Film buffs rejoice as the Southern Maryland Film Festival returns to the area following a four-year hiatus.
This year’s festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at R/C Theatres’ Lexington Exchange Movies 12, located at 44800 Oak Crest Drive in California.
“We are so excited; the hiatus was painful,” Film Festival Representative Maria Fleming Maria Fleming said. “Getting restarted has been a little painful but it definitely has been a passion project and a labor of love.”
Members of the public can meet the filmmakers 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Taphouse 1637, located at 23418 Three Notch Road in California.
Guests will be able to attend a round-robin discussion on Independent Filmmaking in the 21st Century, including topics like scouting locations, the use of drones, and the public’s obsession with zombies anyway?
In addition, the jury award winner will be announced. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Thirty films will be shown throughout the day in 90-and 180-minute blocks and will be divided by theme: Family-Friendly (suitable for all ages), Southern Maryland Heritage (featuring a documentary on guitarist Danny Gatton), Maryland-made Exhibition Films (including an award-winning animated short), Love and Relationships (from first dates to seasoned marriages), Suspense (to keep viewers on the edge of their seats), and Mature (films that contain more graphic language, mature themes and depictions of violence).
Examples of Family-Friendly movies include “ Bucket Hat,” “Bicycle,” “Return to Sender” and “Waiting for a Friend,” in which an elderly woman is stood up on a picnic by her friend, although someone else shows up.
Some of the American Heritage films include “Maryland’s Wild Oyster Harvest” and “Shifting Tides” about a set of multi-generational watermen based in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, and asks how each are adapting to the rising costs, increased regulation, and growing effects of climate change.
Suspense Films include “The Nightmare Within,” “Chain Letter” and “Overdue,” about a group of teens who begin disappearing in the library, and they’re about to find out why. The film was produced by the Charles County Public Library Film Club for Teens.
Maryland-Made films include “Bucket Hat” and “The Tower Road Bus,” about Dotson Burns, Jr., who was on the frontlines of school integration as a teacher and then as the first Black principal of a majority-white school in Prince George’s County.
Love and Relationships selections include “Philadelphia, My Love,” “Replace Me” and “Don’t Jump!”
Mature Audience films consist of “Arterial Motive” and “Zombies Are Real,” in which an avid Zombie fan finally gets to fight in the ultimate apocalypse.
“Every year we are so surprised at the quality of films we get,” Fleming said, “and the ability to share that with the local community and for filmmakers to see their projects up on the big screen. I find that magical.”
Tickets will be $9 per block per person regardless of age, length of movie block or number of tickets purchased.
Seating is limited and assigned, and most movies will be shown only once and Fleming said “make sure you buy your tickets early.”
Almost all of the films were produced by local and regional filmmakers. The festival’s selected films represent a variety of genres and range in length and subject matter, including some content that may not be suitable for all viewers, so attendees are encouraged to read the film descriptions provided on the festival and theatre websites before finalizing their purchase.
For more information on the Southern Maryland Film Festival, email smdfilmfest@gmail.com or go to somdfilmfest.org.
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