OC Film Festival Returns March 9

OCEAN CITY — After a successful first year, the Ocean City Film Festival is returning March 9-11 to the resort, thanks to sponsors The Art League of Ocean City and the Town of Ocean City.

One hundred films will be screened over three days at three locations in the resort — Princess Royale Hotel, Clarion Resort, and Fox Gold Coast Theater. The Ocean City Center for the Arts will also be hosting the opening night reception and several workshops on filmmaking.

The films come from local filmmakers as well as from across the country and around the world. The lineup includes feature-length films, short films, documentaries, funny films, films made by youth, horror films, animation, music videos, and social commentaries.

Tickets are $50 for an all-access three-day pass that includes the opening and closing parties, or $10 for a one-day pass. Tickets plus a full schedule of films and times of screenings are available at www.ocmdfilmfestival.com, by visiting the Arts Center on 94th Street, or by calling 410-524-9433. Tickets will also be available at the film locations the day of the screenings on a cash-only basis.

Hundreds of films were submitted to the festival’s producers, William Strang-Moya and Kristin Helf, who selected the 100 best for the festival.

“We have curated our films on the idea that each is both purposeful and personal to their respective filmmakers,” Strang-Moya said. “Film is our way of engaging the community through art and uniting the artists with their audience through creative vision.”

The OC Film Festival is the brainchild of Stephen Decatur High School graduate and 2017 Towson University graduate Strang-Moya, fellow TU graduate Helf, and Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League of Ocean City and festival supervisor.

“There’s a lot of interest in Ocean City for this project from a tourism point of view, from an artistic point of view, and from a community point of view,” Thaler said. “This is going to jell into an event that we grow over the years.”

Screenings will begin on Friday, March 9, and an opening reception will take place that evening at the Arts Center on 94th that will include hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and an opportunity to meet the attending filmmakers.

The Film Festival will continue through the weekend with screenings running from morning until evening at the three locations. A panel of judges will review the films and present awards including The Damn Fine Film Award (judge’s choice), The Pink Flamingo (most reflective of Maryland life), and The People’s Film (audience choice).

The films that will be shown have not been rated, and viewer discretion is advised.