New chairman has experience with Palm Springs festival
Published in the April 30 – May 13, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Edward Prichard
The Poppy Jasper International Short Film Festival, Morgan Hill’s annual movie event, is taking a hiatus this year, coming back in a revamped form in spring 2015. Last month, the festival’s board of directors selected Edward L. Prichard III as the event’s new chairperson. With experience at film festivals in Southern California, Prichard hopes to take the Poppy Jasper in exciting new directions when it returns to Morgan Hill next year for its 11th season.
Prichard saw taking on the role as chair as “an incredible opportunity to create history” and make the Poppy Jasper a first-rate cinematic arts and cultural experience for the South Valley. “The PJFF has been in existence for over 10 years now and I passionately believe it is ready to take the next step as a full cultural festival consisting of film, music and art,” he said.
While working with his “mentor” Rich Henrich in launching the AMFM Festival last year in Palm Springs, Prichard learned the importance of filmmakers being storytellers in the world of the arts. “When we bring storytellers and filmmakers together to support, encourage and share the stories that connect us to the world around us, we, in turn, are able to connect with each other, something that our world still struggles to accomplish despite its vast history,” he said. “The most crucial and fresh idea that I can bring to this festival is a reminder of this very belief.”
The date of the festival was changed to 2015 to give organizers the time to promote, re-brand and enhance the event, Prichard said. A spring or early summer date will also help get more community support and volunteers because there will be fewer competing events.
The question of the venue availability was another factor in holding back the Poppy Jasper this year. In 2012 and 2013, the film festival showed films in the Granada Theater in downtown Morgan Hill which laid dormant for nearly a decade until volunteers repaired and cleaned up the theater for audience use two years ago. Prichard would like the Granada to be available for the festival’s return next year.
“The Granada Preservation Society has done a remarkable job of setting up the necessary funding to keep the Granada Theater as a landmark in Morgan Hill. It would be ideal to have our opening gala there,” he said.
Festival organizers also plan to invite “well-known, socially conscious” film industry members to make special appearances and generate excitement for these events, Prichard said.
The growing interest for tourism opportunities can also work to the advantage of the Poppy Jasper Film Festival, he said, adding he plans to work closely with Morgan Hill’s Tourism Alliance group.
“Another area we will be promoting is the newly announced South Valley Wine Trail which just was passed by the Santa Clara County Supervisors,” he said. “If we can incorporate wine tour buses and the festival as a package, we will have another link to draw attention to the festival. It will be nice to draw folks from up the Peninsula, the East Bay and Monterey County.”
Through his experience with the AMFM Festival as its director of community outreach and education programing, Prichard said he learned first-hand how to motivate volunteers and how to identify key players in putting on a film festival. One major priority as the Poppy Jasper’s new chair is to work with youth, he said.
“It is my goal and passion to facilitate youth training through my own personal experiences,” he said. “I have done worked with various Boys & Girls Clubs and look forward to working with the new local chapter through its partnership with the El Toro Youth Center.”
