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Black Maria International Film Festival Returns to Southwest Florida and Edison State College

Mar 14, 2011


Black Maria International Film Festival Returns to Southwest Florida and Edison State College

~5th Year of Academy Award Qualifying Program~

 

What:    Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival

When:  Fri., March 18, 7:30 p.m. - Edison & Ford Winter Estates (rain date March 20)

Sat., March 19, 7:30 p.m.  - Edison State College, Lee Campus, Richard H. Rush Library

Monday, March 21, 7:00 p.m. - BIG ARTS, Sanibel

 

FORT MYERS, FL (March 3, 2011 )- The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Edison State College and BIG ARTS, Sanibel Island  will host the 30th annual Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival in Florida for a fifth season since the Festival began its national tour in 1981.  The Festival has the added attraction of being shown outdoors in the gardens of the Estates as well as indoors in the newly renovated Auditorium in the Richard H. Rush Library at Edison State College and the Schein Performance Hall at BIG ARTS, Sanibel Island. 

 

The award winning festival will be held on March 18, 2011 at the Estates; March 19, 2011 at 7:30 in the Auditorium at the Richard H. Rush Library at Edison State College; and March 21, 2010 at Schein Performance Hall at BIG ARTS on Sanibel Island.  Black Maria Film Festival Director and Founder, John Columbus will introduce the films and facilitate discussion afterwards. 

 

The Black Maria Film Festival, named after Thomas Edison’s first motion picture studio, honors Edison’s pioneering work in cinema.  The Festival is hosted by museums and colleges throughout the country and showcases independent and experimental film and video.  The films include a variety of contemporary works drawn from the annual juried selection of award winning films and videos.  The Black Maria is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Academy Awards qualifying festival for short films. 

 

Free tickets for ESC students   for the screening on March 19th are available in the Student Life office on Lee campus. All other tickets may be bought in advance at the Estates, 2350 McGregor Boulevard; and BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel Island.    The cost is $7 per evening for adults, $5 for students.  Tickets for all three nights can be purchased at a discounted rate of $15.  Estates Members are free on March 18 and Edison State College students are free on March 19.  Seating is limited.  For more information call 239-334-7419 or visit the following websites: Edison & Ford Winter Estates at www.efwefla.org, Edison State College at www.edison.edu/artsedison/events.php BIG ARTS at www.bigarts.org and the Black Maria Film Festival at  www.blackmariafilmfestival.org. 

 

 

Last Updated: March 14, 2011

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