When the Vassar Club of Washington, DC’s annual Book Sale ended in 1999 after more than 50 years of “turning used books into a Vassar education,” the leadership of the Club decided to find another event that would represent Vassar to the local public. After a couple of years, we hit upon the perfect concept: a film festival featuring the work of Vassar students and graduates. Not only does Vassar excel in teaching film, but there are also many well-known Vassar graduates who have gone on to make a name for themselves in the industry – Meryl Streep ‘71, Lisa Kudrow ’85, Noah Baumbach ’91and Anne Hathaway ’04, to name only a few. Every year since 2005, the Club has sponsored the Vassar FilmFest, which has included all kinds of films with a Vassar connection – from student shorts to documentaries to feature films. As the FilmFest has become better known in the Vassar community around the world, the number of films submitted has grown steadily so that we now receive over 50 films each year for consideration. Vassar students and alumnae/i play all kinds of roles in the making of these films, including writing, directing, acting, designing sets and costumes, and producing. The FilmFest has been held at several different venues over the years, including the Letelier Theater in Georgetown for five years, courtesy of the family of Pablo Elliott ’00. The event has attracted many local supporters, and the College’s Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development has also become a big fan, providing critical financial support for accommodations for the filmmakers, and ensuring staff member attendance each year. The 11th annual event promises to be as entertaining as ever! We’ll be returning to the wonderful space at the Goethe-Institut, site of last year’s 10th Anniversary FilmFest. As in past years, many of the filmmakers will attend, and will participate in talk-backs about their films. In addition, there will be a reception following the last film of the day. The FilmFest Committee reviewed about forty films to select the 2015 line-up, which includes documentaries, shorts and student films as well as our feature film, “A Rising Tide.” It tells the story of a talented young New Jersey chef who must decide what he really wants out of life when Hurricane Sandy destroys the restaurant that has been in his family for three generations. Todd Mann will once again act as our moderator, a role he excelled in last year. Please save the date for this year’s event. We look forward to welcoming you once again.
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: Noon to 7pm (a reception immediately follows the final film of the day)
Place: The Goethe-Institut
812 Seventh Street NW
Washington, DC (Metro at Gallery Place)
To register, please go to connect.vassar.edu/vcdcfilmfest2015.