FFOCOL RETURNS TO GATEWAY FILM CENTER FOR SEVENTH YEAR!
Festival showcases seasoned and rising filmmakers with almost 50 films in 5 days
(Columbus, Ohio) – The independent, nonprofit Gateway Film Center proudly announces the return of the Film Festival of Columbus (FFOCOL), expanded to five days, August 8-12. For the seventh year, FFOCOL brings creators, film industry insiders, and diverse audiences together to celebrate indie filmmaking.
The Film Festival of Columbus strives to raise awareness of film as art and create an experience that will bring a new and diverse cultural event to the area. The festival aims to bring people together, showcasing established and emerging filmmakers and extraordinary work from around the world. While promoting Columbus and central Ohio as a filmmaking destination for all budgets, the Film Festival of Columbus represents a turning point in the city’s creative scene.
“The Film Festival of Columbus is quickly becoming the go-to festival in the region and the impact to Columbus is significant,” said Gateway Film Center President and FFOCOL co-founder Chris Hamel. “Not only are we uniting artistic communities with the growth of the festival, but we are also simultaneously highlighting Columbus as a ‘film-friendly’ and filmmaking destination. All of which are great for economic and cultural development.”
The Film Festival of Columbus kicks off Wednesday, August 8 with We the Animals. Making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, We the Animals won the festival’s NEXT Innovator Award. Adapted from the novel by Justin Torres, this coming-of-age tale focuses on three mixed-race boys growing up in rural New York as they tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. Additional festival highlights include the return of Columbus’ own Max Groah’s stoner zombie comedy Bong of the Living Dead, which premiered at last year’s Nightmares Film Festival; the Ohio premiere of Masaaki Yuasa’s (Mind Game) animated comedy Night is Short, Walk on Girl about one epic night in Kyoto; and throwback coming-of-age conspiracy thriller Summer of ‘84 from RKSS, the collective directors of the cult hit Turbo Kid.
The full FFOCOL lineup was recently revealed at a special announcement party on Tuesday, July 10 at the Gateway Film Center including:
- August 8, 7 p.m. – WE THE ANIMALS
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August 8, 9 p.m. – THE ASCENT
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August 9, 5 p.m. – PARALLEL CHORDS
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August 9, 6 p.m. – THE VETERAN’S PROJECT
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August 9, 7 p.m. – A MURDER IN MANSFIELD
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August 9, 8 p.m. – RICH KIDS
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August 9, 9 p.m. – BONG OF THE DEAD
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August 10, 5 p.m. – PALACIOS
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August 10, 6 p.m. – A MIRACLE A DAY
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August 10, 7 p.m. – UNITED STATES
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August 10, 8 p.m. – BLUE MY MIND
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August 10, 9 p.m. – NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL
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August 11, 12 p.m. – NOTHING TO DO
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August 11, 1 p.m. – FAIL STATE
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August 11, 2 p.m. – Shorts Block 1
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August 11, 3 p.m. – NOTHING CHANGES: ART FOR HANK’S SAKE
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August 11, 4 p.m. – Ohio Shorts
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August 11, 5 p.m. – PICK OF THE LITTER
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August 11, 6 p.m. – SILICON BEACH
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August 11, 7 p.m. – ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO
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August 11, 8 p.m. – KNOWING NOTHING COLD
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August 11, 9 p.m. – SEX WEATHER
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August 12, 12 p.m. – DOUBLE MAJOR
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August 12, 1 p.m. – ROSALIE
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August 12, 2 p.m. – Shorts Block 2
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August 12, 3 p.m. – NOTHING WITHOUT US: THE WOMEN WHO WILL END AIDS
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August 12, 4 p.m. – Awards Ceremony
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August 12, 4:30 p.m. – SUMMER OF ‘84
In addition to screenings, festival organizers are planning a variety of events over the five days including workshops, receptions, and artist talks.
Opening night reception is Wednesday, August 8. Festival VIP passes are available and include invitations to opening and closing ceremonies, private parties and special events, access to the VIP lounge, and reserved balcony seating for all screenings. Festival passes and single screening tickets are also available at www.gatewayfilmcenter.org
The Film Festival of Columbus is supported by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Great Lakes Brewing Company, the Hilton Columbus Downtown, PNC, CD102.5, 614 Magazine, Storyforge, and the Gateway Film Center.
About the Film Festival of Columbus:
The Film Festival of Columbus champions emerging and established filmmakers by providing a platform to showcase their art through a variety of film genres and styles. Founded in 2012 by theatre veterans Chris Hamel and John Daugherty, the Film Festival of Columbus was formed to raise awareness of filmmaking and to showcase Columbus as a filming destination. Visit www.filmfestivalofcbus.com.
About Gateway Film Center:
We believe in the power of movies to strengthen, unite, challenge, and inspire our community. As a nonprofit cinema, we are committed to screening films from around the world within a sustainable business model. We curate an experience where the stories shown on our screens and the artists who create them are treated with respect and appreciation. Visit www.gatewayfilmcenter.org.