Hyannis Film Festival— a brief history

Hyannis Film Festival 2020 - 2021

Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves. ~ Alejandro González Iñárritu

Hyannis Film Festival Hyannis Film Festival was founded in 2019 to bring movies and the art of film to Hyannis and Cape Cod residents, with a focus on local creators and topics of concern to our area. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the launch of a formal festival, with plans now underway to return with one in 2022, over the weekend of Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16. Hyannis Film Festival is a Commonwealth of Massachusetts registered nonprofit with an application for federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status submitted. In the interim, a local fiscal agent for the group ensures IRS recognition of donations to Hyannis Film Festival.

After two successful movie-themed events in downtown Hyannis restaurants, we've kept ourselves in the public arena despite COVID. In the summer of 2020, we joined the Hyannis Main Street BID and Love, Live, Local in presenting drive-in movies on Main Street. Last winter and spring, we held on-line seminars with actor-director John Shea, documentary filmmaker John Stanton, actors and filmmakers Jade and Paul Schuyler, and Tim Miller, former Cape Cod Times movie reviewer. In July, we presented comic Kevin Flynn, in his one-man show about his experiences getting into film and television.

During the third weekend of October 2021, Hyannis Film Festival brought more "Movies on Main" to the event space at 529 Main Street in downtown Hyannis, with films made on Cape Cod or with stories of special interest to area moviegoers. Over two days, we showed a half-dozen full-length movies plus short films, with several of our featured filmmakers in attendance.

For more information, visit HyannisFilmFestival.com or on Facebook and Instagram

Hyannis Film Festival Board of Directors President • Suzanne Fantaroni, communications professional and nonprofit leader

Vice President • Elizabeth Wurfbain, Exec. Dir., Hyannis Business Improvement District Vice President • Elizabeth (Betsy) Young, owner of SoHo Arts, Hyannis business leader Secretary/Clerk • Susan Fernald, retired marketing and nonprofit professional and writer Treasurer • Laura Lincoln, owner, Sound Bookkeeping Services

Thomas Bernardo, Marketing and PR consultant Ellen Brady, membership and marketing professional Denise Perrault, career counselor and longtime film enthusiast Executive Director William (Bill) Ferrall, writer • editor and arts nonprofit leader

wmferrall@gmail.com • 508-228-8535