2011 FilmFest "Best in Show" Prize Will Bring $500, With Hundreds More Available for Other Winners

With one month left to turn in submissions, the has been lining up sponsors and prizes for a aimed to attract everyone from young amateurs to more experienced filmmakers.

But not to worry, say organizers: There's plenty of opportunity still to be had, whether you want to share your creative vision or lend financial support.

May 21 is the date of the big event, which will feature a day of screenings of everything from three-minute movies to Albany-focused pieces to animations and short films (30 minutes or less).

There are many reasons to enter: Civic pride. Fame and glory. A chance to show your work. Lots of popcorn. And let's not forget the prizes. And, yep, cold hard cash is among them.

The FilmFest is open to creative people throughout California, said Naomi Lucks Sigal, one member of the , which is spearheading the festival, along with , Albany's own cable access station.

One main thrust of the FilmFest, Sigal said, is to spread the word about KALB 33.

"We want to let people know that this is their station, and people can contribute creative programming to it," she said. "This arose as a way to make people aware that there's a station in Albany, and as a way to get community content."

Organizers are looking for for the festival. Films will screen the day of the event, and continue showing (with filmmaker permission) for at least a month on the cable channel, including streaming on the Internet.

It's a good opportunity to have your film seen by a panel of judges who are filmmakers and film professionals, Sigal said.

"Your film will probably get seen in some form, whether it's at the festival, on the channel or online," she said. "People shouldn't be afraid to make a film and enter it."

"I know there are kids at the high school who make movies in their bedrooms," added Jack Kenny, another member of the Community Media Access Committee. "We know there are a lot of creative people in Albany."

Those who participate this year, Sigal said, have the added perk of being able to say they were in it from the beginning.

"Maybe you'll be able to say you won the first Albany FilmFest," she said. "Mill Valley started just like this, really small. And we're starting really small. But next year we'll be bigger."

said the film festival is part of an ongoing effort to broaden the scope of KALB.

"It's less and less about the TV channel, as opposed to what we're doing for the city and the community," he said. "We'd love to get some local content from people who are making things here in the community about the community."

KALB's main goal, he said, is to feature local news, events and discussions that are relevant to Albany, "rather than just passing on satellite broadcasts of other content."

Though the FilmFest is open to entries throughout the state, there's a special message in it for Albanians, Allen said.

"We want to let people know we can help them make shows about Albany. We want to get people, with all of their flip phones, video cameras, and iPhones, and help them make some interesting stuff," he said. "We're hoping that, with the short film category, we can show people it's easy to make something that's fun to watch and relevant to the people of Albany. We want to let people know we have this equipment. We have this channel. We have this opportunity for people to get on their soapbox."

Sponsors have until May 4 to sign on, and will join the , , and in helping support the inaugural FilmFest. Learn more here about sponsorships.

Find , including a list of frequently asked questions, . If you have questions or would like more information regarding the 2011 Albany FilmFest, write Jeremy Allen, KALB manager, at JeAllen@albanyca.org.

"Like" the station on Facebook to stay informed about festival developments.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give editor Emilie Raguso a call at 510-459-8325 or shoot her an e-mail at emilier@patch.com.