Film Festival has tourist potential
Entire region should get behind Adirondack Film Festival
The Front Page
Morning Update
Thursday, October 13, 2021
By Ken Tingley
As a young sportswriter in Plattsburgh, N.Y. I had Saturdays and Mondays off.
The local movie theater had 99-cent Monday matinees which fit perfectly into my budget and my schedule. I went every week, often without knowing what was playing, and I usually went alone.
That’s where I really cultivated my love of movies.
The movies were a companion on my empty days off, and because I made my living writing, I started to appreciate the spoken words.
There was nothing more gratifying than discovering an entertaining movie before it was popular.
We all have that opportunity this weekend as the Adirondack Film Festival takes place for the sixth time in Glens Falls. It is an opportunity you should not overlook, especially if you have streamed every possible bit of entertainment at home.
This is a chance to see a full-length documentary.
This is a chance to see shorts.
This is a chance to expand your mind and see things in cinema you have not seen before. And it starts tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Wood Theater.
I found an article online in “Screen Daily” about film festivals that addressed their purpose.
“I think that festivals are largely about cultivating an interest in cinema and giving audiences access to films that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see,” Rachel Fiddes, the festival manager of the Glasgow Film Festival wrote.
That’s the key for me. It the chance to see movies that don’t show at the multiplex.
If you are tired of the Marvel universe and want to be moved by real stories (documentary), vignettes that have a message (shorts) and new talent i front of and behind the camera, you should be in downtown Glens Falls this weekend.
There are now hundreds of film festivals across the country, but the Adirondack Film Festival has unrealized potential.
If you ask me, there is no event in the region that has more potential than the Adirondack Film Festival. We are close to the talent in New York City, have the hotel rooms from Saratoga to Lake George and a small-town welcoming atmosphere which has so much to offer.
This year, the Adirondack Film Festival is offering both in-person viewing and virtual attendance online. Your only decision is whether you want to open your mind to new forms of entertainment.
The virtual pass starts at $55. The in person pass is $65, but keep in mind that both are for three full days of entertainment.
There are 70 films available of every possible genre imaginable.
I’ve been spending the past few days looking at the trailers and deciding what films to see. I’m looking forward to “Language Lessons” Thursday night at the Wood and the documentary “The Russian Five” that is about the Detroit Red Wings pursuit of Russian hockey stars. With the Glens Falls connection to the Red Wings, that might be of special interest.
I’ve already purchased my ticket and will report all weekend about the movies I see and the film festival.
Local community leaders should be out in force as well doing their own homework. The county recently approved a $70,000 study to help them with tourism. They have a great event right here that could be a major draw during the shoulder season with the right promotion. They need to jump on board.
And we all need to support it.
Radio interview
If you are an early riser on Sunday mornings, you might want to check out my interview this Sunday with Mike Morgan at Adirondack Radio. Mike and I talked about my book and my newspaper career over 30 minutes Wednesday. It was a great conversation.
The interview will be aired at 6 a.m. Sunday on the following stations: Froggy 100.3/Classic Hits Q 101.7/Big Country 107.1; 97.9 and 1230 FOX Sports Radio/Magic Oldies 96.9 and 1410.
