For Irene Magafan, the worlds of conservation and filmmaking have never been far apart. For almost 11 years, she has worked as a Senior Video Specialist and Editor at World Wildlife Fund-US, while also serving for years on the board and programming committee of the Chesapeake Film Festival. Now in her second year as festival president, she brings those parts of her career together as the organization prepares for its 19th season in Easton.
“I love being a storyteller. I like to be an advocate for beings that have no voice, and I’m a huge animal lover,” Magafan said. “I’m a lover of the planet. I love conservation, so I was able to blend the two in graduate school and really figure out what I wanted to hone in on because I have a deep love of documentary filmmaking, specifically with wildlife and environmental films.”
The Chesapeake Film Festival returns October 8 through 10, shifting this year from its traditional Friday-through-Sunday schedule to Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Screenings and events will take place at the Ebenezer Theater, Academy Art Museum and Talbot County Free Library in Easton.
The festival was not always as closely identified with environmental filmmaking as it is today. Magafan believes its location makes that emphasis increasingly difficult to separate from its mission.
“I don’t think it was always part of the vision. I don’t think it was taken very seriously,” she said. “I think it was always about promoting films from around the world and student films and being a good support for artists.”
Over time, the Chesapeake itself became part of the equation.
“We see how this world is dealing with the climate crisis and how the Chesapeake Bay keeps coming up in its report card that we get every year, and we see how it’s doing with the oyster population, the crabs. It’s hard to ignore.” Magafan said. “We realized we have a responsibility as a film festival and as storytellers and artists. We have to bring these environmental films to the forefront. So every year we have made more and more of a dedicated effort, and now we have a very strong environmental track.”
That connection also runs through Magafan’s work at World Wildlife Fund, where filmmaking is used to introduce audiences to wildlife, habitats and conservation issues that might otherwise remain distant or abstract.
“In my opinion, there is nothing more powerful than the power of storytelling, because when you can get someone to care about something — learn about an animal, learn about a location, a habitat — they will learn to genuinely have empathy and love it and care about it,” she said. “Then they’re going to want to help do something to change its situation.”
At the Chesapeake Film Festival, that belief in storytelling extends well beyond environmental films. This year’s program includes 47 films encompassing documentaries, narratives, animation and student work, with submissions coming from around the world.
“A good story is going to have a really good conflict, and it’s going to have really strong characters,” Magafan said. “You have a character that you’re rooting for. Usually there’s someone in the story, and you’re waiting for that moment. You want this person to win. You want something to happen.”
For independent filmmakers, getting that story in front of an audience can be one of the most difficult parts of making a film. Festivals occupy a space between filmmakers and a commercial industry in which relatively few projects receive major distribution and marketing support.
“Festivals are not only an amazing support system, but they are a wonderful platform,” Magafan said. “Without film festivals, there are so many films that would never see the light of day.”
She sees that role as carrying an obligation to the filmmakers who entrust festivals with their work.
“Film festivals actually have such a powerful duty and a real responsibility to showcase people’s work, take it in, be very gentle with it, and get it out there for audiences,” she said. “Thank goodness for them. I think we need them more and more.”
The audience for the Chesapeake Film Festival has also changed. Magafan said the festival has traditionally drawn an older audience, including many retirees, a group she considers an important part of its base. But Easton’s changing population and connections with colleges and universities on and around the Eastern Shore have widened that audience.
The growth has given festival programmers room to stretch.
“We try to be as inclusive as we possibly can with the stories that we bring in. We love to support independent filmmakers,” she said. “And we’re also taking more creative risks, which I’m really proud of.”
Those films arrive at a time when audiences have access to more movies at home than perhaps ever before. For Magafan, streaming has not replaced what happens when an audience experiences a film together.
“When you’re physically sitting in the theater with a stranger, you make a connection with that person,” she said. “You all are watching the same narrative. You’re watching an incredibly powerful story together, and you’re able to look around and see how other people are emotionally reacting, and you bond. There’s a synergy that you cannot get.”
The festival also operates as a destination event, bringing visitors into downtown Easton rather than isolating them in a single theater complex.
“When people come to Easton, not only do they get to see great films and experience each other, have good conversations, meet new people, meet filmmakers, patrons, but you’re in Easton, which has amazing restaurants, shops,” Magafan said. “You’re supporting local communities.”
Opening night on Thursday, October 8, will feature the Maryland premiere of *Dream, Touch, Believe* at the Ebenezer Theater. Directed by Jenna Naranjo Winters, the documentary tells the story of her father, Michael Naranjo, a Native American sculptor who lost his sight while serving in the Vietnam War and went on to become an internationally recognized artist. His sculptures have been displayed in museums and collections, including the White House and the Vatican. A VIP reception for patrons and filmmakers will follow the screening.
Other films will be shown at the Academy Art Museum and the Talbot County Free Library. Magafan said the program includes environmental documentaries, student work and films representing a wide range of subjects and filmmakers.
Running those screenings is only the public side of a festival that requires months of work.
Sponsors, donors, and community partners are another part of that structure. Magafan sees her own job less as controlling the organization than representing it and strengthening the relationships around it.
“The way that I look at myself is kind of an ambassador for the festival,” she said. “I feel like a successful festival depends heavily on relationships.”
Those relationships include filmmakers, donors, sponsors, arts organizations, government and civic leaders. They will become increasingly important as the festival approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027. Magafan said organizers are already considering ways to expand its reach, including stronger connections with Baltimore’s filmmaking and arts community and the possibility of bringing recognizable regional figures to the festival.
For now, however, there is a 19th festival to put on and another collection of independent films waiting for an audience.
“I am someone who likes to break rules and think outside the box,” Magafan said. “Sometimes I think, let’s try to make some bold choices and let’s take risks. And if they don’t work, then okay, we’ve learned from that. But let’s not ever stay stagnant.”
The Chesapeake Film Festival runs October 8 through 10 in Easton. Festival schedules, film descriptions, and ticket information are available on the Chesapeake Film Festival website. https://chesapeakefilmfestival.com/
One Response
Irene is a terrific, energetic leader of a wonderful organization that has become a fixture in the Talbot County Artistic community. The Festival brings us together away from our TVs to savor a different kind of storytelling.
Support them! They are changing for our benefit. Enjoy the stories.