By Samantha Manogue, Bates College Class of 2026 How do we attract an audience to the Bates Film Festival? The audience of a film festival is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most important factors to consider when constructing a festival. How do we get people interested in the works, into the seats, engaged in…

By Aidan Bergeron, Bates College Class of 2027 As the 2026 Bates Film Festival continues to develop, I am often reminded of the prior iterations of the festival that have gotten us to where we are today, this year being the 5th BFF. What started as a small event, held only on campus, has grown…

By Siena Bird, Bates Class of 2026 Alumni engagement is a key aspect of the Bates community and something that brings great value to our festival. Building community is central to the BFF’s mission, and by including alumni work in our programming, we continue to support the careers of Batesies while also maintaining and strengthening…

By Eli Greenwald, Bates Class of 2026 How do film festivals influence each other? There are so many film festivals all over the world, and they are always in conversation. In just four short weeks of working on the Bates Film Festival, I have learned that each festival has its own purpose – a narrative,…

By: Sam Mallon, Bates Class of 2026 Things are ramping up in the “Film Festival Studies” (RFSS 391) seminar this week. We have a long list of impressive films being considered for the final festival slate, and we have devoted time to writing our bios for the website, selecting our poster, and finalizing our mission…

Here it is!!! Announcing the Official 2026 Bates Film Festival poster! We hope you love it as much as we do! Thanks to our friends at @gravillisinc for their creativity, brilliance, and generosity. We can’t stop staring at this!

By: Shelter Gimbel-Sherr, Bates Class of 2027 What does it really take to put on a film festival? I am finding out as I wrap up week three of Professor Jon Cavallero’s “Film Festival Studies” seminar. The week began with a heavy snowfall, about 18 inches, according to the National Weather Service, but that didn’t…

By: Connor Gerraughty, Bates Class of 2026 The “Film Festival Studies” (RFSS 391) seminar here at Bates College has kicked off with a bang in its first week. We have already screened 2 potential documentary films, pondered our mission statement, deliberated on potential panelists and guests, and more. Among all of these budding developments, we…