Mark your calendars, clear your schedules, and start your engines. This weekend, starting tomorrow, April 22nd and continuing through Sunday, April 25th the sixth annual West Chester Film Festival arrives. The festival, which includes an opening ceremony tomorrow night, several blocks of short films, and workshops over the next four days, includes short films from all over the country and around the world. Check out the website for a full schedule and details. Tickets may be purchased at each individual event or, to avoid waiting in line, can be bought online here.
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Greg Koorhan, a local independent filmmaker whose new short film, Level Up, will be showing this weekend at the fest. This week I spoke with the current president of the West Chester Film Festival, Carol Jean Quigley.
Her resume seems, at first glance, incongruous with her position. "I am not a film expert," she stated bluntly at the beginning of our interview. "Not an aficionado. Not even a huge fan of film." How, then, did she come to hold this job? "What I am a fan of," she explained, "is West Chester."
Once upon a time, one of West Chester, PA's three remaining historic theaters was torn down to make way for, yes, a parking lot." Out of the local grief and regret, the Theater Attraction Committee was formed, of which Quigley was a member. Their goal was to save the remaining theaters by proving local interest in independent film. The most tangible way to prove this, it was decided, was by starting a film festival. Sadly, the committee disbanded, but Quigley and another former member, Laura Barton, ran with the idea. With Barton taking the initial role as president, the WCFF was born six years ago.
Eventually, Barton felt the strain of the presidency and needed a break. When I asked how she became president, Quigley modestly explained that, as the member who had been on the board the longest and knew the most about the organizational details (i.e. fundraising, marketing, etc.) "it was the most appropriate thing." This is, of course, only the part of the story.
It turns out that Quigley is an architect, but not just any kind of architect. She specializes in the restoration of historic buildings in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Christ Church in Old City, Philly? Her company worked on that notable landmark.
Though admittedly not a movie buff, Quigley's career focuses on the preservation of an art, something the fans of any kind of art can get behind. She found the act of tearing down the theater in her beloved hometown "appalling," and sought to save the others from a similar fate through the WCFF. Her devotion and that of her colleagues to this small town and its arts has led to one of the most interesting yearly events in the Philly area.
And, for the foreseeable future, it will continue to. When one local couple told Quigley that the WCFF was their favorite weekend of the year, she was delighted. "As long as people want it to be here and there are people who will help, it will be here," she declared.
Make no mistake, there will be no time wasted in preparing for next year's festivities. She will work through the weekend, she explained to me: "I can't quite relax until it's done." Monthly board meetings will begin almost immediately. By August, the board will be admitting new entries for next year's fest, and the whole thing will start all over again. For the quality of the festival and the sanity of its board members, Quigley explained, there can't be any significant break.
This focus on quality is something that Quigley is clearly proud of. She has noticed an exponential growth in the last six years and she is "one hundred percent confident that the quality of films this year is better than the last years." This, she stresses, is the point. To see the project growing appreciably is great for the fest's and the town's reputations, as well as truly rewarding for those involved. "It's all about the films," she exclaimed. "The films, the films, the films!"
So, for both fans of film and those who seek to support and preserve local and independent arts, drive down to the beautiful town of West Chester, PA, this weekend. Even if it's only for one day, or even for one film block, you won't regret it. When it's all over, mark your calendars for next year and rest assured that after twelve long months Carol Quigley and her colleagues at the WCFF will have another weekend's entertainment ready for us all.
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