Tumbleweed Film Fest continues tradition with a special night of films, Aug. 6

Tumbleweed-Film-Festival

Short films from around the world at Esther Bricques

“This event takes a lot of love and support to make it happen every year. We’re hopeful we can find people within this community willing to continue the festival with some guidance from us.”

Maureen Fine, Co-Founder, Tumbleweed Film Festival

OROVILLE – The Tumbleweed Film Festival rolls back to Oroville Saturday, Aug. 6 for a special evening of audience favorite short films at Esther Bricques winery.

This year Esther Bricques will be hosting the one-night only “Films in the Vineyard” event, which will feature a variety of short films from previous Tumbleweed fests. The event begins at 5 p.m. with live music from the band Slippery Slope. Short films will begin at 7 p.m.

Watching short films at Esther Bricques, one of the original venues of the Tumbleweed Film Festival.  This year they are the only venue and this "Best Of" takes place Saturday, Aug. 6, with music at 5 p.m. and movies at 7 p.m. Gary DeVon/file photo
Watching short films at Esther Bricques, one of the original venues of the Tumbleweed Film Festival. This year they are the only venue and this “Best Of” takes place Saturday, Aug. 6, with music at 5 p.m. and movies at 7 p.m. Gary DeVon/file photo

Throughout the evening, wines by the glass, or bottle, and appetizers, as well as an intermission ice wine dessert are available for purchase. Tickets to the films are $10.

This year’s film festival is paired down and almost did not take place, however, Esther Bricques and the festival’s organizers wanted to maintain the tradition of bringing entertaining short films to the Okanogan, something the festival has offered now for a seventh year.

“Esther Bricques Winery has been a part of Tumbleweed since the beginning and we’re committed to keeping it alive,” said Linda Colvin of Esther Bricques Winery. “Mo and Geoff have had a very busy year and yet have been able to put together some short films for viewing at our winery this Saturday.

“Our involvement with the film festival is part of our on-going commitment to the sharing of the arts with the North Okanogan, and we’re very grateful for the many fans who continue to support Tumbleweed.”

What sets Tumbleweed apart from other film festivals is how the festival turns wineries, bars, restaurants or resorts into theaters for a night. Attendees enjoy a film experience very different from that of a typical movie theater, as filmgoers may sample local libations and cuisine while they watch entertaining short films from around the world.

Tumbleweed’s film festival organizers are in the process of determining the future of the festival, which is an official 501 (c) 3.

Maureen "Mo" Fine
Maureen “Mo” Fine

“While we’re devoted to the festival, we can’t provide as much attention to the festival as we’d like, because of the increasing attention our Seattle-based marketing firm See Spot Run Media requires,” said festival co-founder Geoff Klein.

According to Klein, the festival takes a lot of work between programming, marketing, securing sponsorships and coordinating the event with the local venues and businesses.

“This event requires a lot of love and support to make it happen every year,” said fellow festival co-founder Maureen Fine. “We’re hopeful that we can find people within this community who are willing to continue the festival with some guidance from us.”

Geoff Klein
Geoff Klein

“For attendees and businesses, Tumbleweed offers a unique cultural event that provides a lot of value (and fun) to the community,” adds Klein. “We’ve been bringing Tumbleweed to the Oroville area since 2010, and we’d love to continue the tradition, but we’re at a point now where we need to find members from the community who can guide the festival into the future and help it grow.”

Interested parties may contact Tumbleweed to learn more about helping the festival. Please email info@tumbleweedfilmfest.com

Tumbleweed Film Festival is a Washington-based non-profit organization committed to bringing the art of storytelling through filmmaking to communities in Washington and British Columbia. Learn more about Tumbleweed at www.tumbleweedfilmfest.com.

 

Maureen “Mo” Fine