Highway 61 Film Festival

Filmmakers: hit the road. The Highway 61 Film Festival, to be held Friday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 16 in Pine City, is now taking submissions.

The festival is open to filmmakers nationwide, even worldwide, though a special emphasis is being put on regional filmmakers.

“We really want the festival to encourage anyone who’s ever thought about making a film to pick up a camera and just do it,” said Kris Seuntjens, a Pine City filmmaker and one of the organizers of the festival. “Take those great ideas, grab some friends, and make a movie!”

The festival is open to both short and feature films. Categories include: Drama, Comedy, Action/Horror, Documentary and Animation. Submissions will be reviewed by judges, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top film in each category: $100 for features, $50 for short films.

“A short film can be from two to 40 minutes,” said Seuntjens. “Take your brightest ideas and put them on film.”

Filmmakers can submit their films through the film festival website: www.withoutabox.com. Submission fees are $5 for short films and $10 per feature film.

Submissions can also be mailed to or dropped off at the Pine Center for the Arts at 265 Fifth Street SE, Pine City, MN, 55063.

Submissions close Sept. 15

For more information, visit the Highway 61 Film Festival page on Facebook, or follow on Twitter. Questions? E-mail: hwy61filmfest@gmail.com.

The Highway 61 Film Festival is being sponsored by the Pine Center for the Arts, with support from the East Central Arts Council.