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June 28, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 9, 2004 Attendance rises at '04 flm festival By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings The recently completed Ashland Independent Film Festival more than doubled ticket sales over last year, organizers reported after tallying results from the five-day event. In an economic ripple effect, many local businesses also saw an increase in the number of customers. The third annual film festival wrapped up on Monday after showing 73 films on the downtown Varsity Theatre's five screens and issuing 7,600 tickets, up from 3,500 tickets in 2003, organizers said. Of the 100 film showings, 33 were sold out. Only a handful of screenings sold out last year, they said. Increased revenues from ticket sales will go directly to help stabilize the festival organization, which has relied almost solely on volunteers, according to Festival Board President and Associate Director Jane Sage. Sage credited increased community involvement for the success of the festival. "The dedication of the 150 volunteers involved, numerous sponsors and amazing attendance figures prove we have extensive local support," she said. "I also believe we did so well because of increased public awareness of our festival thanks to the efforts of our new executive director, Tom Olbrich." Random calls to local businesses revealed that many had supported the festival in some way, and most saw an increase in customers. The Ashland Springs Hotel, which helped sponsor the event, was rewarded with additional overnight visitors. Festival visitors booked 27 room nights. Increased revenues from lodging, food and beverage sales are estimated at $6,000 to $8,000, according to General Manager Mary Arnstad. "We had a really wonderful and strong weekend, more so than last year. We've seen a progression in the levels of activity. We've seen more overnight activity and more activity in the (on-site Bulls-Eye) Bistro. It was busy throughout, especially the evenings," she said. With the support of owners Doug and Becky Neuman, the hotel is giving back to the festival with the launch of its Support the Arts Even in Your Sleep program. The hotel will donate 10 percent of Thursday, Friday and Saturday night room receipts generated from guests drawn by the festival, according to Arnstad. That amount totals more than $250, according to Sales and Marketing Manager Karolina Wyszynska. The hotel will continue the program in December when Jefferson Public Radio hosts its annual wine gala that attracts wine enthusiasts from around the state, Arnstad said. "The Ashland Independent Film Festival and JPR are the guinea pigs," she said. Ron Roth, owner of Geppetto's restaurant, advertised with the film festival and helped provide food for a Sunday awards ceremony held at the Historic Ashland Armory. He saw a boost in business at his restaurant. "It was substantially busier than it would have been - probably 15 to 20 percent busier overall," he said. Even though the festival did not start until Thursday, April 1, Geppetto's had a higher numbers of patrons than usual even on Wednesday as people began gathering for the event, Roth reported. Starbucks saw a jump in customers, although baristas there declined to give specific comments because of corporate policy. At the downtown Nimbus clothing store, Owner/Manager Ken Silverman - who sits on the festival's advisory board - said he did not see a surge in business. But he expects more businesses outside the lodging and food and beverage industries will see increased sales as the popularity of the festival grows. "To be honest, I didn't see a lot of traffic in the store. I did see a few directors come in. I think we will in the future, though. It's a great festival. As the festival grows, more and more people will come from out of town and we'll see more traffic," Silverman said. "I think it will help businesses in this town over the next several years." Ashland Independent Film Festival organizers recently announced the winners of juried and audience awards at this year's event. Festival attendees were handed ballots at each showing and asked to rate each film on a one to four scale, with the film receiving the highest average score winning. Schweiger is the owner of Coming Attractions Theaters Inc., which includes the Varsity Theatre. He has sponsored and advised the festival since its inception. Producer Kathrin Werner accepted the juried Best Feature Film award for her drama/comedy "The Failures." Filmmakers of the documentary/drama, "What the #$*! Do We Know," starring Marlee Matlin, were awarded the Best Documentary prize. Television producer and director Michael Pressman accepted the Best Acting Ensemble prize for his theater world film "Frankie and Johnny are Married." The animated short "Woman in the Attic" won for Best Student Film and "Chinese Dream" was honored as Best Short Film. Cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld, A.S.C., was presented with the first Ashland Independent Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and gave the Best Cinematography award named in his honor to Jacques Telemaque, filmmaker for his feature, "The Dogwalker." 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