Youngstown Film Festival set for October

May 10, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

YOUNGSTOWN

The details are still being ironed out, but the inaugural Youngstown Film Festival is scheduled to take place Oct. 12-14.

The festival will include about 20 or 25 films screened at several locations over the three days in several categories: Native Youngstown or Northeast Ohio Filmmakers; Children’s Animation; Documentaries; Horror; LGBT Issues; and Working Class Themes.

Opening night will be at Stambaugh Auditorium. It will include screenings in the auditorium and a reception in the lobby.

The YFF committee is still in the process of selecting films — it began accepting submissions March 1.

The Oh Wow! Children’s Center on Federal Street, downtown, already has agreed to be a site for children’s animation films, and talks are taking place to secure other locations.

The executive director and guiding force behind the film festival is Poland attorney Michele Simonelli.

When Austintown Movies — the former art-film theater in Austintown Plaza — changed hands in 2005, Simonelli (then McBride) led the effort to keep limited-release movies at the venues’ three screens.

That attempt ultimately failed. The theater closed for good in 2006, and its space has since been transformed into a thrift store.

But Simonelli never gave up on the idea.

“We’ve been talking about starting a film festival since 2006 when that theater closed,” said the film buff.

The first year will be a testing ground, said Simonelli. “We have to let people know about it and determine if they even want it,” she said. “It will take time to develop.”

Simonelli has consulted with officials at similarly sized film festivals for advice. She also has reached out to filmmakers whose works were screened this spring at the Cleveland International Film Festival to see if they want to submit works for the YFF.

“We want to keep quality high,” she said.

The film festival also will include question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, a children’s day and awards — including Best of the Fest, Pride of Youngstown and Audience Special Selection — for the best films.

For information about the YFF, go to youngstownfilm.com.

To submit a film, send two DVD copies, along with $50, a press kit and contact information, to P.O. Box 14103, Poland, OH 44514. Call 330-757-7400 for information.

Selections will be made by Sept. 15. Filmmakers will be notified directly.