MILFORD, PA — The 17th annual Black Bear Film Festival is five months away, but planning activities and a new educational initiative have already launched. Four regional schools—Dingman Delaware Middle School, Delaware Valley High School, Sussex County Technical School and Wallenpaupack Area High School—have signed on as school partners for 2016. Student groups will participate by producing mock 15- and 30-second TV commercials, creating “film shorts” (one to 10 minutes in length) that will be juried for inclusion in the Festival’s Film Salon, decorating a five-foot-tall Artful Bear, or volunteering during the weekend event. Additionally, festival organizers are planning several workshops for students in the art and craft of filmmaking. These will be held at the school and other regional venues throughout the year.

John Bell, superintendent for the Delaware Valley School District, is enthusiastic about the schools partnership program. He said, “Our strong visual and performing arts programs will only get stronger with this real world experience. Pike County in general is fortunate to have the Black Bear Film Festival, and Delaware Valley in particular is very fortunate to have its students involved in such a project.”