Visit with the stars of yesterday at the Williamsburg Film Festival this week.
The festival, in its 18th year, has long been a destination for out-of-town visitors, but is looking for more local guests to the four-day event.
Bill Sasser, one of the directors and founders, said the project has flown under the radar since day one, but that it has sustained itself – drawing big names from the golden age of television and film — for nearly two decades.
The festival began with a group of friends who for years had gathered periodically to watch classics of the large and small screen. Pulling from their combined experiences at other festivals throughout the country and pooling their funds, they decided to start their own. The first festival in 1997 was just two days at the Comfort Inn, but brought more guests than the hotel could handle.
Since then, the event has moved locations — twice — and grown to extend from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday evening.
The festival’s home at the Holiday Inn Patriot is already sold out, but guests to the festival can still enjoy a near-constant stream of activity in two theaters, an interview room and large space for memorabilia dealers.
With a focus on westerns, one of the viewing rooms is dubbed the “B Western Theater” and is devoted to playing the cowboy movies that did not reach A-list fame. The other theater will show films and shows featuring the stars, who start to arrive at the festival Thursday afternoon.
This year’s roster includes Julie Adams from “Creature of the Black Lagoon,” Veronica Carlson from “Frankenstein Destroyed,” Alex Cord from “Stagecoach,” Robert Fuller from “Laramie,” Lee Meriwether from “Barnaby Jones” and the 1966 Batman movie, Ron Masak from “Murder She Wrote,” Larry Storch from “F-Troop” and Monique Vermont from “The Music Man.”
“This is probably as good a lineup of guest stars as a festival is going to get today,” Sasser said.
The celebrities will sit for one-on-one interviews with the chance for questions from the audience. Festival-goers can also purchase a program for $10 that the guest stars will sign for free. Sasser said this is rare and special opportunity not available at other festivals in the country.
He is looking forward to the entertainment Friday night, when Lee Meriwether will present her one-woman show “The Woman of Spoon River.” There will be live music by other groups throughout the festival, and a dinner show Saturday night.
During down time, guests can shop the dealer room, with about 75 tables of comic books, toys, posters, and other assorted film and television paraphernalia.
This year’s festival will feature starts of the field as well as those of the screen. Baseball players Jim Coates and Hank Foiles, along with executive Dave Rosen, umpire Al Clark and author Doug Williams will be in attendance and will hold a question-and-answer session.
Daily admission to the festival is $20, with admission for the whole festival for $55 and family admission for $75. Tickets to Saturday’s dinner banquet are $25 each.
Sasser noted prices for admission have not gone up in the festival’s 18 years.
While he is not sure how much longer the project will continue, he said crowds are not diminishing and plans are already in the works for a large 20th year reunion festival of the most popular guests from its span.
For more information about the Williamsburg Film Festival and tickets to this year’s event, call 565-2600 or visit their website.
