General Preparations-BIFF 2011
Beloit International Film Festival in final stages of preparation for February.
Beloit, Wis. — The films are in. The scheduling for the showings in seven locations is in the final stages. People are starting to make hotel reservations. The sixth Beloit International Film Festival is getting ready to go to press with the program and it is prompting a lot of interest around the world.
“We are being inundated with phone calls this year from filmmakers, some of whom wouldn’t have even talked with us a few years ago,”. “It’s a great feeling.”
“Filmmakers internationally are taking Beloit seriously and are asking to be a part of BIFF. It bears out our approach of promoting and encouraging those documentary and short filmmakers who don’t usually get a lot of respect at Festivals. People are calling us because they have heard just how great this festival is and what a warm reception they can anticipate from the Beloit audience.”
This year’s festival, Feb. 17-20, 2011 , will offer more almost films selected from the more than 400 films submitted since last March. The films will be shown in seven venues, concentrated in the downtown Beloit area.
Venues for 2011 will offer a range of settings and amenities, seating from 30 to 750. New this year will be two venues at the Hendricks Art Center of Beloit College. The exciting addition of the Hendricks Art Center screening venues will be complimented by restaurants Bagels and More, Domenicos and Casa Grande, as well as produce market Bushel and Peck’s, the Eclipse Center and a few new venues to be announced soon.
Steven Fass, chair of the film selection committee has been impressed with the number of quality films that have been submitted for the competition this year. “We have seen an increase in all categories and the selection process has been challenging,” according to Fass. “Audiences are in for a great four days of film viewing.”
“One of our biggest draws every year is the short films—films of less than 30 minutes. We group them together into “Short Slots” and this year the content is vibrant and exciting.”
Again this year the winners of BIFF grants will be announced the night of the Launch Party on Feb. 17th. This will also give people a heads up on some of the really outstanding films worthy of their attention,” says Fass.
Tickets will go on sale in mid-January online at www.beloitfimfest.com or at the Visit Beloit BIFF Box Office. The annual Reveal Party will provide the guide for planning the four day festival. The popular “Bifficates,” gift certificates that can be exchanged for tickets for specific films—ideal stocking stuffers—are now on sale online or at the BIFF offices at 444 East Grand Ave, Suite 100 Beloit, WI 53511 (beneath the college bookstore).