It’s Thursday night in Baltimore, and a crowd is making a beeline from The Charles Theatre to the New/Next Film Festival’s opening night party across the street at Metro Baltimore. In contrast to the quiet autumn chill outside, the gaggle of directors, actors, and local film enthusiasts standing shoulder to shoulder in the sweaty venue are catching up like long-lost friends as DJ Amy Reid spins an electronic dance soundtrack to the evening.
A palpable excitement runs through the packed venue, the current of emotional electricity that permeates a room when everyone’s just watched an excellent movie. They’re all talking about “OBEX,” the first screening of a festival lineup that includes full-length features, long and short-form documentaries, and even a screening of the beautifully absurd 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie “Commando,” introduced by comedian Stavros Halkias. Taking over The Charles for a four-day weekend, this year’s New/Next Film Festival kicked off on Oct. 2 and ran through the evening of Oct. 5.
Presented by Baltimore Public Media and organized by film programmer Eric Allen Hatch and WTMD’s Sam Sessa, the first New/Next Film Festival in 2023 was an uncertain experiment.
Read full article: The New/Next Film Festival is here to stay | Baltimore Beat
