The Adirondack Film Society (AFS) is moving the Lake Placid Film Forum from early June to late October. Through various meetings and the appointment of a new festival director, Gary Smith, the AFS board picked dates to follow three major film festivals.

The October 26-28, 2018 forum will now blend into the 2018 circuit following the Telluride, Toronto and New York Film Festivals.

According to AFS President and Chair John Huttlinger, Jr. the Lake Placid Film Forum will continue its mission of celebrating independent film. This is the first time in the Lake Placid Film Forum’s 18-year history that this celebration of the visual arts will be held in the fall.

“We have a lot of exciting news,” says Huttlinger. “This year’s Film Forum is focusing on diversity through independent film. We sent Jeremy Arnold, an affiliate of Turner Classic Movies, to Cuba again for the Havana Film Festival. We had Heather Clarke [General Manager of the Palace Theatre] to Utah to a conference to learn ways to enhance programming. We want to acknowledge women film makers. We want to address economic diversity.”

The focal point of the October film forum continues to be to provide movie buffs a venue to have access to films not readily available on the big screen. As in the past, the forum will provide workshops as well as access to film producers, actors, screenwriters, and directors. Programming will continue to be shown at the historic Lake Placid Palace Theatre as well as the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.

The High Peaks Resort has been selected as the 2018 Film Forum headquarters and will make access to more seminars, workshops, panel discussions, and additional screening spaces readily available.

Through a recently awarded grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation, the AFS will continue to use the Lake Placid Film Forum as a venue to bring diverse films to an Adirondack audience. Other events and activities will be presented throughout the year to help build momentum for the October film forum. An all-access pass will be available for $79 while individual movie passes will be sold for $10. Final scheduling will be available through The Adirondack Film Society.

Photo of Adirondack Film Society board members used with the permission of Diane Chase,  AdirondackFamilyTime.com