The Detroit Windsor International Film Festival will hold the second installment of its Encore Program at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Alvin’s bar near Wayne State.
As part of a monthly series leading up to the Third Annual DWIFF festival June 24-27, it is “a platform for local, regional, national and international talent including actors, writers, directors and producers,” according to the press release.
The program will feature screenings of short films, most of which were not included in last year’s festival but were still liked by the DWIFF staff.
The purpose of the Encore Program is to “engage the neighborhood and the students more in the program,” DWIFF organizer Suzanne Janik said.
“Because the festival takes place when classes are out we wanted an opportunity” to let people know what DWIFF is all about, Janik said.
The first Encore Program was in December and had a very good turnout, DWIFF media relations director Suzette Dexter said.
“We anticipate it [a large attendance] because there was a lot of excitement in December,” she said.
Every semester, faculty members of participating institutions can nominate their best students for inclusion in the DWIFF 48 Hour Film 2010 Challenge. Actors participating can also apply for membership in the Screen Actors Guild.
The 48-hour challenge takes place a few weeks prior to the June festival in which students have two days to write, shoot and edit a seven-minute short film, Janik said.
The informal atmosphere allows student filmmakers and actors opportunities for networking among industry professionals. The program is a good place to order a beer, get popcorn and watch films, Dexter said.
The Encore Program “exposes them [students] to films that might be outside of their normal realm … expose them to another aspect of filmmaking,” and is meant to inspire students to create and become involved in filmmaking, Janik said.
A non-profit organization, DWIFF recognizes and celebrates unique and entertaining film achievements within the Michigan independent film industry. First held in 2008, DWIFF is sponsored by Green Light Productions and is hosted by Wayne State. Greenlight
Productions is a Northville-based company that specializes in obtaining funding for films.
Alvin’s is located at 5756 Cass Ave. Admission to the Encore Program is free and open to the public.
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