NEPA Scene Staff

Black Bear Film Festival now accepting indie film submissions

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The 15th annual Black Bear Film Festival in Milford is now accepting independent film submissions for this year’s festival, which will be held Oct. 17-19.

Here are the details via the festival’s website:

The BBFF is a general-interest, non-competition festival, screening films and videos from all over the world. Local filmmakers are encouraged to make submissions. Each year, BBFF screens numerous made-in-Pennsylvania films. The BBFF welcomes feature-length and short films on a wide and diverse range of subjects. We accept all genres and formats:

  • Narratives and documentaries
  • Domestic and foreign
  • Dramas, comedies, and unclassifiable
  • Animation, music videos, and experimental work

If accepted, the BBFF encourages filmmakers, writers, actors and other production crew members to attend the festival. Filmmakers are also encouraged to introduce their film(s) and participate in a Q&A after the screening. The entrant must obtain appropriate legal rights and clearances for public screening of their entry. Press kits and promotional materials are requested as needed; please do not send them in with your submission. All entries and submission fees are non-refundable. Send all materials to:

The Black Bear Film Festival
P.O. Box 986
Milford, PA 18337

The BBFF provides not only the opportunity for the people of the Delaware Highlands and the Pocono Mountains to experience excellence in movie making, but serves as a platform for both young and established filmmakers to exhibit their works to grateful audiences, critics, members of the movie industry, and their fellow filmmakers.

The film screenings will be held at the historic Milford Theatre (114 E. Catharine St., Milford). The Film Salon, located in the Community Room at the Pike County Public Library (119 E. Harford St., Milford), will offer special selections, guest speakers, and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

The festival is also looking for volunteers, offering a first look at the selected films and “hands-on participation. For more information, e-mail volunteer@blackbearfilm.com.

Additionally, the BBFF’s annual Artful Bear Debut will take place on the lawn of the Milford Community House (201 Broad St., Milford) from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, unveiling this year’s 11 Artful Bear sculptures, each created by local artists.

The history of the Pike County festival is detailed in this video: