More details have been released on WilmFilm. The film festival is slated for April 25 to 28 at the new Penn Cinema complex on the Wilmington Riverfront.
Festival organizer Barry Schlecker of Barry’s Events and Penn Cinema hosted a preview event for the media and nonprofit community last week.
Schlecker founded the Newark Film Festival and revived the Brandywine Arts Festival.
The festival will be held at three of the 14 screens at the movie complex that opened late last year.
According to Schlecker, the festival will feature 15 independent movies that probably won’t make their way to bigger screens.
Schlecker took note of the growing length of many new films, but said he plans to look for offerings of two hours or less.
A list of movies and online tickets are expected to be available in mid-March.
Schlecker said WilmFilm will a festival atmosphere that will include offerings from food trucks and perhaps wine, depending on local alcohol beverage regulations.
WilmFilm will feature a kick-off event at the Penn Cinema IMAX theater benefitting Easter Seals of Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Sponsorships and advertising opportunities are still available for the event. Schlecker hopes to see some sellouts at this year’s festival.
The festival has room to grow, since it is a fraction of the size of the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. The festival in the coastal community is held in November.
Non-profits and businesses also have the opportunity to sponsor films at the Wilmington festival.
The Wilmington festival comes after Schlecker decided to not hold another Newark Film Festival. A combination of factors that included the condition of the movie complex and a growing number of festivals organized by Schlecker led to the decision to discontinue the event.
Schlecker said he hopes to return to Newark with an event, “sometime down the road.”perhaps in 2013.
