Berkshire International Film Festival Updates
Tickets on Sale and Heirloom Meals Events
By: Kelley Vickery - Nov 01, 2012
Heirloom Meals’ Christmas Special is the follow-up program to the widely-seen and highly-praised Heirloom Meals’ Thanksgiving Special. Like the Thanksgiving Special, the Heirloom Meals’ Christmas Special features real people, with real food and heartfelt memories. Diverse guests, informative demos, and expressive photography all combine to create the unique quality and uplifting atmosphere that Heirloom Meals evokes. At the heart of the show are the passions and stories of the guests. Their emotional accounts keep the audience engaged and push the show forward. The demonstrations, performed by Carole Murko and her guests, are not the standard cookie-cutter approach to cooking shows. They are often abbreviated to keep things moving and only the parts that balance entertainment value and instructional practice are used in the final show. Viewers are guided to the Heirloom Meals’ website for explicit recipes and detailed instructions. The visual language and style are reminiscent of the Thanksgiving Special, elegant and stylish. Finally, advanced camera technology allows for high-production value aesthetics. Imagine a merging of the best of the Food Network, HGTV, and the History Channel.
Because Christmas is a season, as well as a day, the baking and sweet-making traditions of several guests from across the country are featured alongside a New World Christmas Eve tradition of Mexican-Americans – tamales – and an Old World tradition of an Austrian-American – Christmas goose. In usual Heirloom Meals style, Carole Murko gets to the heart of “What makes the Christmas holiday season so special for you?”
Carole also ventures to Shelburne Farms, VT to chat with their cheesemaker about sustainable farming, an ever-present theme in Heirloom Meals’ shows. The finishing touches to the special are two musical acts. One written and inspired by Heirloom Meals by Charity Kahn, called The Light; and Winter Wonderland, performed by world-renowned Jazz singer and pianist, Judy Carmichael. If there are two words that describe both the show and the guests’ descriptions of their Christmas memories, one is magical. The other is love. The special was shot at Boulderwood Farm, in beautiful Stockbridge,Massachusetts with sweeping views of the Berkshire countryside by Director and Cinematographer, JP Lipa and Eleven 11 Productions, a Pittsfield native and production firm, respectively.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for an eggnog reception and screening and $75 for the reception, screening and dinner. For REEL Friends, the reception and screening is $10 and $50 for the reception, screening and dinner. Carol Murko is also providing attendees of the dinner a complimentary DVD copy of the show and a recipe booklet!
The 2013 Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) is pleased to announce the call for submissions are now open! BIFF welcomes submissions for feature, documentary and short films. Selected films will be chosen by the end of March and announced in April. The 8th annual festival will be held May 30 – June 2, 2013 at the Triplex Cinema, the historical Mahaiwe Theatre, the Beacon Cinema and other venues throughout Great Barrington and Pittsfield. The submissions deadline is March 1, 2013. The 2013 festival will mark the 8th annual event and plans to showcase nearly 75 of the best films that are currently being produced in independent filmmaking. For submission forms, rules, and further information, visit the official website at www.biffma.org. Films may be submitted by sending the completed forms to P.O. Box 237, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
The BIFF invites you to join the REEL FRIENDS OF BIFF SOCIETY designed to engage our audience year-round with special screenings, parties and events in the Berkshires and New York City culminating in the 4-day festival in June.
LEVELS
$50-$149 Reel Supporter
(Tax deductible)
Advance notice of all events • Subscription to members newsletter • Invites
to all monthly film society screenings and parties • Acknowledgment in
program and website
$150-$249 Reel Associate
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus:
• Discount on advance purchase of $500 All-Inclusive Passes
• Invitation to exclusive party for REEL FRIENDS during the festival
• Acknowledgment in program and website
$250-$499 Reel Writer
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus
• 2 Free Tickets to the Triplex
• Discount on advance purchase of $500 All-Inclusive Passes
• Acknowledgment in program and website
$500-$999 Reel Star
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus:
• 1 Opening Night or Tribute Pass during BIFF
• Invitation to BIFF Announcement Party • Acknowledgment in program and
website
$1,000-$2499 Reel Director
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus:
• 1 All-Inclusive BIFF Pass
• Free admission to all film society screenings/parties
• Acknowledgment in program and website
$2,500 - 4,999 Reel Producer
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus:
• 2 All-Inclusive BIFF Passes
• Free admission to all film society screenings/parties
• Invitation to 3 exclusive dinners and pre-BIFF screenings in private homes
this winter
• Acknowledgment in program and website
$5,000 - $7,500
Reel Executive Producer
(Tax deductible)
All of the above plus:
• 4 All-Inclusive BIFF Passes
• Invitation to private dinner with BIFF honoree during the Festival|
PASSES FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL BIFF NOW ON SALE!
Get your passes for the next BIFF,
May 30 – June 2, 2013
On sale through our website www.biffma.org.
BIFF Passes make a great gift for the holidays!