Real Good for FREE: Ballston Spa Film Festival, 8/3-4/12

The lovely village of Ballston Spa becomes the rather unlikely headquarters for Nippertown film fans this weekend when the fifth annual Ballston Spa Film Festival takes over the town on Friday and Saturday, August 3 & 4.

The festival is free and open to the public. Screenings will be in the Ballston Spa High School auditorium 6:45pm Friday and at 6:30pm Saturday, and outdoors in Wiswall Park at 9pm on both evenings.

Each year, the festival accepts entries to be considered for awards in eight different categories with separate divisions for amateurs, professionals and students. Taking on a decidedly international flavor, this year’s entries include short films from Russia, Germany, Spain and England, as well as from all across the U.S. – including quite a few entries from local filmmakers. In all, 39 short films (18 of them having their world or American premieres) will be screened this year throughout the two-day festival.

Here’s the schedule of events:

FRIDAY (AUGUST 3)
Ballston Spa High School Auditorium, 6:45pm
“Where in the GPS?” – Saralyn Armer (10:09)
“Perrita Perdita” – Jason Outenreath (5:05)
“Relax” – Mike Camoin (3:03)
“Son of Man” – John Ambros (13:58)
“Irony” – Chris Finn (3:42)
“Captive” – Jarrod Fowler/Jordan Whittemore (4:19)
“Strayed Juncture” – Kristian Salasoo/Zack Danek (4:45)
“3Needs” – Aksel Stasny (9:00)
“How to Unmake a Bully” – Mike Feurstein (27:00, non-juried)

FRIDAY (AUGUST 3)
Wiswall Park, 9pm
“Bob” – Jacob Frey/Harry Fast (3:10)
“The Summer Monster” – Todd Birmingham (5:17)
“Chief Serenbe” – Evan Curtis (4:48)
“Noir” – Matt Lingenfelter (6:14)
“TechNo!” – Reel Adventures at Proctors (8:00)
“Luminaris” – Jan Pablo Zaramella (6:00)
“Photographs” – Daniel Zhao (4:01)
“Maddie Takes the Wheel” – Maddie Rojas Lynch (3:41)
“The Hollow” – Ken Omiya (4:01)
“My License” – Elizabeth Herrick (2:00)
“Fabrica De Munecas” – Ainhoa Menendez (11:00)
“Roommates” – Cooper Nelson (7:28)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4
Ballston Spa High School Auditorium, 6:30pm
“Like in a Movie” – Mikhail Kanaev (8:00)
“Fool Ghoul” – Kerry Levielle (4:35)
“A Blind Eye” – Emily Foreman (2:48)
“Personal Democracy” – Hunter Dimin (5:00)
“The Yellow Deli People” – Cooper Nelson (7:41)
“The Fortune” – Austen Halpern-Graser/Anthony Ceceri (4:48)
“Leap” – Josh Dodway (2:23)
“Stacks on Deck” – Darian Henry/Bhawin Suchak (14:37)
“Closing Bell” – John Ambros (4:11)
“Cheater” – Jeff Twitty (2:40)
“La Mirada Perdida” – Damian Dionisto (11:03)
“Two Ladies and a Hill” – Federico Forcolini (3:46)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4
Wiswall Park, 9pm
“DRINKme-EATme-READme” – Constantine Konovalov/Irina Neustroeva (1:52)
“My License” – Elizabeth Herrick (2:00)
“Dx One” – Dan Masucci (18:00)
“Oscar” – Alex Elyasov (1:17)
“Luminaris” – Jan Pablo Zaramella (6:00)
“23rd Kilometer” – Alex Elyasov (8:31)
“Maddie Takes the Wheel” – Maddie Rojas Lynch (3:41)
“City Lights” – Alexey Anikin (5:01)
“Big Heart” – Tatiyana Moshkova (1:30)
“Bob” – Jacob Frey/Harry Fast (3:10)
“Little Elephant & A Little Star” – Sergey Nemo (9:59)

ADDITIONAL REAL GOOD FOR FREE EVENTS:

East Greenbush Community Library Summer Concerts @ East Greenbush Community Library, East Greenbush Wednesday, August 1
Music in the Garden @ Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, Clifton Park, Friday, August 3
McDonald’s African American Family Day @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, Saturday, August 4
Freedom Park Concert Series @ Freedom Park, Scotia (various days thru August 29)
Performing Arts at the Common @ Clifton Common Stage, Clifton Park (various days thru August 26)
Dana Park Concert Series @ Dana Park, Albany (Mondays thru August 27)
Upper Madison Concert Series @ Elks Lodge lawn, Albany (Mondays thru August 20)
Music On Main Street @ NBT Bank lawn, Canajoharie (Tuesdays thru August 14)
Brunswick Summer Concerts @ Brunswick Family Community Center, Brunswick (Tuesdays thru August 28)
Altamont Summer Concert Series @ Orsini Park, Altamont (Tuesdays thru August 7)
Cook Park Concert Series @ Cook Park, Colonie (Tuesdays thru August 28)
Sounds of Summer @ VFW Hall, Great Barrington (Tuesdays thru August 28)
Summer Concert Series @ Shepard Park, Lake George (Wednesdays thru August 29)
Hudson.River.Music. @ Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Hudson (Wednesdays thru August 15)
Rockin’ On the River @ Green Island Bridge parking lot, Troy (Wednesdays thru August 29)
Green Island Gazebo Series @ Green Island Gazebo, Green Island (Wednesdays thru August 29)
Together at Twilight Concert Series @ Voorheesville Public Library, Voorheesville (select Wednesdays thru August 8)
Music in the Park @ the North End Firehouse, Rensselaer (Wednesdays thru August 29)
Jazz On Jay @ Jay Street, Schenectady (Thursdays thru August 30)
Alive at Five @ Riverfront Park, Albany (Thursdays thru August 9)
Summer’s Eve Concert Series @ the Town Hall Gazebo, Schaghticoke (Thursdays thru August 23)
Guilderland Performing Arts Center @ Tawasentha Park, Guilderland (Thursdays thru August 23)
Concerts in the Park @ Wiswall Park, Ballston Spa (Thursdays thru August 30)
Music in the Park @ Dutchman’s Landing, Catskill (Thursdays thru August 30)
Arts in the Park Concerts @ Veterans’ Memorial Centre Park, Cobleskill (Thursdays thru August 16)
Deciphering Songs @ Fuzz Records, Albany (select Thursdays thru September 13)
Fridays at the Lake @ Shepard Park, Lake George (Fridays thru September 7)
Music at Sunset @ Greenport Town Park, Hudson (Fridays thru August 31)
Upbeat On the Roof @ Skidmore College’s Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs (Fridays thru August 31)
Summer Concert Series @ Watervliet Public Library, Watervliet (Fridays thru August 24)
Canal Square Summer Concerts @ Canal Square, Cohoes (Fridays thru August 31)
Garage Bands in the Garage @ Albany Public Library, Albany (select Fridays thru September 21)
The Summer Sounds of Salem @ the Train Depot Green, Salem, (Saturdays thru September 1)
Riverlink Summer Concert Series @ Riverlink Park, Amsterdam (Saturdays thru August 25)
Powers Park Concert Series @ Powers Park, Troy (Saturdays in July and August)
Music Haven Concert Series @ the Music Haven Stage in Central Park, Schenectady (Sundays thru August 12)
North Greenbush Summer Concerts @ Town Hall Gazebo, North Greenbush (Sundays thru August 12)
Empire State Plaza Food Festival @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, Wednesday, August 15
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival @ Riverfront Park, Albany, Saturday, September 8
Local Legends Live @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, Saturday, September 8
PearlPalooza @ North Pearl Street, Albany, Saturday, September 22
Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, Saturday, September 22