The company has been sponsoring movie screenings lately - the second one is Thursday - but hopes they will lead to a full-fledged festival next Fall.
"We are doing these monthly screenings to build momentum and a fan base of local filmmakers, artists," said vice president of marketing Ben Savage.
The screenings and the festival would serve to promote the brand, and also, Savage noted, "local creativity."
The festival would focus on independent films, he said.
"Mostly local work if there is enough, but I would like to have others be able to submit as well. It should serve as both an outlet for expression and inspiration - so non-local has value."
I asked Savage if it wouldn't be wiser to direct the money towards money-starved existing festivals, like the comatose
, or even a retrospective series like
, which depends on sponsoring from non-profits.
He said that's under consideration too.
"We are looking into sponsoring existing and defunct film festivals as well. We have never done this before," he said. "Baltimore has a ton to offer with regard to art in its broadest sense. This would just be another effort on our part to make those things more accessible to people."
The screening Thursday is "Todd P goes to Austin," which follows promoter Todd Patrick on his way to a Texas music festival and features, according to the press release, "unforgettable live performances from Baltimore-rooted artists like Dan Deacon and The Death Set." It starts at 7 p.m. at the Landmark Theater in Inner Harbor.
The screening is the same night as Gunky's Basement, Deacon and Jimmy Joe Roche's retrospective movie series at the Charles Theater. It is $10; the Charles, which will screen "Repo Man," is $5.
Flying Dog Ales has owned a brewery in Frederick since 2006; it recently discontinued the popular Wild Goose Beer.
Photo: via Flying Dog Ales