Yellow Springs will host a film festival this fall, October 6-8. Eric Mahoney, producer of the Yellow Springs Film Festival and a native of Dayton, spoke with WYSO music director Juliet Fromholt about why he chose to hold the festival in the Yellow Springs, and what attendees should expect from the three-day event.
Eric got the idea to host a festival in the village when he moved back to the Miami Valley from New York last year.
“I moved back here about a year and a half ago from New York, and [Yellow Springs] just seemed like one of these villages that hosts these kinds of festivals. My background is as a producer and filmmaker, and so I’ve screened a lot of films at festivals all over the world. A lot of them – like Sundance, True/False, Telluride, Woodstock, the Berkshires – are in villages this size. They always have a nice charm to them compared to the major market festivals.”
As Eric noted, the village has long been known as a place where art is created and appreciated. Yet he also sees the need to foster in-person cultural events, which remain diminished by the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is collaborating with two historic local theaters, the Little Art and Antioch College's Foundry Theater, to host screenings and special events.
The festival will feature screenings of full length documentary and narrative films, as well as shorts, with a special nod to the work of Ohio filmmakers. In addition, guest filmmakers will deliver talks accompanying select screenings. Several films have already been announced, including Cave of Adullam, Citizen Sleuth, and 32 Sounds. The festival will also include a special exhibit honoring the legacy of renowned documentary filmmaker and Yellow Springs resident Julia Reichert, who died last year.
More information about the Yellow Springs Film Festival, including a list of films and guest speakers, can be found at ysfimfest.com. Early-access tickets are available through Kickstarter.
