BendFilm Announces Call for Entries for 2013

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 01, 2013 (Press-News.org) Ten years ago this fall, Katie Merritt and a group of film lovers and culture enthusiasts founded BendFilm in Bend, Oregon. It has since grown to become a beloved regional happening, featuring more than eighty films over four days, has acquired the sobriquet "a gem of a small festival" and was named one of Moviemaker Magazine's "20 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee." To celebrate this important milestone, BendFilm has announced its 2013 call for entries and unveiled a series of local events in the months leading up to this year's 10th annual Festival, which takes place October 10-13, 2013. Entries can be submitted at https://www.withoutabox.com/03film/03t_fin/03t_fin_fest_01over.php?festival_id=4813

"We're looking forward to continuing our tradition of excellence for 2013," said Festival Director Orit Schwartz. "We've been able to build a strong following among both our contributors, sponsors and most of all, our audience and are planning the best BendFilm ever for our 10th Annual year."

Romy Mortensen, VP Sales and Marketing of BendFilm's founding sponsor, Brooks Resources Corporation, said, "Brooks Resources is very proud to be celebrating BendFilm's 10th annual festival with them. Hard to believe that 10 years ago we all took a leap of faith in a creative, new arts and culture idea that has grown to be one of Bend's best attractions, if not amenities."

"Indeed, it's thanks in great part to our many sponsors, starting with Brooks Resources, who have helped BendFilm become a festival that has generated excitement in our area and garnered the respect of the festival community," added Schwartz. "With gratitude and thanks, we honor them."

The 2013 BendFilm Festival is once again offering the Brooks Resources $5,000 cash prize for Best of Show (past winners include True Adolescents, This Way of Life) and for the 2nd straight year, the Best Narrative Feature juried award carries a $60,000 camera rental package from Panavision.

Past jurors have included: Two-time Oscar nominee, writer/director Gus Van Sant; two-time Oscar nominee, animator Bill Plympton; filmmaker Ondi Timoner (DIG! and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC); Christian Gaines, Festival Specialist at IMDb.com; Dana Harris, editor in chief and general manager of IndieWIRE.com; Jon Korn, Sundance shorts programmer; and Steve Wilson, VP of leading film public relations agency B|W|R.
Schwartz also announced a series of local events to whet the public's appetite for BendFilm and sustain it throughout the year. Current BendFilm "Countdown to the 10th Annual Festival" events include:

February 7 - IT'S A DISASTER—Screening of Todd Berger's apocalyptic comedy starring Julia Stile, America Ferrara, David Cross, Erinn Haynes, Rachel Boston and Berger. This hilarious comedy won the 2012 BendFilm Best Screenplay Award.

March 14 - WONDER WOMEN: The Untold History of American Superheroines—This film will be presented by Independent WOMEN for Independent Film. Come early to enjoy a cocktail and sign up as an Indie WOMEN member!

May 31 - BendFilm Bash—Held this year at the COCC Culinary Institute, this annual fundraiser has become the must-attend event of the spring with all proceeds going to support the festival.

Tickets for the Festival, all events and screenings are available for purchase from http://www.bendfilm.org.

Additional sponsors include BendBroadband, Starview Foundation, Panavision, NorthWest Crossing, Old Mill District, Caldera, Smart Solutions, Dr. Andy Higgins, Hand in Hand Productions, The Source Weekly, Cascade A&E, CCI Tech, InFocus, G5, Tower Theatre, McMenamins, Regal Cinemas, The Oxford Hotel, Cascades Theatrical Company and Tin Pan Theater, Alpine Computer, Horizon Broadcasting Group, Oregon Spirit Distillers, Deschutes Brewery, Southern Wine Group, The Nature of Words, Twist, Boneyard Brewery, Barrio, Bigfoot Beverages, Joolz, C3 Events, Eco-Kidz, Pisano's Pizza, Paul Scott Gallery, Shiftboard, Oregon Film, Central Oregon Magazine, Downtown Bend, Visit Bend, KOHD-TV, Central Oregon Visitors Association, Combined Communications, Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis and Sisbro Studios.

BendFilm Info:

Address: 2748 NW Crossing Drive, Bend, OR 97701.
For questions or more information: call 541.388.FEST, email info@bendfilm.org or visit http://www.bendfilm.org.

About BendFilm:

BendFilm is a non-profit group inspired by the opportunity to open doors for artists and to cast Bend, Oregon as the cultural and economic beneficiary. The BendFilm Festival runs every October in downtown Bend, Oregon at the historic Tower Theatre, McMenamins, Regal Cinemas, The Oxford Hotel and new this year the Cascades Theatrical Company and Tin Pan Theater. Plan now to attend October 10-13, 2013 for a long weekend of films, lectures and parties as filmmakers compete for cash awards in Bend's charismatic setting of mountains, rivers and screaming blue skies. Follow us on Facebook.

About Independent WOMEN for Independent Film:

In 2012, Pamela Hulse Andrews, CEO/Founder of Cascade Publications Inc., inadvertently founded this passionate funding organization when she reached out to 10 of her closest friends to donate $100 each to fund a BendFilm cash award. Her contacts forwarded to their friends, and before long over 100 women had donated $100 each, resulting in an additional $10,000 for the festival. This year the Indie WOMEN are doubling their efforts and are encouraging 200 women to donate, thus raising more money for more films.