GOWANDA — The First Annual Gowanda Film Festival is slated to take place June 14 and 15 at the Hollywood Theatre, where local residents are invited to present films they’ve made to the local community and those interested in film.

Quentin Jarzynski, the creator and coordinator of the Gowanda Film Festival, spoke to the OBSERVER recently about the event and how it came to be. “This is the first time we’re having the film festival in the village,” Jarzynski began. “I just finished my first year of college, and while I was at college I participated in a number of film events there.”

The idea for a festival in Gowanda seemed natural, given the exciting rebirth of the Hollywood Theatre, and their involvement was quick to follow. “Having known people on the board for the Hollywood Theatre, I thought it was a good idea to bring the festival there,” Jarzynski said of the event. “They’re also going through the renovations now.”

Jarzynski, who starts his sophomore year at Bowling Green in the fall, has already started the film selection process. “We have started selecting entries,” he commented. “Saturday, June 15 we will premier the selected films, starting at 3 p.m.”

The local films are expected to come from a variety of sources and vary in length and genre. “There will be films from locals, personal acquaintances and local production companies,” Jarzynski stated. “They submit films, and if they’re selected, they will appear that evening. The companies will get some good exposure.”

Jarzynski expressed great anticipation in what’s to come at the festival, and also expects some participation to come all the way from Bowling Green. “I don’t know what to expect honestly, I hope for best,” he said of the film fest. “I hope for people to come from the community, people from Bowling Green.”

In closing, Jarzynski hopes that above all else the films are seen as they were meant to be. “The Hollywood Theatre is the theater we’ve grown up with in the village,” he stated. “The films that will premier will let us meet our local filmmakers, and they can see what others in the area are doing. A lot of them are not known yet, or new to the area, and there’s not a whole lot of film in the Southtowns.”

For those interested in submitting a film, there is still time, according to Jarzynski, who told the OBSERVER the following: “People can submit their films online through www.filmfreeway.com.”