Spirits were high and attendance was steady as the 17th annual Maryland Film Festival began its full schedule of screenings Thursday night, allaying organizers' fears that lingering unease over the violence of last week might keep film fans from venturing into the city.
"We were hearing [some concerns] during the week that the curfew was in effect, that's for sure," said Eric Allen Hatch, the festival's director of programming. "But I haven't heard a single comment like that since the festival started."
Elaine Standohar traveled from Charleston, S.C., to attend her first Maryland Film Festival. She said she never even thought about not making the trip.
"I just didn't think it was going to be an issue," she said, standing Thursday night outside the Walters Art Museum, where she was one of about 100 people to attend a screening of director Amy Berg's documentary on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Prophet's Prey."
Station North resident Alix Tobey Southwick, attending her 15th festival, said she had "absolutely" no qualms about attending screenings. "Exactly the opposite," she said.
Before Wednesday's opening-night shorts program, a relieved Jed Dietz, the festival director, greeted the 500-plus filmgoers who packed into the Maryland Institute College of Art's Brown Center. "Welcome to Baltimore," he said from the stage of Falvey Hall. "Welcome to Baltimore's next step."
Hatch later chimed in, "Thanks for showing us the love."
Following the screening, Dietz said ticket sales, which had been down by a percentage "in the low double-digits" over last year, had increased noticeably over the past few days.
No filmmakers have begged off coming to the festival, Dietz said, even after national media broadcast report after report on violence in the city following the April 19 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray from injuries sustained while in police custody. Among filmmakers, enthusiasm for the annual festival appeared high.
"The main reason to make a short is to come here and play [it] tonight," said Bryan Storkel, director of the Wednesday night crowd favorite "Bad Boy of Bowling."
The Maryland Film Festival runs through Sunday at various venues in and around the Station North Arts District.
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