The Tryon International Film Festival (TFF) 2015 is well underway with the prime screening venues locked down, menus being planned, musicians being booked, breakout sessions scheduled and a wide variety of film content being programmed. But no film festival would be complete without a signature film festival poster which captures the essence of the event and the town in which it will be hosted.

Greer artist, Pam Larson, stepped up to the easel and created what many are considering a film festival masterpiece.

“The 2015 TFF poster captures everything that we could have ever hoped for,” said Beau Menetre, PCFI director of operations. The pen and ink rendering features a majestic horse prancing past the clock tower with the Tryon storefronts in the background. The entire picture is finished off in the character of film genre.

“I wanted the picture to pop with three dimensional effects, but not take away from the film festival theme. This is my first commercial piece and I am very happy with the way it turned out,” said Larson.

The original artwork was auctioned off during a benefit dinner at F.E.N.C.E. The lucky recipient that closed out the bidding was Lydia Juenger, an equestrian trainer from Mill Spring. Larson donated all of the proceeds from the sale of her artwork to the Polk County Film Initiative (PCFI) where the funds will be put to good use.

The TFF 2015 is a product of PCFI whose main goal is to advance the production of film art in western North Carolina. Headquartered in the heart of downtown Tryon, PCFI is responsible for bringing four independent (Indie) film feature screenings to Tryon, the advent of the Next Generation Film Project, and documentary film production to local townships.

Press coverage is in full gear with news trending on social media platforms, local newsprint, regional magazines, television and radio. TFF is expected to draw a huge crowd during its first year of operation in the town of Tryon, scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10.

With such a massive undertaking for a newly established non-profit, PCFI is reaching out for volunteers to help with the many factors of film festival operations. For those interested in becoming involved, please contact TFF Operations Coordinator Sherry Eades at 828-243-9313 or email seades_1@yahoo.

For news and information on TFF 2015, follow PCFI on Facebook and at tryoninternationalfilmfestival2015.com.

-Submitted by Kirk Gollwitzer