Beloit International Film Festival Receives Stateline Community Foundation Community Impact Grant

Beloit Film Festival Receives Stateline Community Foundation GrantThe Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) announced today that it has received another Stateline Community Foundation “Community Impact” grant in the amount of $5000, which will be used to fund the popular local independent film series known as BIFF Year ‘Round (BYR). The award reflects a $1500 increase over last year’s grant.

The Stateline Community Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in its geographic area including: Beloit, Brodhead, Clinton, Orfordville, Rockton, Roscoe and South Beloit. The Community Foundation makes grants in the areas of education, health and human services, youth, family and aging, community development, arts and culture, and the environment. Grants are made for programs likely to make a clear difference in the quality of life for a substantial number of people.

BYR is a weekly gathering of local independent film fans in the Film Studies room at the Hendricks Center for the Arts at Beloit College. The series begins in September and runs throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring seasons. Guests of these Wednesday night events are treated to refreshments, and then enjoy screening new films that are under consideration for acceptance into the next film festival. Ballots are cast by attendees and those tallies pick the winner of the BYR People’s Choice award. Following each screening, filmmakers are often available for Q&A, either in person or via Skype and FaceTime.

This program provides an interesting arts and entertainment opportunity for the Beloit community. And it ensures that BIFF, perhaps the single most celebrated arts event in the area, remains in the public eye and gathers momentum for attendance at the February festival, now celebrating its 15th year of existence.

The grant money will be used to pay BYR staffers who curate the films, arrange for filmmaker Q&A sessions and provide setup and teardown services each week. The grant will also pay for all marketing costs involved in the promotion of weekly events. In addition, part of the grant will go toward general food and beverage service supplies, and for equipment purchases when necessary.

BIFF Executive Director, Greg Gerard, commented on the value of the grant and the importance of BIFF Year ‘Round:

“Tara Tinder and the Stateline Community Foundation have gone above and beyond the call of support for BIFF with this year’s increase in grant funding. The BIFF Year ‘Round series has been growing steadily over the past year, and this support has surely been a big part of the trend. As our community expands with economic development, bringing new citizens to Beloit, local arts and entertainment programs become a more vital commodity. This grant helps keep the arts alive in an important way!”

If you’d like to know more about BIFF, go to beloitfilmfest.org. You can find out more about the Stateline Community Foundation at statelinecf.org


About Beloit International Film Festival:

The Beloit International Film Festival this year marks its 15th season as the region’s major international cultural event. BIFF is sponsored by the Hendricks Family Foundation and Visit Beloit in association with Beloit College. Support for the Festival comes from area businesses and civic organizations, and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Critical individual support for BIFF is provided through gifts and membership in the BIFF Founders and the Film Society of Beloit.

Media Contact:
Name: Greg Gerard
Title: Executive Director
Phone: (608) 302-7554
Email address: greg @beloitfilmfest.org

BIFF - Beloit International Film Festival
BIFF | Beloit International Film Festival