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"Terrific movies, great guests! Deservedly becoming a leading film festival"
| | -Jay Froberg
-MGM Vice-President
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| "A great show! I can't tell you what an awesome time I had!" |
| | -Chris Gore
-Film Threat.com
-Author "Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide"
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| "I had a ball! I also discovered some wonderful new films that I'm enthusiastically recommending to other outlets" |
| | -Robert Hawk
-Independent Film Consultant & Producer
-Sundance Advisory Selection Committee Member
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| "Not only did I have a fantastic weekend, but I also found a talented new director to represent" |
| | -Jennie Frankel
-Vice President, Literary, Zide/Perry Entertainment
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| "An absolutely fun-filled weekend! The passion behind the festival is amazing!" |
| | -Sean Elliott
-Talent Agent, Endeavor LA
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 From the Grand Rapids Press - The Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck is over as of last Sunday and while I didn't see everything it had to offer, I did experience enough of the festival to know that it is turning into a real class act. It is such a class act, in fact, that it may well have a chance of being an important international festival for filmmakers and movie-goers.
I was impressed at the quality of the films that were brought to town to be shown to film buffs, but beyond that, the people from the film industry who attended and participated in the seminars were first rate.
I went to the seminar on writing for films and I can't imagine a stronger panel than the one the festival people put together. In fact, I was inspired to begin thinking again about an idea I have for a screenplay. It, of course, involves bringing back Hopalong Cassidy to once more ride the range and battle the forces of evil with his pals Johnny Nelson and Red Connors of the Bar 20. I think the time is right for just such a movie.
Anyway, I would like to send out congratulations to Dana DePree, Dori DePree, Hopwood DePree, Kori Eldean and Judy Smith, founders of the Waterfront Film Festival, and to those who volunteered to work on the project over the three years it has been in existence. All these folks are doing West Michigan proud by providing the entire state a chance to see some fine movies and hear from people about the process of becoming part of the creative activity of making short and feature films.
The sponsors who helped out on this year's festival also deserve some credit and that includes all the businesses that participated in making the festival a success. Those who picked up a program for the festival should look inside at the list of businesses who gave time, energy or money and see what you can do to support them when it comes to making a purchase.
On a crass note, I hope when all the smoke clears the folks who put on this wonderful show will have a little money in their jeans that can be applied to making next year's festival as good as this year's.
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