Ready to Roll -- The Greenwich International Film Festival

They are three women on a mission and in less than a month, their collective two-year effort will become a reality when the cameras roll for the inaugural Greenwich International Film Festival.

Focusing on the theme of film, finance and philanthropy, the festival will feature 31 films adjudicated from nearly 600 submitted from around the globe — from Russia, Paraguay and Belgium, to the United States and Germany, according to Colleen deVeer, the festival’s program director.

Films — both domestic and international — will be shown at the Bowtie Cinemas on Railroad Avenue and the Cole Auditorium of Greenwich Library from June 4 through June 7.

Festival co-founder Wendy Stapleton Reyes said the goal of the festival is to present “films that entertained and inspired … that have a social impact.” Given the proximity to New York, the depth of financial and entertainment connections in town, Greenwich is the ideal location to establish a film festival that is a cross between the Telluride and Sundance festivals, Stapletown Reyes said.

She said the four-day festival is expected to bring attract 10,000 attendees who will generate about $4 million in revenues to local businesses.

deVeer said, “We want people to be inspired by entertainment. We have everything from thrillers, love stories, documentaries and political features. It’s a delicate balance.”

The organizers, that also include marketing director Carina Crain, hosted a launch party Tuesday night at Clay Health Club + Spa on the Greenwich/Port Chester, NY border that drew about 125 people.

Each of the 31 films selected for the festival will be shown twice and there will be panels discussions of several films and workshops for children including a ‘Sports guys on Sports Movies’ panel discussion featuring ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, and former New York Knick Allan Houston, both of whom are Greenwich residents.

The June 5 opening night party is to feature a red carpet gala at Restoration Hardware on Greenwich Avenue that will be emceed by ‘Today Show’ correspondent and former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager who is a festival board member. The party will follow the opening night premiere screening of Colin Hanks’ directorial debut of ‘All Things Must Pass.’

On June 6, the stars will be out as the festival honorees its ‘Changemakers’ award winners — actor Harry Belafonte and actress Mia Farrow. Both are being honored for the decades-long commitment to activism, appearing in socially significant films and serving as ambassadors for UNICEF, Stapleton Reyes said. Riverside resident Kathie Lee Gifford will emcee that event which will be held at l’Escale Restaurant at The Delamar.

The festival’s philanthropic aspect will be support of UNICEF’s ‘OneMintuesJr.’ program, which is a series of one-minute short films created by under-privileged children worldwide who were given cameras to create a video about their life in the span of one minute.

According to deVeer, the festival plans to continue a series of screenings and discussions throughout the year aimed at audiences of all ages.

For more information, tickets and the complete schedule of events, screenings and discussions, log onto http://www.greenwichfilm.org.

Screening tickets are $15; panel discussions are free and discounts are being offered to Greenwich residents, students, teachers and senior citizens.

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Photos: scenes from the Greenwich International Film Festival launch party on May 5, 2015 at Clay Health Club + Spa; #1: Film festival founders, from left, Wendy Stapleton Reyes, Colleen deVeer and Carina Crain; #3: movie director Clay Pecorin of Greenwich with his wife Eva and Ginger Stickel, film festival COO; #7: Diego Reyes with Wendy Stapletown Reyes and Debbie Stapletown. Credit: Barbara Heins.