family friendly Film Festival from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 22 and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 23.

Friday Night Films include —The Peregrine Falcons of Harpers Ferry, Local Outfitter Short Film, Thread in Time & Featured Film: Impossible Town. Watch a trailer for Impossible Town at https://vimeo.com/479989853

Saturday Night Films include The Peregrine Falcons of Harpers Ferry, Local Outfitter Short Film, Storer Collect: A Legacy of Light and Learning & Feature Film: King Coal.

Seating is limited. Please purchase your tickets in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harpers-ferry-film-festival-24-tickets-828427538067

For more info, email Pat Morse [email protected] or to Wayne Bishop [email protected].

The Fourth Annual Berkeley Springs Film Festival

Films will be screened on Saturday and Sunday March 23-24 at Cacapon Resort State Park in Berkeley Springs, WV. Popcorn and concessions will be set up outside the screening room. If you need to take a break from watching films and stretch your legs, enjoy the miles of hiking trails at the resort, play a round of golf, or take advantage of the many amenities at the Cacapon Resort.: www.BSFilmFestival.com

Veteran L.A. actor Stanley Livingston will give a three-hour seminar on the business side of acting. Stanley will also answer questions during the Q&A about his 60-years’ experience as a writer, director and producer. He started his career acting the role of Chip on the long-running TV series: My Three Sons.

Stunt Coordinator Johnny Becker whose credits include Live Free or Die Hard, Wonder Woman 1984, House of Cards, and dozens of other popular films. He and his crew will do a live stunt demonstration and explain how to stay safe on set. For more information about our seminars, please visit our website 2024 seminar page: https://www.bsfilmfestival.com/2024filmmakerseminars

Following the Saturday awards, enjoy an After Party at the fest’s private beautiful cozy dining room with fireplace and mingle with filmmakers, cast and crew. Go online at https://www.bsfilmfestival.com/

The WV Mountaineer Short Film Festival?

The Mountaineer Short Film Fest returns this spring for its 11th edition for a two-day event on April 19-20, 2024. They are looking for unique, boundary-pushing works in video, animation, new- media, performance and film. Deadline for entries is Friday, March 8. Established submission categories include: Experimental, Narrative, Documentary, Animation & Student Work Film Freeway link to submit? https://filmfreeway.com/TheWestVirginiaMountaineerShortFilmFestival

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour?

The Marshall Artists Series welcomes the return of its annual hosting of the most prestigious outdoors film festival - the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Monday, April 22. There’s a new twist this year with a new outdoors-related venue - the Marshall University Rec Center, home to the rock climbing wall, and kayak classes. The film fest features the world’s best mountain sport, culture and environmental films. Since 1986, right after the festival, held every fall in Banff, Alberta, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour starts to travel around the globe with stops in 450 communities and 40 countries. Tickets are $10. Get tickets at the Artists Series Box Office or at https://www.ticketmaster.com/banff-mountain-film-festival-huntington-west-virginia-04-22-2024/event/16005F25A808152F

Appalachian Film Festival in Huntington

April 26-28, 2024 at the Foundry Theater (above Huntington City Hall). Rebooted in 2023 in Huntington at the Foundry Theatre after a ten year absence, The Appalachian Film Festival is back! The fest presents films made in the 13-state Appalachian region as well as a workshop, music video night, vendors, food trucks and more. New this year is a rare big screen feature presentation of the 1987 John Sayles classic, Matewan, which The Library Of Congress just placed into the prestigious National Film Registry.

The Appy (a hand-blown Blenko Glass apple) award is given to winners in the categories of documentary, feature, music video and student films. The main festival will take place in the historic Foundry Theater at Huntington City Hall. The Appy Film Festival kicks off with a night of original, regional music videos shown at the music venue, The Loud. Submit your film at? https://filmfreeway.com/AppalachianFilmFestival Contact festival director Rachel Allinder at [email protected] for more information on how you can volunteer or help sponsor the fest.

Second annual Mountain Craft Film Fest?

Hosted by the production company, Mtn Craft, the second annual Mtn Craft Film Festival will run Oct. 3-6, 2024 at the historic Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center, Clarksburg. The fest features long and short documentary and scripted narrative films created by Appalachians, about Appalachia, or featuring Appalachian locations/crew. The 2024 call for submissions will run through late July 2024. The first year fest also featured a trolley tour of downtown film locations, food trucks, a filmmakers lounge, vendors and more.

Submit at https://filmfreeway.com/MtnCraftFilmFestival and join the email list at https://www.mtncraftfilmfestival.com

Fourth West Virginia Faith and Family Film Fest

The WV Faith and Family Film Fest is an international Christian film event with a hometown feel will be held Oct. 11-13 in Bridgeport. Those who attend will have a warm intimate screening with fellowship and networking with other Christian filmmakers. During this three-day event, organizers will be hosting multiple workshops on film production, offering acting classes, celebrity Q&A events and a BBQ networking social. Cost is $75 and $50 for students (covers all festival activities). Find out more information about the fest at? https://www.christianfilmevent.com/bridgeport

The 11th annual Appalachian Queer Film Festival

The AQFF was founded in 2014 to bring Queer and Trans film from around the world to Appalachia and to promote LGBTQ+ filmmakers within the region. Since then the festival has toured WV with festivals in Lewisburg, Charleston, Huntington and a new city in 2024. Last year's fest was Oct. 6-8. Go online at https://www.appalachianqueerfilmfest.com/ and follow the AQFF socials for the soon to be announced 2024 dates.