Downtown Norfolk, Virginia will become the home of the first national film festival to visit the region, “SOL Film Festival tm. (SOL).” The festival will take place on Christopher Columbus Day Weekend, October 7-10, 2005 throughout the heart of downtown. The festival will feature 100 films, hands-on workshops, panel discussions, a film competition, and many other spin-off events. The festival will screen films throughout the downtown Norfolk area at cinemas, hotels, and other venues. The festival’s host hotel is the downtown Sheraton Hotel located along the harbor of Waterside Drive. Other hotels will come aboard as co-host venues of the festival providing the space for panel discussions and workshops.



The first national film festival ever to visit the region has already raised the eyebrows of many. The introductory screening held at Nauticus Museum on May 30, 2004 featured JUVIES (narrated by Mark Walhberg and produced by Leslie Neal), KITE (produced by Troy Antonio), CLINIC (written and Directed by Jesse Terrero), and LYRICIST LOUNGE (produced by Anthony Marshall and Danny Castro). This prescreening event served as an introduction to the quality of works that SOL is dedicated to presenting. Some of the filmmakers of these works will participate in workshops during the actual festival.



There is an open call for filmmakers to submit their projects for possible screening in the festival. The cost of submitting a film for consideration is a low $25.00, which must accompany a completed application and the film. An application is available online at www.solfilmfestival.com. If the film is accepted into the festival, the filmmaker continues through the registration process. The festival will provide awards for the best trailer, short, documentary, and feature film. These awards will include cash and filmmaking equipment (cameras, editing equipment, etc.).



The festival provides a great opportunity to expose the filmmakers’ creation to film buyers and the general public. SOL Film Festival’s marketing team can help create greater regional and national exposure than an individual filmmaker could achieve on his own. SOL is constantly approached by filmmakers with completed projects in their desk drawers and in their shoeboxes at home with no resources of showing them to the public. Here is your chance if you are one of those filmmakers. For the aspiring filmmaker, the festival will provide you an education without spending tens of thousands of dollars. The workshops will educate on techniques in the areas of production, editing, writing, directing, and camera shooting. All screenings will be open to the public for an admission cost at the screening.



The welcoming of the festival by the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau has been overwhelming. The entire staff at SOL is greatly appreciative of the support and look forward to October 2005. There will be a separate local filmmaker contest awarding a lucky filmmaker from Virginia. This is festival’s way of giving back for all of the support provided thus far. SOL Film Festival may be contacted at marketing@solfilmfestival.com and films should be sent to SOL Film Festival, PO Box 103, New York, NY 10044.