Montclair Magazine May 2017 | Page 10

Editor’s Note W hat’s not to love about May? After months of low temps, the warm weather makes the blood rush, like dessert to a dieter. Blooms add much-missed color to the landscape. The school year draws to a close. And in our town, the Montclair Film Festival returns for 10 days of movies, panels and celebrations. This year, MFF has rebranded itself as an ongoing institution called Montclair Film. It has also staked a claim to our community in a particu- larly concrete (excuse the pun) way: By moving into a permanent home on Bloomfield Avenue. The Investors Bank Film & Media Center helps Montclair Film fulfill its mission of providing education and screenings throughout the year, with classrooms, a viewing room and space for public parties. For an inside look at the new space, read “Patron of the Arts,” an interview with Warren Ross, MFF co-founder and board member. The festival has also invested in the people who help make it happen. In “From Festival to Filmmaker: The Next Generation,” five former volunteers share how their experi- ences producing promotional videos, ticketing, and managing events have led to great first jobs in multimedia. It’s no accident, of course, that a film festival popped up in Montclair, as opposed to, say (with all due respect) Montville or Montvale. We’re the kind of place where an active homeowner would build a dance studio (“Raising the Barre”), and an accomplished local photog- rapher would offer tips on how to get great iPhone shots (Michael Stahl, in “Point, Click and Keep”). Are you a creative person? Please tell us about yourself at [email protected]. ■ Cindy Schweich Handler 8 MAY 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE