Film festival to honor sportscaster Johnny Holliday and film office director Jack Gerbes
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Sportscaster Johnny Holliday and Maryland Film Office Director Jack Gerbes will be honored Thursday during opening night festivities for the 2024 Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown.
The ceremony will be held at the University System of Maryland Hagerstown event center, at 59 W. Washington St. More than 100 films will be screened at several downtown venues during the festival, which runs Thursday to Sunday.
Holliday, the “Voice of Maryland Sports,” will receive this year's Mendez Award.
“The Mendez Award is awarded to someone who has succeeded and made a positive impact in the television, film and broadcast Industries, or has supported film and television and has given back to the community," festival board President Nicole Houser said in a statement.
"Johnny Holliday is a legend in television and radio broadcasting and is an extremely well-known and appreciated broadcasting professional. He gives back to the community in numerous ways and is also being recognized for his support of the arts, and for his support of high-quality sports broadcasting.”
Past recipients include the late Antonio "Tony" Mendez, for whom it is named, former Gov. Larry Hogan, novelist Nora Roberts and actresses Kerry Cahill and Ann Mahoney. Mendez, who managed the "Canadian Caper" escape of six American diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis, wrote the book on which the Oscar-winning film "Argo" is based.
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Gerbes will receive the Nora Roberts Foundation Award.
“The Maryland Film Office is one of the hardest-working film offices in the nation," Houser said. "As director, Jack has helped attract scores of films and television series to Maryland. After more than 30 years at the Maryland Film Office, he is a mainstay, and a film industry leader in our state." The award is given in recognition of either success in the film and television industry, or in creating opportunities for achievements for the film and arts communities in Maryland. ”
During his career, Gerbes has worked on more than 140 films, television shows and television series in Maryland. His credits include: “House of Cards,” “Lady in the Lake,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” “VEEP,” “The Wire,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Wedding Crashers,” “Enemy of the State,” “12 Monkeys,” “The Replacements,” “Step Up,” “Runaway Bride,” “Syriana,” “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Washington Square,” “Home for the Holidays,” “Gods and Generals” and “The Blair Witch Project.”
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More than 100 films will be featured at multiple venues
The red-carpet opening night begins Thursday with a special VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. at the University System of Maryland-Hagerstown, followed by the opening night celebrations, awards and introduction of opening night short films.
Other venues on Friday, Saturday and Sunday include the Washington County Free Library, The Grand Piano Ballroom and the ACT Black Box Theatre.
More than 100 films have been selected for the 12th Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown from more than 200 submissions.
Filmmaker awards for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Animation, Best Student, Best Documentary, Best Local Film and Best Foreign Film will be presented at the After Party on Saturday at Bulls & Bears, 38 S. Potomac St.
For more information about the festival, and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.marylandiff.org.
The nonprofit Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown partners with several local organizations, businesses and individuals, including the City of Hagerstown, Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Washington County Government (Office of Grant Management), Washington County Arts Council, Nora Roberts Foundation, Ed Lough and Northwestern Insurance, University System of Maryland Hagerstown, Bulls and Bears, RSK Productions Inc. and Tom Riford.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland International Film Festival begins Thursday in Hagerstown
