The Ashfield Film Festival committee is inviting hilltown residents to get their cameras out once again and submit films for the 2023 Local Shorts Competition.

“The festival is all about us. It is about people here in the hilltowns,” Harry Keramidas, the fest’s co-founder, said.

The Ashfield Film Festival was started in 2007 by Ashfield residents Tamsen Merrill and Keramidas. The festival is an homage to Cecil B. DeMille, who was born in Ashfield and is known as a founding father of American cinema.

The festival originally only accepted films submitted by Ashfield residents but has expanded over the years. Ashfield has a population of fewer than 2,000 people, many of whom have participated in the event.

The festival lasts two nights with a selected film screening and panel discussion on Friday night, and a showing of the submitted shorts and an Academy Award-style ceremony on Saturday night.

For their 15th annual event, taking place on Sept. 22 and 23, they will start out on Friday at the Town Hall by showing two documentaries, “Alice: At Home with Alice Parker,” and “Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind.” Following the screenings will be a poetry panel discussion moderated by Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg, town moderator.

The big event on Saturday night will feature short films (which can be submitted now through August 31). There are relatively few guidelines for submissions. All films must be under five minutes long, they must have a clear connection to western Massachusetts (this connection could be that a principal member of the cast or crew is from the area, the film was written or shot here, or some similar, direct connection to the area), they should conform to a PG rating and music must be original or in the public domain.

Submissions can be made free with the promo code “BABYCECIL.”

The films will all be screened and separated into categories for cash prizes. A cash prize of $200 will be given to the winners of the technical achievement, best documentary, youth prize, best narrative, best actor narrative, music video and animation winners. The grand prize winner will receive $400. The audience will also pick a favorite and win prizes donated by local merchants.

There were around 20 films shown last year, and the committee is encouraging people to submit before the Aug. 31 deadline. They have already received several submissions.

Organizers are also asking people to submit short, less-than-30-second videos that answer the question: “How do you hilltown?” Keramidas explained the video can be about what comes to mind when you think about the hilltowns. He said it can feature what you love about the area, advocating for a certain town, or a favorite swimming hole.

The videos will be compiled and featured at the festival’s Saturday event.

All the films that have screened previously at the fest, which number about 175 to date, are archived at the Belding Memorial Library. “It is a time capsule of the hilltowns and hilltown people,” Keramidas said. He explained the archives show what is funny, politically salient and important to the people of each year. They feature local icons, including many who have passed away since the founding of the festival.

Keramidas said many young filmmakers in the festival then go on to careers in film. He explained the importance of giving local people the platform to have an audience, and that many have gone on to pursue film seriously, far from the remote town, across the country and world.

“We are hoping that people will come out and support the film fest. They will be rewarded with entertainment and a good show,” Keramidas said.

More information about the festival and submissions can be found on their website, ashfieldfilmfest.org.

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

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