Film festival places emphasis on diversity, inclusion | Arts & Entertainment

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society (RBFS) recently unveiled plans for this year’s 26th anniversary Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (RBIFF).

“Staying true to its mission of sharing powerful visual storytelling with the diverse audiences of Sussex County, we are evolving our festival format to be more inclusive and engaging to a broader audience base,” said Executive Director Helen Chamberlin, announcing a return to the film society’s roots of featuring diverse program tracks as part of the annual RBIFF.

“This inclusive event will welcome and engage all residents, celebrating the rich tapestry of our diverse community. An added benefit, the programmatic changes will offer filmmakers a fantastic platform to share their works with a wider more inclusive audience while enhancing their reach, and impact.”

RBIFF program tracks for the 2024 festival include:

• Black Indie Voices (community partner, Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice);

• Out Loud LGBTQ+ (community partner, CAMP Rehoboth);

• Blue Hen Showcase (supported in part by Fierberg Family Foundation); and

• Your World Youth (supported by WSFS Bank).

A total of 30 titles will make up the RBIFF program and incorporate the new programming tracks, to replace the spring mini-film festivals hosted over the past five-six years by the society and its partners.

With the new changes to the RBIFF, the film society will shift in spring 2025 to produce an annual special screening event (one show) with each of its current community partners around the calendar month celebrations, which will include Black History (February) and PRIDE (June), with plans to identify new partners to expand special screening events around Women’s History (March) and National Hispanic Heritage (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).

The one remaining spring mini-festival, the Rehoboth Beach Jewish Film Festival, will continue as a separate standalone four-day program celebrating its 10^th anniversary Feb. 27 through March 2, 2025, at the Cinema Art Theater.

The RBFS has also formed a screening venue partnership with the Possum Point Players Theatre in Georgetown to host five RBIFF film screenings during the 2024 November film festival. This is the third screening partner, joining the Cinema Art Theater (host venue) and Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware (west Lewes). The focus on west of Coastal Highway reaffirms the film society’s strategic goal to be more inclusive with the surrounding communities, Chamberlin said.

“Possum Point Players are very excited to be a new screening venue addition for the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival.” said Possum Point Players Board President, Kenney Workman. “Not only does this cooperative effort between Sussex County arts organizations expand the scope of the film society’s presenting opportunities, but it also will give new audiences an opportunity to see our beautiful facility.