Submissions open May 1 for the inaugural Creemore Film Festival.

Over three days in January, up to 20 films will be shown across three local venues, with one prize awarded.

Executive director Steve Lucas said the goal is to create a premiere cultural event for Clearview Township, turning it into a year-round arts centre, that will offer the community that shared experience of cinema.

A jury of up to two dozen people will select a slate of about 10 short films which will be shown on a rotating basis in the Model A room at Creemore Springs Brewery, and up to nine feature films shown at Creemore Station on the Green and the Legion. The films will be selected based on cinematography, sound and overall quality, giving priority to world and national premieres. The Creemore Audience Favourite Award will go to the feature with the most audience votes, and will receive an encore presentation on the last night of the festival.

Film submissions are to be done through Film Freeway, which Lucas says is used by premiere film festivals around the world.

The festival is soliciting submissions of professionally made Canadian short and feature films made within the past two years that cut across all genres, including a late night horror or cult film for the Howl at the Moon feature. Canadian filmmakers include citizens, landed immigrants, permanent residents, newcomers, anyone currently living and working in Canada (including international students), and Canadians living abroad. Submissions not in English must include English subtitles. Works-in-progress are accepted but programmers will review the most recent version available and cannot review multiple versions.

Submit films via creemorefilmfestival.com. To contact organizers, email creemorefilmfestival@gmail.com.