This year’s Southern Maryland Film Festival will be held at R/C Theatres’ Lexington Exchange Movies 12, 44800 Oak Crest Dr., California, MD 20619, on Saturday, August 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Tickets for the Festival are officially on sale, and may be purchased on the venue website (rctheatres.com; Location: Lexington Exchange; Date: August 24).
The Festival features 30 films being shown throughout the day in 90- and 120-minute blocks. Each block will include several films and a filmmaker Q&A session where audience members can discuss the movies and talk to those who made them. Tickets will be $8 per block, per person, regardless of age or number of tickets purchased. Seating is limited and assigned, and most movies will be shown only once.
For movie titles and detailed descriptions of each film, please visit the Southern Maryland Film Festival Facebook page. The schedule for the day is as follows:
- 10:00 a.m. block: Documentaries – non-fiction stories, interviews and historic footage about local farmers and artists, mindful meditation and Tibetan refugees, raising support for a local community center, and the social history of West point. Created by filmmakers from St. Mary’s, Calvert, Prince George’s, and Charles Counties, as well as Virginia. Appropriate for all audiences.
- 1:00 p.m. block: Animation and Comedy – fictional works including puppetry, colorful sketches and humor. Created by filmmakers from St. Mary’s, Prince George’s, Charles, Howard and Carroll Counties, as well as Virginia, California, Brazil and Australia. Some films contain mild language and action sequences.
- 3:45 p.m. block: Drama – fictional works of a slightly more serious nature, including suspense, murder, interpersonal relationships, and social commentary. Created by filmmakers from St. Mary’s, Charles, and Montgomery Counties, as well as Ohio. Some of these films contain adult themes and language, action sequences and mild violence.
- 6:15 p.m. block: Suspense (for audiences 18+) – fictional works depicting intense subject matter, including moral and ethical dilemmas, overcoming trauma, and violent crimes. Created by filmmakers from St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, and Howard Counties; Baltimore, MD; Virginia, California, and Florida. Some of the films in this category contain strong language, depictions of violence and nudity. Audience members under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
- 8:15 p.m. block: Jury-nominated – films that are eligible for judging and grand prize. Films were selected by the Steering Committee for the SMDFF and were independently judged by local and national film and media professionals. Must meet submission criteria: Members of the cast and/or crew are from or living in Southern Maryland, part or all of the film was shot in Southern Maryland, or the subject matter of the film is about Southern Maryland. Some of these films contain mature language, depictions of violence and action sequences.
Special thanks to our 2019 Sponsors: R/C Theatres’ Lexington Exchange Movie 12, Taphouse 1637, St. Mary’s County Arts Council, The Printing Press, Inc., Chesapeake Plastics Manufacturing, The Good Earth Natural Foods Store, Pax River Aikikai, and Bluebird Massage. Visit smdff.org and the Southern Maryland Film Festival Facebook page for event updates. For more information email [email protected].
