DES MOINES – Lights . . . camera . . . and even more action: “The Film Lounge” is expanding. The Iowa Public Television series that showcases the creativity of Iowa filmmakers is rolling out a spooky new Halloween episode, a new educational program for Iowa students and the show's third season, which premieres in February.

"The Film Lounge" series highlights experimental and art films by Iowans, celebrates filmmaking as an art form, and recognizes the contributions of filmmaking to the economic and cultural vitality of Iowa. It is produced by IPTV, the Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa, the state office of media production. An overview of this season's schedule of programs and events follows:

The Film Lounge: Halloween Style

For the second year in a row, the program will feature a special episode of horror and Halloween-themed short films by Iowa filmmakers called “The Film Lounge: Halloween Style” that will air at 11 p.m. on Oct. 27 on IPTV's primary channel and repeat at 10 p.m. Oct. 28 on IPTV WORLD.3. The program will feature Horror Host Ian Miller and the following selections:

• The Hatman (2018) by Charlie Gandez of Forest City
• The Yig (2018) by Harry W. Walker III of Bettendorf
• S3rial (2018) Michael E. Berg of Urbandale
• Black Star (2018) by Tarrell Christie of Cedar Falls
• Ghost Story (2016) by the art cooperative Tiny Circus of Grinnell

In addition, "The Film Lounge: Halloween Style" (2018) will be screened at the following times, dates and locations:

• 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Iowa Public Television's Maytag Auditorium, 6450 Corporate Drive in Johnston. The screening is part of the IPTV Pop-Up Film Series.
• 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center – Stephen Sondheim Center for Performing Arts, 200 North Main Street in Fairfield. This screening will also feature "The Film Lounge: Halloween Style" (2017).

"Iowa artists have responded very well to this program and are excited to see it being aired again this year," said Veronica O'Hern of the Iowa Arts Council. "We're very pleased with this year's entries and look forward to sharing them with viewers across the state."

Register for free tickets to the screening.

The Film Lounge: Student Challenge

“The Film Lounge: Student Challenge” is accepting entries through Jan. 18, 2019. The new educational program challenges Iowa students in grades 7 to 12 to polish their filmmaking skills and submit 2- to 5-minute films on the theme “After Hours” – about unexpected people, unexpected places and what happens after the last school bell rings. Entries can be in any genre, including documentaries, narrative fiction, animation or music video.

The juried films and their young filmmakers will receive statewide recognition and an invitation to join The Film Lounge Academy, complete with a red-carpet premiere screening and workshops with industry professionals in the spring.

“‘The Film Lounge’ has been so popular and we’ve received so many submissions that now we can grow the brand and franchise it out,” Produce Iowa Executive Producer Liz Gilman said. “This new project blends technology with the arts to give students real-world training and shows them how creativity can lead to opportunities in higher education and careers.”

The new educational program emerged from the ongoing partnership between Iowa Public Television, the Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa. 

The Film Lounge

“The Film Lounge” series features independent, Iowa-made films that run between two to 20 minutes and range across many genres. The list of Iowa artists and films selected for the third season follows:

• Extravision – The Dark Where I Could Only Hear (2018) by Bruce Bales of Des Moines
• Portrait: a Ballet Film in Four Movements (2018) by Jack Meggers of Lansing
• Proving Ground (2016) by Jeffery Byrd of Cedar Falls
• The Art of Living (2018) by John Spencer, Brody Kuhar, and Jack Sarcone of Dubuque
• Elizabeth Moen – Time is a Shi**y Friend (2018) by Joshua De Lanoit of Iowa City
• Paintallica (2015) by Kaitlyn Busbee of Iowa City
• Continuity Cowboys (2018) by Matthew Sindt of Cedar Falls
• The Spaceman (2017) by Tarrell Christie of Cedar Falls
• Creativity (2012) by Tiny Circus of Grinnell
• River Glen – As Above, So Below (2018) by Joshua De Lanoit of Iowa City and River Breitbach of Rickardsville

The third season of "The Film Lounge" will premiere in February at a time and date to be announced.

“We’re looking forward to our third year,” said Chuck Czech, manager of local programming for Iowa Public Television. “Even with these new projects, we are pleased to be able to continue to feature short films produced by Iowa filmmakers that are explained in their own words.”

Visit IPTV.org/filmlounge or thefilmlounge.org for more information about "The Film Lounge." The Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa are divisions of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.