Soapiff Southern International Film Festival

Running head: SOAPIFF

SOAPIFF: Southern International Film Festival

LaShana D. Leigh

Dr. David Kilmnick

                                            NPMN 620-9040

        University of Maryland University College

SOAPIFF: Southern International Film Festival

The Southern International Film Festival is a regional film festival in the Appalachian region of North America.  The festival has been in existence for the last seven years, the primary goal of the festival is to highlight the works of amateur and relatively unknown up and coming filmmakers.

SOAPIFF was founded in Johnson City, TN on the campus of East Tennessee State University by Prof. Mark Compton and has held regional festivals in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Greenville, and Johnson City in Tennessee as well as in Asheville, NC.

The Mission

SOAPIFF was created in order to provide the region with an alternative method of recognition and promotion for independent filmmakers.  The goal of preservation and fostering an atmosphere of artistic acceptance of the art of filmmaking within the region and internationally primarily seeks to continue to preserve the filmmaking legacies that encouraged film production and film culture in Southern Appalachia spawning such films as “Dirty Dancing,” “Goodbye, Miss 4th of July,” “The River,” “What about Bob” just to name a few.  (Dyer, 2013)

SOAPIFF sought to create a new annual film festival in the greater Eastern Tennessee region to replace the old Sinking Creek Celebration, which is now the Nashville Film Festival.  SOAPIFF has filled the void left by the Sinking Creek festival in the region becoming the longest surviving independent film festival in the American South.  As a nod to legacy left by the Sinking Creek Celebration, SOAPIFF annually awards the Mary Jane Coleman award to a deserving filmmaker annually to acknowledge her ground breaking achievements as the Sinking Creek founder. 

Challenges to Financial Management and Fundraising

The festival has subscribed almost exclusively to the use of volunteer management to offset costs associated with running the festival amidst an environment of irregular fundraising and grant awards.  SOAPIFF has sought to change goals for leadership and types of individuals in leadership to better achieve fundraising goals and address the necessary factors for success including but not limited to accounting, public relations, and marketing.  America has been in the midst of a recession and the prospect of gaining and retaining continuous financial sponsors is a difficult prospect. Additionally, it has become evident that application of some aspects of the SOX Act is entirely appropriate to promote proper oversight and endure that tax obligations are met as well.