The third annual Mystic Film Festival wil be held Oct. 22-25, and, taking COVID-19 into consideration, it will be a hybrid of in-person and online showings of films, educational workshops, and panel discussions. 

It will showcase more than 55 films representing the work of independent filmmakers from all over the globe. Events will be planned at several locations in and around Mystic.

Shareen Anderson, founder and director of the Mystic Film Festival, announced the decision and said in a statement, “The pandemic made it impossible for us to not face the realities of having to adapt our festival, but we are committed to recognizing and celebrating the creative spirit that these independent films represents.”

Noting that the first two years of the festival were widely supported, Anderson added, “The (festival) committee felt that it was important to keep moving forward and not lose the momentum that we enjoyed in the first two years, and to continue to extend thanks to our visionary sponsors and partners ..." 

The in-person screenings will follow social distancing and COVID safety protocols, and seating will be limited. Online film screenings will be powered by Seed & Spark, and the online workshops, panels, and Q&As will be powered by Digital Content Creators using StreamYard technology.

The full festival schedule will be announced on Sept. 1 on the new Mystic Film Festival website at www.mysticfilmfestival.com. Tickets will go on sale soon after.