On August 12, 1881 Cecil B. DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts. He went on to be declared by many “the greatest showman on earth,” and our town hero. In September 2007 Baby Cecil was also born in Ashfield. He has gone on to be the Grand Prize Trophy of The Ashfield FilmFest.
The FilmFest arose from a collaboration among Tamsen Merrill, Harry Keramidas and the Ashfield Cultural Council. It began as a small, fun community event to honor Mr. DeMille. Each year since 2007 (except for the Covid years) people from the hilltown communities have come together to watch feature length and short films in Ashfield’s historic town hall. All the short films must be 5 minutes or less and have a direct connection to Western Massachusetts. This connection can be a principal member of the cast or crew being from Western Mass, the film being written or shot in Western Mass, or some similar, direct connection to the area.
Entries include music videos, documentaries, comedies, animation, and social commentaries. Trophies and cash prizes are awarded in several categories and are decided by a diverse panel of judges from the area. As mentioned above, the Grand Prize winner is awarded the famed Baby Cecil Trophy* created by Ashfield artist Jane Lund. The final and highly anticipated Audience Choice Award receives a basket of goods and services donated by local businesses.
The growing enthusiasm for the creative art of storytelling with film/video, caused the FilmFest to expand from just Ashfield to include neighboring communities. The FilmFest has now screened over 170 films, most of which were filmed within our communities by residents both young and old. You can view the archive of films on our YouTube Channel. The films have created a trove of local history and memories of our town. Each year the entries continue to improve, and to demonstrate the cultural and historical diversity and richness of our towns.
The FilmFest has become a treasured annual tradition, and a reason to gather with friends, perhaps dress up, and watch a new crop of films that add to our sense of wonder and amazement for the communities we live in.
*P.S. Baby Cecil lives at Belding Memorial Library