The New/Next Film Fest in Baltimore's Station North neighborhood, is returning for its second year at the historic Charles Theatre. The festival, getting its encore in 2024, after a surprise turnout convinced the organizers to bring it back.
"The response was overwhelming, like oh my gosh people really want this,"co-founder and event producer, Sam Sessa said.
Originally, New/Next Film Fest was created to make up for the Maryland Film Fest being canceled in 2023; a brain child of Baltimore Public Media.
"We thought it was going be a one-off, but after that we thought why can’t a city of this size support multiple film festivals?"
Even after Maryland Festival came back, they decided to bring New/Next back for an encore. Only this year, they're planning to do it bigger and better.
"We’ve got all five screens at the Charles Theatre up and running all weekend, four days instead of just three. It’s going to be more than 120 films and even more filmmakers are coming into town to be a part of it."
One of those films comes from Maryland filmmaker and Towson University professor, Kalima Young. Her short documentary, "Periscopic Gaze" is the first screening to sell out at this year's festival. It's a documentary focusing on the experience of black women through the lens of Kalima and her sisters. Young believes festivals like these feed the creativity of filmmakers everywhere, while putting a special spotlight on the storytellers that come from her home state.
"Especially in Maryland, a film festival is the time for us to validate each other’s art and receive inspiration and then kick it off to the next level," she said.
Sessa is hoping this is an opportunity to create an atmosphere that people can look forward to for years to come.
"There’s something electric about a film festival, about being in a room with a couple like minded people who are here for the art, here to see something new, here to be surprised and people who are making their living or want to be making a living making these films," he said.
"You can’t quantify that, that’s an x-factor, and I loved that about last year and I love that we get to do it again this year."
New/Next Film Fest runs Thursday October 3rd through Sunday October 6.
ClickHEREfor event and ticket information.
