An Announcement About Our Future
December 19, 2022
For a quarter century, the Maryland Film Festival has been a vibrant part of the state’s arts community, bringing films, filmmakers, and audiences together.
The enduring COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for the Film Festival – as it did for countless other arts organizations. The film industry experienced dramatic changes, and filmgoers’ habits evolved. We were excited about the promise of audiences returning when we reopened the Parkway Theatre in August 2021, but attendance at our festival, screenings, and events has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Given these continuing challenges, the Maryland Film Festival Board of Directors has decided to scale back the organization’s operations and pause screenings, programs, and events. With public events paused, the Maryland Film Festival will prioritize a planning process to develop a new business model and plan that will chart the future trajectory of the organization, including the annual film festival, and the operations of the Parkway Theatre. We postponed the 2023 film festival but remain committed to mounting a memorable 25th anniversary festival in the spring of 2024.
Our goal is to ensure that the organization remains a vital community asset for years to come, and we will continue to provide updates on our progress.