ABOUT MAYDAY
Core Values
Engagement - Connect people in the Evansville community and beyond with the festival and each other through a mutual love of film.
Open-mindedness - Constantly strive to understand other perspectives and respect others’ abilities, participation, and experiences.
Inclusion - Commitment to build equitable avenues for all to take part by removing physical, financial, and social barriers
Quality Standards
Safety - Safety first. Prevent loss & harm to patrons & volunteers through ongoing safety research, design awareness, compliance, and crisis management.
Welcoming - Create inviting experiences through personable interactions by anticipating needs & wants and responding accordingly and by listening & providing service solutions.
Comfort - Maintain an environment in which the artistic experience can be enjoyed by removing barriers, ease of use, and a consistency of operating procedures.
History
MayDay Film Festival originated in May 2009 at the University of Southern Indiana. It was created by a group of student filmmakers, collectively from the USI FIlmmakers Club. Year one was about showing off student films at their event to the student body, hosting an all night event.
MayDay evolved over the years by bringing in non-student films to the university, allowing USI student filmmakers to network with other filmmakers. MayDay turned into an event that joined actors and filmmakers over the years, and brought the artistic community together.
Year 4 was the last year for MayDay Film Festival at USI. Signifying a new beginning, 2013 gave the MayDay logo new life, the flaming reel that is still today. Year 4 brought in its first guest ever to the event, Victor Miller, the Emmy Award-winner and writer of the original screenplay for Friday the 13th. It was also the first year that MayDay showed multiple screens as the submissions into the festival greatly increased. We also added vendor and booth setups, alongside panels.
In our 5th year, we made our move outside the university and held their event at the Evansville Arts Museum. MayDay brought in several films for an all day event that showcased tons of local films, films from around the country, and their first international film selection. MayDay brought in a fun aspect by inviting the Star Wars 501st group. Darth Vader and Stormtroopers took over the event for a couple hours, providing our attendees with pictures and an experience one can't ever forget.
MayDay continued to grow and evolve in year 6 by partnering with Showplace Cinemas, a local theater company. MayDay brought back the multiple screens and hosted panels. Jake Lloyd, who is best known for his work in Star Wars as young Anakin Skywalker and Jamie in Jingle All the Way, joined the festival giving multiple Q&A panels. MayDay played the most films it ever had shown at that point, running a 2 day event for the first time ever.
MayDay Film Festival is proud to continue our partnership with Showplace Cinemas South, and continue to screen our selections in their theaters for our festival. Our submission numbers are still growing, and we are thrilled to bring a quality independent film experience to Evansville, IN. MayDay always expects over 300 attendees over the course of our 2-day event, but those numbers have exceeded 500.
MayDay film festival will remain committed to independent and regional film, and it's our joy to produce this festival for our attendees and for filmmakers. We're looking forward to what will most certainly be MayDay Film Festival's best event yet for our 10th Annual Fest in 2018!