Kids’ films wanted for Reel Expressions Youth Film Festival in Poughkeepsie
After attending the Teen Shorts event at the recent Woodstock Film Festival, I am excited to watch more youth films and support our kids’ chances to be heard and seen. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to hear the news that the award-winning Children’s Media Project (CMP), based in Poughkeepsie, is hosting an awesome new film festival.
The Reel Expressions Youth Film Festival aims to celebrate the voice and creativity of young filmmakers, both local and abroad. CMP’s executive director Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt explained: “For many years, Children’s Media Project ran and curated the youth component of the Hamptons International Film Festival, getting submissions from around the globe and creating a daylong program of youth-produced shorts. Those submissions were also considered for CMP’s youth-produced television series, DROP TV. The Hamptons Film Festival stopped their youth program due to funding, but CMP never stopped soliciting global youth-produced submissions for our award-winning DROP TV. So it was natural for us to get back to wanting to exhibit these great shorts on the big screen!”
The main event is set for March 2, 2013 at the Cunneen-Hackett Theater. The Reel Expressions submission deadline has been extended to November 30, 2012. To enter, youth must be between the ages of 14 and 19 years. The film must be under ten minutes long and in QuickTime format. Accepted genres are narrative, animation, experimental and documentary. A panel of judges from the field will review and select works. The grand prize is $500. For more information about Reel Expressions or DROP TV, call (845) 485-4480 or visit www.childrensmediaproject.org.
Halloween parades & other frightful festivities in Woodstock & New Paltz
Halloween draws crowds from around the region to Woodstock and New Paltz, because they’re just so much fun! Our kids’ favorite part is being allowed to walk right down the middle of the street in the annual parade.
The Woodstock Halloween Parade (to be held this Thursday, November 1, due to the hurricane) is a great place to see and be seen, with three age categories for best costumes: baby to 3 years; 4 to 11 years; and age 12 through teens. Adults walk in the parade to show off their fabulous creations, and drummers and dancers are encouraged to join in, too. After the parade, stay for the Halloween Party on the Village Green with a deejay hosted by Family of Woodstock. The parade begins at the Community Center on Rock City Road in Woodstock at 6 p.m.
The New Paltz Halloween Parade begins at 6 p.m. on the corner of Main Street and Manheim Boulevard, travels down Main Street, then ends at the firehouse on Plattekill Avenue for treats!
On Saturday evening, November 3, head down North Front Street to the Bakery for its annual Night of 100 Pumpkins, the Bakery’s annual pumpkin-carving contest. From 6 p.m. on, they light up all of the pumpkins that were submitted and you can see who won. Munch on free pumpkin bread, cocoa and cider while you work your way around to visit every table. My favorite pumpkin last year was the cheeseburger creation.
Here’s one suggestion: It can get crowded at The Bakery’s Night of 100 Pumpkins. If you are interested in seeing the pumpkins but your child doesn’t feel comfortable with lines, crowds and noise, go earlier that afternoon to look around. It’s really worth a visit to see this creativity, whenever you decide to go.
The Bakery is located at 13A North Front Street in New Paltz. For more information about entries for the Night of 100 Pumpkins, call (845) 255-8840 or visit https://ilovethebakery.com.
Erica Chase-Salerno wishes her mother-in-law Olga a very happy birthday and a wonderful new year ahead! Erica, who will be a box of movie popcorn for Halloween, lives, loves and laughs in New Paltz with a mage, a water fairy and her husband Mike. She can be reached at [email protected].
