Owen County Theatre & Arts Alliance sponsors Blue Box Film Festival at Tivoli

Owen County Theatre & Arts Alliance (OCTAA) is proud to sponsor the inaugural Blue Box Film Festival, a one-day international film festival celebrating independent filmmakers from around the world.

The live event will take place Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, from noon to 8 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre in Spencer, Indiana.

The Blue Box Film Festival emerged through a convergence of OCTAAA's long-term goal to expand its film-based arts programming and the independent interest of artists already deeply connected to the organization.

As OCTAAA explored opportunities to broaden its creative offerings beyond live theatre, Lex Barrett—who has been involved with the theatre since its inception—and Mandy Samick brought forward a shared enthusiasm for creating a film festival, aligning naturally with the nonprofit's vision. Together, the organization and its collaborators developed the Blue Box Film Festival as a new avenue for artistic expression within the community.

The festival will showcase a curated selection of short and feature-length films representing a wide range of voices, experiences and filmmaking styles. Submissions were accepted from Oct. 1 through Dec. 17, 2025, offering a compelling snapshot of the current state of independent filmmaking worldwide.

Films were submitted by creators ranging in age from 17 to 68, including students, hobbyists and full-time professional filmmakers. Entries were received from across the United States and internationally, with submissions coming from Portugal, Italy, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Iran, India, Finland, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, New Zealand, Israel, Hungary and Australia.

In keeping with its commitment to artistic integrity, the Blue Box Film Festival prohibited AI-generated content, emphasizing human-created storytelling and craftsmanship. The festival also granted all fee-waiver requests submitted by filmmakers experiencing financial hardship, reinforcing its mission to reduce barriers and support global artistic voices.

A panel of predetermined judges will award Best Short Film and Best Feature Film, while attendees will have the opportunity to participate in Audience Choice voting for both categories during the event.

Community members, film enthusiasts and supporters of the arts are invited to attend this unique international event and experience independent cinema on the big screen in one of Indiana's most historic theaters.