Stowe Story Labs thanks community

Twenty-eight emerging filmmakers and industry mentors from around the country (and an Australian) came to Stowe this past weekend to attend the Labs. Next fall we will more than double the numbers.

We could not have built the

labs or think about growing them without the tremendous support of the community.

Thank you to the Helen Day Art Center for literally opening its doors and letting us run the workshops all weekend and into Monday, disrupting their work but giving us a tremendous home for the labs.

Shawn Kerivan rallied the inns and lodges in town to help us offer Labbers places to stay and put up our industry mentors and interns for free. Thank you, Shawn, for leading the charge and to the inns and lodges for such a gesture.

To all the businesses giving participants discounts and such gestures as a free cup of coffee as they wandered around town, you made them all feel welcome and appreciated. To Stowe Area Association and especially Jasmine Bigelow and John Walsh for the support and help, thank you. To this paper for running our welcome ad, thank you. To Blooming Cupcake, Alchemist Brewery, Phoenix Table and Bar, Laughing Moon Chocolates, The Wine Cellar, The Bagel, Theresa Barrows (and, through her, Keurig Green Mountain), Mi Casa and Suzanna’s Catering, thank you for helping us keep everyone fed and libated. Thank you to Xpress. Thank you to Mary Feeny for taking in one last volunteer.

To John Mandeville and Lamoille Economic Development Corp., thank you for being a phenomenal incubator and friend. To Lee Genung and Marcy Falcone for help with the words and the website to tell the message, thank you. To Tracy Goldfine and River Arts, thank you. To Ed French and the John Bissell Foundation, dedicated to helping filmmakers build their craft in our county, thank you. To volunteers who returned from last year — Cameron Chapman, Joan O'Neal, Rachel Wiederhoeft and intern Ethan Baldwin — thank you.

To everyone I am forgetting to mention, I am sorry and thank you.

We have good plans and ideas for more programming and for growing the Labs in 2015 and we could not be looking ahead without all of this support and help. Again, thank you.

David Rocchio

Stowe