Praxis Film Festival tickets go on sale
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 13, 2016 1:06 AM
When Jack Kannan retired earlier this year as executive director of the Foundation at Wayne Community College, he took the Praxis Film Festival with him.
He said at the time that David Weil had offered him an office at the Paramount Theatre, where he will continue the tradition of the film festival begun six years ago at the college.
Kannan received the blessing of his successor at the foundation, Adrienne Northington, as well as the Paramount, which had signed on as a venue for film showings a couple years ago.
"I'm now under the Wayne Education Network (WEN) at the Chamber of Commerce," establishing non-profit status, he said. "I'm going to do it for three years. My whole purpose is to launch it to be self-perpetuating."
The aim is to develop the Praxis into a regional film festival, he said.
Kannan will use the same sharp relational skills he demonstrated during his years at the foundation, when he generated partnerships around the county and created opportunities for the community to support the scholarship efforts through endowments and other donations.
Except that this venture will be more self-sustaining, since it is no longer affiliated with the college.
As a non-profit, it will be reliant on volunteers willing to lend their talents to support and bolster the film festival.
"I'm recruiting individuals to help me, (who) like film festivals," he said. "I have been talking to different people that are going to help. I've gone to N.C. State to talk about internships and marketing. We have contacted Meredith (College) about having students in event planning come and work with us on the events."
Anita Croasman, an instructor at N.C. State, returns as director of the festival.
"She's the one who came to me with the idea six years ago," while she was teaching at WCC, Kannan said.
The process has already begun, as he and Croasman begin sifting through independent film entries being considered for this year's event, which will be held the first weekend in February.
"This is the seventh year," Kannan said. "Deborah and Banks are co-chairing it. They did it last year.
"Tickets will go on sale Nov. 15, we'll launch a webpage, www.praxisfilmfestival.org."
The two-day event, Feb. 3 and 4, will be held at the Paramount. Historically, when the festival started it was held at WCC. In 2015, it was split between the college and the downtown theatre. Making it a part of the fabric of downtown Goldsboro is a wise thing to do, he added.
"I love what they have done downtown and I just think this would help to bring people's awareness," he said. "Praxis is another spoke in the wheel for quality of life for people in Goldsboro and what's going on downtown with the Arts Council and the Paramount."
In addition to an array of short and mid-length films of different genres from students and independent filmmakers -- last year boasted a film that had been a winner at the prestigious Sundance film festival -- the event features a VIP reception that Friday evening. A limited number of $50 tickets will be sold for the cocktail reception that affords the public to meet filmmakers and includes a two-day pass to the festival. Otherwise, tickets are $15 a day or $25 for both days.