Welcome to the Mount Shasta International Film Festival
OCTOBER 10, 11, 12TH, 2008
 Dear Moviegoers,
Ask around and everyone will tell you a different version of how time flies. This year is the 5th annual Mount Shasta International Film Festival! That amazes Danielle and me, because it seems like yesterday when we moved to town and founded the Mount Shasta International Film Festival.
Each year we have grown. We show better films, have more guests from out of town, and help different segments of our community. Last year we gave free tickets to Hospice workers, low income families and the elderly. We had a free filmmaking seminar for high school and college students and a free family film for everyone. This year we are expanding our free tickets to returning Vets and foster parents.
I network with film directors and programmers around the country. There is a consensus that creating a film festival brings culture, money, insight and beauty into a community. Film is such a powerful art form because it allows us to feel, think, see other worlds, ponder mythological journeys and appreciate how people the world over work to overcome odds for a better quality of life. Film brings together artists from different disciplines such as lighting, editing, sound, writing, acting, directing, costume and make-up. These diverse groups work together to create a meaningful story. Film is a collaborative art process and when it works well it is a gem to behold. We all can recite the many stinkers that come out which is why we screen hundreds of films for the thirty five we choose.
The Mount Shasta International Film Festival programs films differently than many urban and larger film festivals. We are not as concerned with first time filmmakers as we are with the film telling a great story. Sometimes we reject a film because the editing is not first rate and the pacing is off. You will notice this when the middle of a film sags or a documentary treats the audience like a first time student in school and pedantically repeats the theme over again until we yawn. Instead, we choose documentaries that are compelling and bursting with human drama, love, dreams and the quest for a better life.
We take great pride in choosing the greatest movies we can find and inviting the filmmakers up for Q & A’s with the audience after the film. What’s particularly satisfying is how often filmmakers tell us they go to festivals around the country and really love our festival. They tell us the mountain hospitality, the wonderful volunteers, the programmed films and the relaxed beauty of Mount Shasta make this a special experience for them.
We want to thank all the people who support our Film Festival and help us. Your love and energy help us more then we can express. Thank you. Enjoy the films, the filmmakers, your friends and the Gala. Enjoy this jewel of a mountain town.
Warm Regards,
Jeffrey Winters
Founder/Director
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