Ashfield FilmFest History

With the birth of the greatest showman on earth – Cecil B DeMille – in Ashfield, it seemed only natural to have a town film event honoring the famous native.
 
That’s what Ashfield resident and Ashfield Cultural Council co-chair Tamsen Merrill thought.  She brought up her idea at an ACC meeting back in 2006 and then things really clicked when she hooked up with new Ashfield resident Harry Keramidas, a film editor from Hollywood.
 
Tamsen and Harry, along with the assistance of the ACC and other enthusiastic residents planned and plotted and the Ashfield FilmFest was born.
 
While the sword and sandal director was born in Ashfield, he didn’t grow up here.  The DeMille family was just passing through town, visiting for a short spell only, so a very pregnant Mrs. DeMille basically stopped and dropped.
 
Inspired by visions of a diapered Cecil frolicking in the building next to the Hardware Store and Country Pie Pizza, Tamsen continued on her creative roll envisioning a golden Baby Cecil as not only the muse and mascot of the FilmFest but as the award for the FilmFest.
 
Ashfield residents and committee members Jane Lund and Jim Murphy created the golden Baby Cecil statue that is presented to the winner of the FilmFest at the annual event. (The statue does not go home with the winner but remains with the committee. A brass plaque with the winners name is affixed to the statue that is then displayed at various Town venues)
 
The first annual event took place in September 2007 at the Ashfield Town Hall, with a dazzling Tamsen luminous in a golden dress worthy of a Hollywood red carpet romp.  (And Harry looked awfully dapper in a tux.) There was popcorn, great enthusiasm for the event from the 200+ attendees and entertaining movies - some that had some ingenious connections to the town of Ashfield. That first FilmFest won the ACC a “Gold Star Award” from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
 
The second FilmFest had more submissions, more attendees and generated great enthusiasm from the community, which now looks to the FilmFest as a treasured annual tradition, like watching the “Ten Commandments” during Holy Week.

The third FilmFest was an over whelming success with some 75 people turned away from our 450 person capacity Town Hall. The Freight Shakers, a group from The Academy at Charlemont, played while the audience assembled for what was to be a very raucous and well received 90 minute show. The evening consisted of the 15 entries plus musicial interludes from well know Hollywood films played by over 50 local musicians. The audience was truly inspired and the show was the talk of the town.
 

ASHFIELD FILMFEST 2009 FILMS AND FILMMAKERS:

DANCING QUEENS, Nancy Hoff - First Prize, Adult & Audience Choice Award winner

THE SUMMER INTERN, Noah Dirks

THE COLOR OF LIFE, Elihu Christie Jones

HAUNTED ASHFIELD BARN, Theo Gabriel & Dante Giramma

THE GREAT ASHFIELD PANCAPER, Gayle Kabaker - Grand Prize winner | watch now

IT CAN HAPPEN, Jason Mazzarino & Elijah Rottenberg

THE REVELATION OF PANCAKE INSPIRATION, Gayle Kabaker

CRUSHED, Tamsen Merrill

STOCKING THE FOOD PANTRY, Tamsen Merrill - Ashfield History Prize winner

LOCAVORE, David Fessenden - Ashfield Resident Prize

BARN ON THE 4th OF JULY, David Fessenden

ICE STORM 2008, Mary Link

THE GREAT BLIZZARD, Galen Knowles

HISTORY IN FREE FALL, Galen Knowles - First Prize,Youth winner

DARK HARVEST, Izzy Kornblatt

ASHFIELD FILMFEST 2008 FILMS AND FILMMAKERS:

ASHFIELD ON HIS MIND, Cicily Corbet - Grand Prize winner

FLUSTERED, Ben Murray - First Prize, Adult & Audience Choice Award winner


EVERYTHING PRACTICAL, PRACTICALLY ANYTHING, Liz Castro - Ashfield Resident Award winner


ASHFIELD ARTIST, Bennett Duchin - First Prize, Youth Award winner

THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING, Robert Jonas | watch now

HARDWORKIN’ HARDWARE KIDS, Marc Stegman

ASHFIELD FARMERS,  David Fessenden | watch now

ASHFIELD BOYS WINTER YARD SALE, Galen Knowles

FOR EVERY DROP, Gayle Kabaker

REFLECTIONS: THE ASHFIELD LAKE, Galen Knowles

SPRITES IN SPACE, Robert Jonas | watch now

LOCAL WANDERINGS, Peter Kitchel

HOLE IN THE LAKE, Tamsen Merrill | watch now

FLOATING ICE WORLD, Robert Jonas | watch now

ASHFIELD FILMFEST 2007 FILMS AND FILMMAKERS:

THREE SEASONS OF WINTER,  David Fessenden - Grand Prize winner | watch it now

A LIFETIME IN ASHFIELD, Bennett Duchin - Co-First Prize winner

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, Nick Lund-Ulrich - Co-First Prize winner | watch it now

INVASION, Ben Murray - Audience Award winner

BUD, Martha Lively & Katherine McCusker

THE ASHFIELD FALL FESTIVAL - WHAT DID YOU EAT THERE?, Nate Bartlett | watch it now

A MORNING IN SEPTEMBER, David Fessenden

BELTAINE, Jackie Cooper       

STANLEY’S DAY OUT, Thomas Roberts-Wierzbowski | watch it now

OVER THE CORN, Tamsen Merrill | watch it now

COUNTRY GIRL MEETS CITY GIRL, Kaitlyn Sever & Sarah Townsley