First published in the July 30 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
Following a one-year hiatus, the Glendale International Film Festival has returned under the management of Glendale Arts.
From Thursday, Sept. 29, through Thursday, Oct. 6, GIFF audiences will convene in person for Film Week Glendale — eight days of screenings, special events, Q&As and panel discussions as well as film, screenplay and student competitions and an awards ceremony. There will also be networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Now in its eighth year, the Glendale International Film Festival is a celebration of the cinematic arts — spotlighting the powerful medium of film, the creative artists who make them, and the movie-going experience. GIFF Board Justin Smith said he is pleased that the festival will continue following founder Velvet Rhodes’ passing in 2020 and expand its reach under Glendale Arts.
“It’s been a long road getting to this point from 2020 when we lost Velvet and hosted the festival in a virtual format. We’re thrilled that GIFF is returning in person this year and for Glendale Arts, our longtime nonprofit partner, to take the reins on the festival. We’re looking forward to bringing filmmakers and film-goers together and welcoming past and new members of the growing GIFF community,” Smith said.
The Glendale International Film Festival has been ranked in the Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals in the World on submission platform FilmFreeway. This year’s growing list of GIFF sponsors include Kiwanis of Glendale, Athens Services, City National Bank, Laemmle Theatres, Glendale Community College, Kilter and Simple DCP.
The Glendale Arts producing team, CEO Nina Crowe and COO Maria Sahakian, shared their excitement about helming the city’s premier film event, saying in a statement, “The Glendale International Film Festival has tremendous value for both the local economy and the creative artists who live in, work in and do business in Glendale and surrounding cities. We’re leveraging Glendale Arts’ extensive history of producing and managing large-scale productions to design a dynamic festival centered around building connections and collaboration among filmmakers, audiences and our community.”
