“You can see films, music videos, and animations on YouTube, but you never get to see them on big screen and really participate in the excitement of a film festival,” said Jeff Ingram, executive director of the Standing Rock and Cultural Arts and producer of the film festival.

Ingram and Mike Hovancsek, director of the film festival and musician, work nearly all year perfecting the event. They select a small amount of films by looking through hundreds of different submissions. Hovancsek said he likes to think of this festival much like the popular Sundance Film Fest but smaller.

“When we started 10 years ago it was really hard to find independent films,” Hovancsek said. “Now, with affordable editing programs and YouTube, there are stunning and impressive films.”

During intermission, the audience will vote on their favorite short film which will win this year’s People’s Choice award. The winner will get to play his or her film in next year’s film festival and go home with a $100 prize.

According to the website, this year’s event is split into three different parts: international short films, People’s Choice winners from last year and silent films with live music by Hovancsek and two other musicians.

“The musicians I am playing with are really high-end, sought after, and amazing music players,” Hovancsek said. “This is what I am most excited about because I get to work with these wonderful musicians, and it is more interactive.”

Ingram, Hovancsek and Cindy Penter, a film instructor from the Cleveland Institute of Art, will select another film for the Jury’s Choice award. The winner of this award will receive a plaque.

“Ten years ago I was thinking, ‘Why is there no film festival in this area?’ We have a campus, we have creative people and all this great stuff and no film festival,” Hovancsek said. “I realized it’s not really fair to complain if I am not willing to step up and do something.”

Hovancsek then teamed up with Standing Rock Cultural Arts, a non-profit organization located in downtown Kent. The group’s mission is to “build community through the arts.”

“People are doing genius, brilliant films with just a desktop and a camera,” Hovancsek said.

Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $7 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door the night of the event.

For additional information, visit kentstage.com.

Contact Kate Kelly at [email protected].