By Mary Beth Bainbridge
The gently falling snow seen through the windows from the intimate Hooper-Hathaway House was a special bonus for the filmmaker reception. The historic low ceilings and wide pine planks on the floor stir the imagination. The unmatchable ambiance of the centuries old space was a terrific treat, even for long time locals. The rooms were abuzz with excitement for the week of incredible films to see at Salem Film Fest 2016. It was fabulous to meet filmmakers Lewis Bennett, Cyrus Dowlatshahi, Eamon Downey, Stephen Scott Scarpulla, David Shapiro, and Olympia Stone.
The private Friday afternoon affair at the House of Seven Gables was hosted by Zephyr Gallery. The exclusive list of attendees enjoyed the friendly bar service provided by Bill Legault and some delicious nibbles from the Flying Saucer Pizza Company. This intimate setting was well tended to thanks to Julie Arrison-Bishop, Deb Costa, Ryan Conary, and the Gables staff. A zillion thanks to elise mankes, Stan Franzeen, and Joe Cultrera for volunteering their time. And a super shout out to Jeff Schmidt for conceiving of this brilliant idea.
I hate to be a name dropper, but it felt like I had found my way into a groovy club catering to creatives. If you are feeling left out, then be sure to get an All-Access Pass or become a sponsor for Salem Film Fest 2017!
