Set in the historic Eastern Shore town of Easton and Cambridge, MD the Chesapeake Film Festival is the perfect location for established and aspiring filmmakers to showcase their storytelling artistry to enthusiastic audiences eager to be moved, enlightened and entertained. Entering it’s 12th year, the festival has been an industry favorite, drawing audiences from nearby Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as the very charming surrounding small towns the festival site surrounds.
The beautifully restored Avalon Theater, built as a cinema in 1921 is located in historic downtown Easton, serves as the primary venue for festival films and events.
The Chesapeake Film Festival prides itself in a diverse community of filmmakers, experts and audiences who engage in dynamic panel discussions to enrich our audiences with our programming, panels and film presentations.
In addition to moving audiences with compelling scripted dramas and comedies, the Chesapeake Film Festival aims to shed light on topics that impact the Maryland Eastern Shore community, as well as the nation, especially in the areas of social justice, including the African American experience, mental health and aging, climate change, the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay, and the influence of all of the arts on American life.
In 2018, for example, the Chesapeake Film Festival (CFF) presented first-time director Rudy Valdez’s film, The Sentence, which examines his sister’s mandatory minimum sentence of 15-years, imposed because her boyfriend sold drugs and she knew about it. Documentary subject, Cindy Shank, was present to lead the discussion. In December, the U.S. Senate passed the First Step Act which modifies sentencing laws to provide more equitable punishment for some drug offenses. Several Senators said the film influenced their votes.
The Festival has expanded our shorts programming, added programming for environmental, narrative and documentary features with the highest production value, and expanded student programming and filmmaker panels. We support independent filmmaking by giving emerging talents reduced fees from the large number of submission costs they face in their quest for recognition.
The Chesapeake Film Festival honors leaders in the film industry, from directors and producers to actors, screenwriters, entertainment journalists, personalities and editors by showcasing their work and their individual achievements.
Festival Awards will be given for Best Environmental Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Narrative Documentary Short, Best Animation, Best Sound Design and Best Editing. Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress and Best Director will also be included. For a list of our 2018 Festival Film Awardees visit chesapeakefilmfestival.com.
