March 11, 2022
Media Release
Contact: Nicole Houser, Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown, Board of Directors President,
301-992-3650 (for media inquiries only, please)
For Immediate Release:
Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown Announces Dates March 25-27 at Five Venues; 10th Festival Returns With Films From Around the World
(Hagerstown, MD, March 8, 2022) - The 10th Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown (MDIFF-Hagerstown) will be getting under way on Friday March 25th at the Historic Maryland Theatre. Five venues will be utilized during the three day event, concluding on Sunday March 27.
According to MDIFF-Hagerstown Board President Nicole Houser, “We had well over 150 films submitted from around the world. We have films from 17 countries and 30 states! We have officially selected over 80 films, which will be shown during the festival’s special year.”
Houser said, “Some of the films selected were submitted by filmmakers from: South Korea, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy and Austria.” Houser mentioned that many filmmakers and film-lovers will be attending this year’s festival.
MDIFF-Hagerstown will be screening various kinds of films including short films, documentaries, animated films, feature length films, local films (there are 19 Maryland projects), foreign films, and student films. Houser said, “Awards will be presented in several categories on Saturday night. However, there are some special awards being given out at Friday’s opening night at the Maryland Theatre, including the Mendez Award and the Nora Roberts Foundation Award.” (These awards will be announced prior to the festival!)
On Friday March 25th, the Red-Carpet opening night begins with a special VIP reception at 5:30pm, followed by the opening night celebrations, awards, and introduction of opening night short films. Filmmaker awards will be presented on Saturday March 26th, for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Animation, Best Student, Best Documentary, Best Local Film, and Best Foreign Film.
Opening night Friday March 25th is taking place at the Historic Maryland Theatre in Downtown Hagerstown. Along with the Maryland Theatre, other venues on Saturday and Sunday include the Washington County Free Library, The Grand Piano Ballroom, the new ACT Black Box Theatre, and the University System of Maryland Hagerstown Event Facility.
For more information about the festival, and to purchase tickets, see: www.marylandiff.org. The Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown partners with several local organizations, businesses, and individuals, and major sponsors include the City of Hagerstown, the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Washington County Government (Office of Grant Management), the Nora Roberts Foundation, Washington County Arts Council, Gideon Properties LLC, Homewood Suites by
HILTON, University System of Maryland-Hagerstown, and Tom Riford.
Houser said that the festival has become a great gathering of independent filmmakers, “Many of the films shown at this festival have gotten picked up for distribution. This includes on Netflix, Amazon, Apple streaming, network television, and also in theaters after the festival. The community gets an opportunity to talk to the filmmakers, ask questions about their process and find out what happens behind the scenes. It is a unique experience that you don’t get when just watching a movie on your own.”
The Maryland International Film Festival - Hagerstown, is organized by filmmakers and marketing executives who understand the power of film and support the talent of the independent filmmaker. The 501c3 organization’s goal is to fill theaters to capacity, encourage the development of filmmaker networks including media, distribution and the association with other artists. MDIFF - Hagerstown, believes in the importance of giving back to the community and consistently donates a portion of the proceeds to charities.
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