Beasts of the Southern Wild Headlined the Cape May Film Festival

CAPE MAY—Over 250 people attended the 13th annual Cape May Film Festival at the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May Oct. 25 – Oct. 27. The festival began with an opening reception on Friday, followed by a presentation of favorite sports films from NFL Hall of Fame writer Ray Didinger and CBS Sports announcer Glen Macnow. Before the reception, the public was invited to take part in a film-editing workshop, “Transform Your Home Videos Into Something Worth Watching.”
Some of the best films being produced in New Jersey were showcased for the first time, including short films of Cape May and Hurricane Sandy, along with numerous documentaries. John Columbus, founder and artistic director of the Black Maria Film Festival (BMFF) returned to show some of BMFF’s films. Founded in 1981, the Black Maria Film Festival is named after the world’s first motion picture studio that was built and used for experimental short films by Thomas Edison.
A screening of Beasts of the Southern Wild was held, with a guest appearance by co-producer Chris Carroll. This feature film about a child trying to save her father and home from catastrophes after a fierce storm in a bayou community received four Academy Award nominations. Staff members from Cape Counseling in Court House spoke before the movie about mental health services available to Cape May County residents who are victims of storms.
The closing film of the festival was Boardwalk II: Back to Wildwood, the sequel to Boardwalk, the documentary produced in 2004, also premiered at the Cape May Film Festival and shown numerous times on PBS. Host and narrator, Bob Ingram, was on hand to answer questions.
This year’s theme for the festival was sports, beginning with sports films and finishing up with a showing of Granny’s Got Game, a film that follows a team of senior women’s basketball players, including a native of New Jersey.
Dottie Knapp, co-chair of the event, said the films are chosen because the subject or person has a link to New Jersey and, “It is so much fun to see these young filmmakers, some are from our own film camps. They bring their friends and families, and are proud they are on the ‘big screen’.”
The festival offered affordable pricing for three days of film viewing with receptions each day. The proceeds subsidize the society’s film camps and scholarship program.
Knapp thanked the Chalfonte Hotel for allowing the society to use the historic hotel as the setting. She also mentioned the society is hoping to add an Adult Film Camp to its existing schedule next year. “We usually try to hold the festival on the third weekend of October and are planning an all-Beatles theme for next year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the band setting foot on American soil.”