The inaugural Film Fest 919 will premiere in Chapel Hill in October 2018. The festival was formally announced this week by founders Randi Emerman and Carol Marshall.  Film Fest 919 will present award-winning feature films discovered from the festival circuit worldwide, as well as notable filmmakers. These films will be shown in combination with catering by renowned culinary artists specific to the region of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.

Film Fest 919 will kick off with a launch party and a special screening of A24’s Cannes and Toronto Film Festival favorite “The Florida Project.” The film’s writer/producer Chris Bergoch will be in attendance and participate in a Q&A with veteran film journalist and festival programmer Claudia Puig on October 25, 2017, at Silverspot Cinema. The event will also feature selections from one of the many culinary artists of the region. Set over one summer, “The Florida Project,” directed by Sean Baker and starring Willem Dafoe, follows precocious six year old Moonee (Brooklyn Prince, in a stunning breakout role) as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious yet caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.

Emerman and Marshall boast an abundance of festival experience, having worked together for 15-plus years at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. In addition, Marshall was an integral factor in the growth of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for 25 years.

“We created Film Fest 919 to further satiate the rabid appetite – pun intended –  that this community has for fresh voices and global perspectives,” said Emerman, the Vice President for programming and strategic partnerships at Silverspot in Chapel Hill. “We look to complement the Full Frame Documentary (in Durham) and River Run Film (in Winston-Salem) Festivals, two renowned local events each spring.”

“The Triangle provides a wonderful cultural environment in which to showcase films,” adds Marshall. “We are excited to bring our 30-plus years of film festival experience to this community.”

Tickets for the Launch Event will range from $35 – $100.  For more information, log onto www.FilmFest919.com.