Still time to work your magic in 'Artful Bears' display

By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — The Black Bear Film Festival is no longer just an October event. It's a 12-month effort, with its "Artful Bears" feature already near completion, says festival director Bob Keiber.
It's not too late for artists to get involved. The festival has extended the deadline for submissions to Saturday, April 15, to accommodate demand. Call 570-409-0909 for the design form or apply through blackbearfilmfest.com.
The "Artful Bears" promotes the festival with free-standing creations that spring from the imaginations of local artists. Blank bear molds are thus transformed into winsome works of art, each one unique. They can be found brightening many spots throughout the borough, at the shops and other places their sponsors can be found. The bears are auctioned off on the last day of the film festival in October. This year's festival takes place on Oct. 20, 21, and 22.
“I’ve had some wonderful designs, exactly what I expected,” Keiber said of the submissions so far. He makes the selections with the "Artful Bears" director, Timothy Moreland.
Students in the Delaware Valley School District submitted some bears. Others came from “as far as Brooklyn," said Keiber.
The artistry has evolved over the years, he said. He'd wants the bears to be pieces of art for people to enjoy in their homes.
The 17-year-old film festival each year draws many hundreds of visitors who also look forward to seeing the bears.
This year, Cabela's International Outfitters in Hamburg, Pa., donated bear models normally used for bow and arrow practice. This act of generosity is saving the festival, which paid for bear molds in previous years, about $5,000. Artists are welcome to apply for one of these 10 molds.
Once 10 designs are selected from the submissions, the artists get to work.
“Hopefully they look like the designs,” Keiber joked.
Other events in the worksThe bears will exhibited at the festival's annual picnic at the Community House lawn, to be held this year on Aug. 12. The popular event brought out some 200 people last year.
More Black Bear Film Festival events are in the works to celebrate Milford’s long history of filmmaking. They include providing plaques marking historic movie sites and an exhibit in the Columns Museum about Milford’s connection to the very earliest silent movies. Mary Pickford made two movies here.
The first movie historic site plaque will be given to the Hotel Fauchere.