Lights, camera, action! Filmmakers and moviegoers in the North State are gearing up to celebrate their love of cinema at the Butte Film Festival this week.
The festival returns for a second year and will be held at the historic State Theatre in downtown Oroville.
Curtis Bell, the founder and director of the Butte Film Festival, said the festival has grown significantly from last year and expanded to a three-day event. He encourages the public to attend and experience the team’s effort and dedication.
“This is a real film festival, multiple days, lots of stuff going on, lots of stuff to check out,” Bell said. “Just so much more funding in sponsors and donations and from starting the nonprofit to put into it this year. So just everything about it is bigger and better.”
Planning for the event began in January 2024. The organization focused on building the nonprofit and acquiring the necessary skills to obtain sponsorships and grants.
As the organization developed, it focused on other aspects of running a film festival. This included implementing specialized software for film festivals and enhancing its marketing strategies.
Marketing efforts initially targeted student filmmakers before reaching out to the general public. To connect with student filmmakers, Bell and his team embarked on a road trip throughout Northern California, visiting major universities, engaging with film clubs, and speaking to students and faculty in film departments.
“We have submissions from the Bay Area, Sacramento area, Humboldt, Redding, and of course, tons of local films, and even some films from the Reno, Nevada area,” Bell said.
The film selection process included more than 100 submitted. But Bell said they have narrowed it to more than 60 selected films.
“We made it so that every film had to be screened at least two times to eliminate, because everybody judges slightly differently,” Bell explained. “We were thorough with our judging process to ensure that the very best films of the submitted bunch got in.”
Organizers of this year's festival have chosen a unique Twilight Zone theme.
“We have a fantastic lineup of world-class guest speakers and judges coming in from all around the country, judging these films and doing workshops and panels,” Bell said.
The lineup includes Chico local and director Shaun Paul Piccinino, who scored a hit film for Netflix with "A California Christmas." Also, Redding native and director Tyler Faires, whose "Acid Canal" won Best Environmental Documentary at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Bell emphasized the importance of building a film community and networking for aspiring filmmakers in the area.
“It's extremely empowering and motivating, coming together and seeing your peers, basically seeing the films that they've made, and seeing that they did it, they're in the same position as you, and they were able to do something amazing,” Bell said.
Tickets can be purchased at the Butte Film Festival website. Weekend tickets cost $20, and student tickets cost $10.
