Beaufort's art scene is diverse and vibrant which tends to come as a surprise to folks who are not all that familiar with the city. Given, Beaufort is a small town in America, which usually isn't the first place you think about when it comes to the arts. But as for Beaufort and the arts, in these parts we know that the maxim "good things come in small packages" applies.
It's been called "the fastest growing film festival in the Southeast, and by all accounts and in various respects." The 2017 Beaufort International Film Festival was a huge success! Thousands of filmmakers and film buffs attended the five-day festival, and they came from all over - 31 states and three countries in all. And with diverse genres of quality cinema, great parties, and inspiring educational events, it's no wonder BIFF made Film Freeway's list of Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festivals.
To be more specific, the festival took the #10 spot in the world and #1 in South Carolina. The honor is especially sweet since reviews are done by screenwriters and filmmakers who were among the festival fans in Beaufort or among those who had a film screened there.
If you haven't heard, in February 2017 the city of Beaufort and USCB ( The University of South Carolina at Beaufort) Center for the Arts learned they had earned a place among the year's Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award honorees. The awards - given in honor of their namesake who was an artist, author, and preservationist in Charleston - are the highest tribute that South Carolina gives in the arts.
And what a well-deserved accolade it is for a government-nonprofit collaboration that's a big part of why Beaufort is such a robust arts destination. With the Center and the City partnering together on events ranging from theater productions to gallery exhibitions, and the Center itself serving as a venue for all manner of visual and performing arts, a richly diverse culture can't help but flourish.
