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Granite Towne Media unveils film‑festival plan, sponsorship menu and FilmFreeway submission strategy
Summary
The board reviewed a proposal to launch the Granite Town Film Festival with sponsorship tiers, merchandise, FilmFreeway entry management and a festival subcommittee to flesh out a startup budget and jury selection; staff said a 2025 festival is unlikely and planning will target next year.
Chris and Andy presented a multi‑part plan to create a Granite Town Film Festival (working name: Granite Town Film Festival) and a sponsorship/underwriting program to offset station costs.
Chris said the board already has promotional cards and web metrics to show potential underwriters: “you’ll notice on here a 143,000 yearly page visits… Most of our YouTube impressions is a 122,000 per year,” he said, and added the station measures roughly 12,50 live watches through the station app and about 42,000 yearly rewatches across digital platforms. The materials are intended to show underwriters the audience reach available through underwriting slots and event sponsorships.
Board discussion covered sponsorship formats (underwriting text/images shown on screen without calls to action), suggested pricing ranges and in‑kind options for production or venue support, and a draft a la carte menu for underwriting frequency (monthly, quarterly, 6‑month, annual). Chris said the station would avoid traditional advertising calls to action on public‑access channels and instead give sponsors on‑screen credit, short thank‑you videos, or in‑kind recognition.
On the festival itself, Andy and Chris recommended using FilmFreeway as the submissions portal, with staggered early/regular/late deadlines and modest entry fees (examples discussed: $20 early, higher at regular/late). They discussed main categories (best feature, best documentary, best short, student film) and subcategories (cinematography, editing, sound), merchandise and ticketing options, and potential venues (Amato Center preferred, Town Hall auditorium, Boys & Girls Club, outdoor sites). They said FilmFreeway’s platform and discoverability are a benefit; Chris noted Portsmouth, Keene and Manchester run established festivals and the proposed Milford festival would fit geographically between them.
Board members agreed to form a festival subcommittee to work with staff on branding, budgets and a jury; Lisa volunteered to join and others expressed interest. Chris said because of calendar constraints and time needed to build a professional program, a first full festival this calendar year is unlikely; planning will continue for the next season with early deadlines and submission windows to be set once the subcommittee proposes dates and venues.
Next steps: form the subcommittee, draft a startup budget and sponsorship menu, confirm potential venues and FilmFreeway account setup, and return recommendations to the board for final approval.
