The Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival will have to find a new home next year.
For 17 years, the festival has been housed in one spot- Movies at the Midway in Lewes. This year, its various feature films, documentaries and shorts will be shown on just four of the theater's eight screens. The rest of the schedule will move to Cape Henlopen High School’s 600-seat auditorium. By next year, the festival will have to find a new home for all of its screenings.
In an email sent to members last week, the film society noted a conflict in contractual discussions with the Sussex County theater.
Sue Early, executive director of the Rehoboth Beach Film Festival says the change has prompted concerns.
“This event represents an economic boost to the business community during the shoulder season. I’m getting emails and phone calls from people who plan their vacation around this. We expect that there will be a lot of people that will be expressing their discontent," said Early.
But Early adds she’s heard from community members still hoping for a happy Hollywood ending that will keep the event in one centralized location.
"The film society and the film festival would not be where they are right now without the generosity of Richard Derrickson and the Movies at Midway allowing us to use, well we rent them, but allowing us to use their facilities," said Early. "It has enabled us to grow and develop as an arts organization."
The five-day cultural event showcases approximately 100 films. Since its 1998 inception, the film festival has grown into a premiere destination for movie fans.
Last year the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival sold over 19,000 tickets, selling out 59 events.
The 2014 edition of the film festival is slated to run November 5th through the 9th.
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.