The beginning of the first Shepherd Film Festival is set to begin Nov. 9.The festival is a two-day event consisting of a short film competition, independent feature film screenings, live music and performances. The Shepherd Film festival will be held at the Shepherdstown Opera House located at 131 West German Street. Tickets prices are $15 and can be purchased online at www.shepherdfilmfest.com, Operahouselive.com and are available at the door.

The short film competition is a compilation of short films that are submitted by students, filmmakers and members of the community. The winner of the short film competition will be featured at the up coming Spring Fling event at Shepherd University.

The feature film portion will screen different feature films and are selected by the SFF committee and have ended production within the last year.

Edward Rhodes, director of the Shepherd Film Festival says, “The Shepherd Film Festival is an attempt at creating a venue for local filmmakers to screen their work and compete for prizes such as best cinematography and best screenplay.”

Rhodes, a Shepherd University alumni, is a local photographer and resident of Shepherdstown. He has worked locally and around the Washington D.C. metro area for the past five years on projects ranging from newsgathering to documentary film production.