“A year-one festival will programming of this size doesn’t happen by accident, it happens because hundreds of people decide to show up for it,” says Clark Kline, interim Executive Director of SilverVox. “Our volunteers, venue partners, sponsors, and the city of Frederick turned an ambitious idea into four days the whole region could feel.”
The festival delivered on its core promise: creating space where independent artists and audiences meet on equal ground. Signature programming included SXSW 2025 darling “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror” with filmmaker Linus O’Brien attending for live Q&A; official selections from Sundance and SXSW 2026; and a music slate headlined by American Idol breakout Rae Boyd, alongside indie-rock favorites CULTS, Brooklyn shoegaze innovators DIIV, virtuosic art pop Kishi Bashi, among others.
“This festival reminded me why we built SilverVox in the first place, to give Frederick a stage worthy of its talent and its people, a town that has everything it takes as a true cultural destination,” says Dan Silver, Head of Music and Board Member of SilverVox. “I’m already excited to start curating next year’s lineup, because this is how we keep building that momentum, one unforgettable night at a time. This is just the beginning.”
The film slate included “Joybubbles”, the Sundance and SXSW-selected documentary capturing suburban intimacy; “Their Town”, written by Mark Duplass and directed by Katie Aselton; and “Spinsters” directed by Rahel Grunder, a Frederick Premiere about two middle-aged besties reconnecting in their hometown.
“While SilverVox was very lucky to gather all the right people at all the right time to help bring this enormous project to fruition, we were exceptionally fortunate for the high-level of film that was submitted by filmmakers from all around the world,” added Walter Chalkley, Head of Film and Board Member of SilverVox. “The connection between filmmaker and film viewer is the basis of the film community and SilverVox is excited to serve that community in the years to come.”
Thought leadership programming featured Broadway star, Andrea Macasaet, on originating a role on Broadway in the stage phenomenon “SIX: The Musical”. Other talks included former HBO and Starz executive, Pamela Nemoto, on streaming acquisitions; Julliard School lecturer, Robert Galinsky, on actor presence; and President of the national Independent Cinema Alliance, Rich Daughtridge on the future of independent cinema.
“What an honor it was to welcome so many well-known and well-respected entertainment industry speakers and panelists for our thought leadership programming in year one,” said Jeffery Keilholtz, SilverVox creative consultant and Board Member. “We are grateful to all our guests and are very proud of the quality of talks and conversations that were had concerning the current state and future of the industry.”
The festival wrapped up its debut run with a Closing Night ceremony to honor the top films in several categories. The award for Narrative Feature was presented to The Hook, directed by Thomas Beatty. The winner for Documentary Feature went to About Face, directed by Jennifer Lin. The statue for Midnight Feature was awarded to Crippled, directed by Zak Seidman; and Spinsters, directed by Rahel Grunder, took home the prize for Audience Choice. A full list of awards is available on the festival website.
Carrie Delante, Board Chair of SilverVox, offered in conclusion, “You don’t build a festival because the market research says you should. You build it because you believe a place has something to offer. Frederick has an extraordinary amount to offer with its history, recognized culture, and the incredible artists who live here. We took the risk of launching SilverVox because this region has earned national attention. We’re already planning year two.”
