Experimental Film Virginia: Fostering a New Wave of Collaboration

Experimental Film Virginia (EFV), a project that has a proven track record of success in terms of providing events, attracting cultural tourism, promoting the Harbor for the Arts mission and providing social media content and context for the town as a destination artist and vacationer hotspot.

EFV is a vibrant residency/workshop/festival fusion event which prides itself on merging together these identities to create powerful and meaningful events for both the artists and audiences. EFV is a residency where over 50 artists are living and working in town, and includes events such as Art in a Barn, the Film Premiere/Bayamo Party and several workshops and opportunities for local artists, professional, emerging and youth level.

In the past, EFV has successfully attracted artists, guests and audiences from all over the state of Virginia, Hampton Roads and up and down the East Coast, not to mention the fact that Cape Charles is now on the radar of the Taiwan Ministry, the Israeli Embassy, Dance Films Association New York, Lincoln Center New York, the Hong Kong Arts and Development Council, Torino Film Commission and Film Festival and many other international, national and statewide organizations thanks to EFV. One of the films that was made last summer just premiered and is in the running for an award at SXSW, one of the premiere film festivals in the United States. That means Cape Charles, the Harbor for the Arts brand and all our sponsors are being advertised to audiences in the thousands. This year we are also building partnerships with organizations across the bay and will have increased numbers of Hampton Roads citizens joining us on the Eastern Shore.

This is pretty powerful advertising and branding for Cape Charles.

EFV brings the town to life with the young, active artists out and about making films and getting the community involved. EFV is designed to be cost efficient and maximize programming with existing resources and manpower. EFV is not like typical arts events or concerts that happen in one night when the artists or band come and go without much interaction with locals or impact on the local economy. A lot of money goes into one night and the impact depends solely on attendance of that one event. EFV has a different kind of potential and impact because the artists STAY in town for almost three weeks. Additionally,EFV will have two major events that bring the community to Cape Charles – Art in a Barn and the Film Premiere/Bayamo Party.

EFV is growing and expanding every year, and is grateful for the collaboration and support from the town as EFV has found its feet. EFV began under the umbrella of Arts Enter Cape Charles but in 2014, however, after the conclusion of the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant, Arts Enter decided not to continue EFV as an AE program. In 2015, EFV maintained a partnership with Arts Enter, using the Historic Palace Theater as a location, but currently it is completely on its own. In 2016, EFV obtained its own 501c3. Experimental Film Virginia is working hard to maintain and build relationships with Arts Enter and many other organizations including the Historic Society to collectively enable it to fulfill its potential as a vehicle for collaboration that honors, captures and shares the beauty of our town.

Upcoming Events:
• Art in a Barn (July 2nd)
• Film Premiere/Bayamo Party (July 9th)
• Blue Plate Special Ceramic Art Workshop for professionals, youth with Julia Jacquette (New York)
• Photography Project for local citizens with Dan Carlson (New York)
• Opportunities for local citizens to be in the films
• Film Screenings and EFV related events throughout the year in Cape Charles
• Three weeks of 50+ Virginia and International artists living and working right here in town, enlivening the spaces and bringing a young cohort of energy into the mix
• Photo and Video content for social media and future publicity, promotion

Benefits:
• Laying the groundwork for Cape Charles to be a model town for the “Small Town. Big Art” that aligns
with other programs such as Main Street and many others
• Increased tourism from Hampton Roads because of EFV events
• Increased branding and promotion of the Town of Cape Charles and the Harbor for the Arts brand thanks to the 15 annual films carrying the logo and brand to thousands of viewers around the world at film festivals and online as well as extensive marketing and publicity agenda for EFV.

Experimental Film Virginia is proud of this list of offerings and delighted that its success becomes the town’s success.  Experimental Film Virginia has the potential to become a statewide program bringing small towns to life with the winning “Small Town. Big Art” formula and philosophy.