Black Bear Film Festival draws hundreds

MILFORD — In its 15th year, Black Bear Film Festival keeps growing. Its originator and chief planner, Jerry Beaver was beaming on Sunday, the last day of the festival before the showing on one of the full length films, "Locke" to a full house.

“We have about double from last year,” Beaver explained about the attendance. “We had 13 movies; full house is 300, some of them had 275 or 225, so almost every showing has been full capacity at Milford Theater.”

Beaver continued, “I want to explore what the current state of the art is. Who are the writers, who are the directors, the casting.”

'Locke'
After the movie "Locke," he commented, “Tom Hardy is an English actor who’s now shown he can really act — but he had a good director directing it.”

Not everyone always agrees about the films.

“My first thought was, get rid of that car phone," a woman exclaimed after "Locke." “What was the budget on that movie, one actor, one scene. I liked Ida (another movie) a lot.”

"Locke" is entirely filmed inside a man’s car where he takes constant phone calls on his way to the birth of his baby — not his wife’s — on the most important contract delivery day of his construction manager’s job, leading to the unraveling of his ordered life.

Beaver replied, ”Not everybody likes the same shows, but that stimulates the conversation. Why do you, who don’t you like it?”

Choosing films
Beaver chooses every film personally ‘for the merit’.

“I look for a good script. I first look for a really good screenplay, and then that a really good director was hired. I listen to the movie, and I know the screenplay when I see the movie.”

He continued, “Comedy was very short pile because I can’t find any great comedy films — with the exception of Chef. But there’s drama, art, sci-fi, thriller movies, documentaries, all of a sudden there are 13 of what I think are very great movies.”

Beaver introduced the films personally, taking suggestions and comments from the audience, many of whom have been coming since its start 15 years ago, and some who come from as far as Chicago — every year, just to enjoy the ambiance.

“I love the programming," someone commented from the audience before the show.

“It’s been what I call a happy year — nobody’s crying (over the selections),” Jerry explained later.

Salon at the library showed its own selection of short films with directors and some of the film crew in attendance.

Steve Shay and James Barney had just seen Down in Flames.

“It was great,” Shay explained. "It made you believe he was alive, although he died attempting to blow fire while jumping from an airplane.”

“It was a mocumentary,” Barney added, “not documentary. The directors were very coy about the ending, and they spent 10 minutes talking to the audience, giving insights about how they made the movie.”

“We live up in Twin Lakes, and it’s important to support the local event. We love movies.”

Ellen McGlynn and daughter Zoe have been coming to the festival for 4 years, but volunteered for the first time at the salon entrance.

“It was a great lineup of movies, and we’ve enjoyed the interaction with the folks at the Salon. It’s an opportunity to talk with the film makers, and that always gives an interesting perspective on what you’re watching,” Ellen explained.

“It’s brought a tremendous, tremendous cultural and enjoyable asset to the Milford area. Jerry and the Black Bear Film Festival are doing another great job this year,” commented David Chant who was also celebrating his 50th year in the realty business before "Locke."

The festival is run mostly on volunteer help, with business sponsors backing the bill.