Rochester-High Falls International Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The 360 | 365 Film Festival (formerly the Rochester-High Falls International Film Festival and the 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival) is an annual film festival
held each spring in Rochester, New York
. The executive director of the festival was Rosie Taravella from 2006-2009. The current executive director is John Richardson.
In June 2007, the festival was organized as the merger of two existing local film festivals, the High Falls Film Festival (est. 2001) and the Rochester International Film Festival
(est. 1959). After the 2008 event, the two festivals separated again. The Rochester International Film Festival retains its name, while The High Falls Film Festival continued as The Rochester-High Falls International Film Festival and is now 360 | 365.
The Festival's mission is to feature exceptional work of women in all areas of film, video and new media, highlighting Rochester's standing as the home of motion picture film (George Eastman
) and the women's rights movement (Susan B. Anthony
). This unique focus on women in all creative areas of film, video and new media was the contribution of Founding Artistic Director, Catherine Wyler, whose vision illuminated the festival during its first nine years.
Past editions of the festival have each included some 90 features, documentaries, shorts, children's and young adult programs, student filmmaking competitions, panel discussions, master classes, and informal "Coffee With" events featuring visiting filmmakers and stars. The festival is a lively mix of emerging and well-established talent, with past guests that include actresses Christine Lahti
, Angela Bassett
, Jane Alexander
, Candice Bergen
, Joan Allen
, Famke Janssen
, CCH Pounder
, and Sally Kellerman
, voice-over actress Nancy "Bart Simpson" Cartwright
, producer Lauren Shuler Donner
, and director Vicky Jenson
.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2009 the festival announced its new name, 360 | 365, in recognition of its new year-round focus. The festival also launched its new website on this date. In late December of that year, the festival announced that the George Eastman House
, an international center for film preservation in Rochester, would be a title sponsor for the festival, and that film directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly would also be sponsoring the festival. With the addition of the George Eastman House to the organization of the festival, its scope is expected to expand to include archival films from the House's preservation work as well as featuring the contributions of women filmmakers.
After the 2011 festival, organizers announced the termination of the partnership with the George Eastman House, making the festivals new name the 360 | 365 Film Festival.
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
held each spring in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The executive director of the festival was Rosie Taravella from 2006-2009. The current executive director is John Richardson.
In June 2007, the festival was organized as the merger of two existing local film festivals, the High Falls Film Festival (est. 2001) and the Rochester International Film Festival
Rochester International Film Festival
The Rochester International Film Festival is the world's oldest continually held short film festival . The annual program features narratives, documentaries and animation made by emerging filmmakers from the USA and abroad, selected by a pedigree short film jury.Based on audience surveys, the most...
(est. 1959). After the 2008 event, the two festivals separated again. The Rochester International Film Festival retains its name, while The High Falls Film Festival continued as The Rochester-High Falls International Film Festival and is now 360 | 365.
The Festival's mission is to feature exceptional work of women in all areas of film, video and new media, highlighting Rochester's standing as the home of motion picture film (George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
) and the women's rights movement (Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
). This unique focus on women in all creative areas of film, video and new media was the contribution of Founding Artistic Director, Catherine Wyler, whose vision illuminated the festival during its first nine years.
Past editions of the festival have each included some 90 features, documentaries, shorts, children's and young adult programs, student filmmaking competitions, panel discussions, master classes, and informal "Coffee With" events featuring visiting filmmakers and stars. The festival is a lively mix of emerging and well-established talent, with past guests that include actresses Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti is an American actress and film director. Lahti has had a successful career in television and film. Throughout her career she has garnered 2 Golden Globe Awards from 8 Nominations, An Emmy Award from 6 Nominations and 2 Academy Award nominations...
, Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
, Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film and has committed...
, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
, Joan Allen
Joan Allen
Joan Allen is an American actress. She worked in theatre, television and film during her early career, and achieved recognition for her Broadway debut in Burn This, winning a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play in 1989.She has received three Academy Award nominations;...
, Famke Janssen
Famke Janssen
Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress and former fashion model. She is known for playing the villainous Bond girl Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye and Jean Grey/Phoenix in the X-Men film series .- Early life and education :...
, CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder
Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
, and Sally Kellerman
Sally Kellerman
Sally Clare Kellerman is an American actress and singer known for her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film MASH , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.-Early life:...
, voice-over actress Nancy "Bart Simpson" Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
, producer Lauren Shuler Donner
Lauren Shuler Donner
Lauren Shuler Donner is an American film producer who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment.-Early life and career:...
, and director Vicky Jenson
Vicky Jenson
Victoria "Vicky" Jenson is an animation director at DreamWorks Animation and Disney, most notable for having co-directed Shrek, the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature....
.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2009 the festival announced its new name, 360 | 365, in recognition of its new year-round focus. The festival also launched its new website on this date. In late December of that year, the festival announced that the George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
, an international center for film preservation in Rochester, would be a title sponsor for the festival, and that film directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly would also be sponsoring the festival. With the addition of the George Eastman House to the organization of the festival, its scope is expected to expand to include archival films from the House's preservation work as well as featuring the contributions of women filmmakers.
After the 2011 festival, organizers announced the termination of the partnership with the George Eastman House, making the festivals new name the 360 | 365 Film Festival.