Festival News


Festival News
Check back often for the latest news about the Johnstown Film Festival!
Call for entries issued for 2010 event -- JAHA is pleased to announce the call for entries for the Johnstown Film Festival! The festival will be held June 16-19, 2010, and entries must be received before March 15. For details, see the call for entries page on this site. Johnstown Film Festival gets name change, new logo -- The Johnstown Film Festival is dropping "wine" from its name, and has a new logo! The festival will continue the social time before the festival's final screenings on Saturday night, however, but is planning craft beer tastings instead of wine.
JAHA thanks Chazzbo Media for technical help on 2010 event -- Chazzbo Media, a local video production firm, is instrumental in the production of the Johnstown Film Festival. JAHA gratefully acknowledges all they do to make this event possible!
Thank you for a great 2009 festival! -- The 2009 Johnstown Film & Wine Festival has concluded its fourth year, and what a great year it was! The July 8-10 screenings at the Johnstown Flood Museum were very well-received; a real highlight was the feature film "My Tale of Two Cities," and hearing Johnstown native Carol Lee Espy and her husband Jim DiSpirito discuss their experiences making the film. The panel discussion, "So You Wanna Make Pictures," was a highlight too -- it was a fascinating discussion, and those who were in attendance really enjoyed it. Saturday night at the Heritage Discovery Center was fantastic! Because of a dubious weather forecast, we moved the event inside -- to the Iron & Steel Theater and the Education Center. But the reception took place in the James V. Saly Courtyard as planned. A standing-room-only crowd of 250+ were there to see the films, and reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Many thanks to the volunteers, sponsors, filmmakers, and in-kind donors who make this event possible, and we also thank everyone who attended.
"John Dunn's Last Run" runs away with Viewers' Choice Award 2009 -- At the conclusion of Saturday's showings, the audience voted by secret ballot for the Viewers' Choice Award -- and it was "John Dunn's Last Run" by a country mile. Filmed on location along the Ghost Town Trail, the 20-minute film also took 3rd Place this year. Congratulations to filmmaker Ryan Dixon, a native of Vintondale who now lives in Los Angeles.
Join JAHA's online mailing list! -- JAHA is beginning a new online mailing list as a new way to stay in touch with our supporters and friends. We will send occasional newsletters and notices to this list about JAHA programs, activities and special events, including the Johnstown Film & Wine Festival (but be assured that we will never share your contact information with any other organization, and you will always be able to opt-out with one click). Please click here to join! We look forward to staying in touch with you. "Paper Tiger: Dishonor the Dojo" takes Viewers' Choice Award -- It clearly wasn't enough for "Paper Tiger" to win the Third Place Award and the Johnstown Award -- it also wins the Viewers' Choice Award, as determined by audience secret ballot at the conclusion of the festival on Saturday, July 12! In fact, it garnered three times as many votes as the next -highest vote-taker. The film is by Kevin Stock, Josh Stock and Josh Harteis of Ebensburg. This is the second consecutive year a Kevin Stock film has walked away with the Viewers' Choice Award -- in 2007, "The Donut Gun" was the winner. Congratulations to Kevin Stock and Renaissance Films, and we're already looking forward to next year's submissions!
Festival gets great media coverage-- The Johnstown Film & Wine Festival has been well-covered by local and regional media, including an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; multiple articles in The Tribune-Democrat; and Our Town Magazine's coverage included interviews with Brad Grimm, winner of 1st Place for "Destroy Jonah Hill;", Jason Oppliger, winner of 2nd Place for "Oscar Wilde Can Keep His Quotes,", Kevin Stock, winner of 3rd Place for "Paper Tiger", and Johnstown native Kristy Puchko, whose film "Smile" was featured. Key quote: "Kevin Stock [a local filmmaker] said he's noticed considerable growth in the filmmaking community since the Johnstown Film & Wine Festival was introduced three years ago. 'The best thing the Johnstown festival has done for the area is to create -- I don't know if scene is the right word -- but it's definitely created some sort of arena that can facilitate people's film and video interests,' he said." Johnstown Film & Wine Festival gets off to great start -- The first three nights of the festival were well-attended, in fact Friday night was a complete sellout! The photo at left shows the audience watching "Hatchet Jack" (many thanks to the Tribune-Democrat, a festival sponsor, for allowing us to post this photo).
Press Release Archive October 20, 2008 -- Johnstown Film & Wine Festival issues call for entries; deadline is March 1, 2009 July 14, 2008 -- "Paper Tiger" takes Viewers' Choice Award at the Johnstown Film & Wine Festival June 25, 2008 -- 2008 Johnstown Film & Wine Festival winners and lineup announced October 3, 2007 -- Johnstown Film & Wine Festival announces 2008 call for entries June 30, 2007 -- Johnstown Film & Wine Festival screening schedule and winners announced; event to be held July 12-14 October 18, 2006 -- Call for entries announced for 2nd Annual Johnstown Film & Wine Festival July 30, 2006 -- Johnstown Film & Wine Festival a big success June 22, 2006 -- First-annual Johnstown Film & Wine Festival planned for July 13-15 December 12, 2005 -- First-annual Johnstown Film & Wine Festival announces call for entries