11 Years and More to Come from Floyd and Stephanie Rance Founders of Run & Shoot Filmworks and Their Emerging Film Festival
by Caroline Cardoso
Showcasing the works of independent and established African- American filmmakers, the 11th annual Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival presents a four day celebration filled with screenings, parties, and more beginning Tuesday, August 6th and carried out into Saturday the 10th.
If the activities don’t move you, you’ll be sure to have a good time with well-known attorney Anita Hill, director Stanley Nelson, comedian MeShelle Forman Shields, academy award director Freida Mock, and talent from the film Baggage Claim. Floyd and Stephanie Rance founders of Run & Shoot Filmworks have been planning and preparing this event to make sure everything fits into place. Alike the past 11 years of the festival, the founders and organization pull strings and get things moving; even with faced with a conflict.
“This festival takes a year to plan–submissions, sponsorships, picking films, rejecting films, venue locations–and adding the vineyard element which takes it to a whole other level,” co-founder of the festival Stephanie Rance said.
The national transmedia company, Run and Shoot, established the festival in 2002 creating a “sophisticated event on the radar of many entertainment executives and industry tastemakers”. Behind the hard workers and planners is the reason for the festival– no it’s not just for the films!
“The festival is important,” Rance said. “It gives a voice to filmmakers a platform to showcase their work to an esteemed audience.”
With every festival comes a piece of the island through the filmmakers and their work. Between screening 55 films, 2 panels, and 3 films that will be released to the public in the fall, everyone in the festival family has been busy with no exceptions. Every year has been a success and this year, even better.
The festival is not the only place you can see these films; this year 12 of the 55 screening films have been chosen to be shown on Comcast networks. In addition to these soon-to-be broadcasted films, the MVAAFF, along with Saatchi and Saatchi, will receive an AdColor award in September of 2013.
“It is wonderful to be awarded an AdColor award,” director of communications for MVAAFF Jewell Sparks said. We feel so honored to receive this award for the Most Valuable Partnership.”
With the help of co-founders Stephanie Rance and her husband Floyd Rance, the film festival has become a tremendous success; but the feeling of success is not all that they take in–the gratitude and the passion flowing through the festival is always one of the largest rewards of being a part of the celebration. “We are always grateful that our attendees love the event,” Stephanie Rance said. “We are so happy when things runs as smoothly as possible and [when] they want more.”
With the purpose of showing off the talent of many filmmakers, the festival never fails to pull in new audience every year. “There is no real target [for the festival], it’s for folks who love independent cinema, travel and Martha’s Vineyard itself,” Rance said.
Schedules and film line-ups can be found on the MVAAFF website–www.mvaaff.com– along with times and admission prices and additional information about the festival. If you’re looking for a day and night of treats, film, and guest appearances, the African-American Film Festival is the place to be.
Adult: $280.00 All Access General Pass. Student: $250.00 All Access General Pass. Adult: $80.00 Day Pass. Adult: $25.00 Includes passes for two 90-minute screenings. Adult: $15.00 90 minute screen pass
MORE INFO
Tuesday, August 6th to Saturday the 10th, 9 am
@ MV Regional High School Oak Bluffs
www.mvaaff.com
