The Annapolis Film Festival, now in its ninth year, will set in motion a ten-day schedule of 70+ films for its 2021
festival which takes place from April 8-18th. The screening of fresh indie content, a longer schedule for a better viewing experience and a new platform are evidence of a festival that continually navigates the changing landscape.
The festival has a wide array of some of the latest film releases, comprised of shorts, documentaries and narrative features. Even though the industry has been hard hit by the pandemic and has made significantly fewer films this past year, our goal is to bring new films with fresh filmmaking voices offering alternative viewing experiences.
There will be a combination of international films, indies, and short films including animated shorts. AFF has
partnered the with virtual platform, EVENTIVE, whose channel is available through ROKU, AppleTV and Amazon Fire.
“We wanted to impact the viewer experience in an easier and more enjoyable way that would allow film lovers to see as many films as possible while feeling less rushed. Much of this content we hope will be a breath of fresh air after binge-watching everything else all year,” said AFF Co-Founder and Festival Director Lee Anderson.
“With virtual screenings people need to consult the film index and schedule so they can plan their viewing experiences. Some feature films may play only once or twice but be available for 48 hours at a time while more narrative and docs may be accessible for numerous days. A new shorts program will premiere each day and then remain up for the duration. What some may not realize is that not all of the films are available for all ten days, so plan ahead, said Patti White, Co-Founder and Festival Director.
The 2021 Annapolis Film Festival has been carefully curated by the programming team to hit key areas as evidenced in their annual showcases of Environmental, the African American experience, the Jewish Experience, and the Diversity series and will provide some surprises as well this year. “Audiences will be treated to a packed schedule of original and informative not to mention inspiring and entertaining, films that will hopefully make them forget about the realities of their own lives for a brief period of time.”
Building on the goodwill of AFF fans and knowing that times are tough for some, the festival will offer reduced pricing this year. A Festival Pass offers unlimited films for all ten days at $100 (per household), a shorts pass is $50, a four-pack of tickets will be $35, and individual tickets will be priced at $10 each. Please note, a small service fee of .99 will be applied per programming block. Festival Passes and Shorts passes are on sale now. Tickets will go on sale March 18th.
Like all arts organizations, the festival relies upon the support of the community. If you would like to be a patron, your support will help make the festival happen, as a sponsor there are opportunities to promote your business. If you would like to become a Founder of the Annapolis Film Society you can join before April 30th. The cost of General Membership to the Annapolis Film Society is $75 annually.
