The Arts are Ground-Zero, a Conversation with NHFF Sponsor Olde Port Properties

Portsmouth, NH | NHFF sat down with George Carlisle and Jeff Mountjoy, owners of Olde Port Properties for a conversation on the arts, Portsmouth, and why they are dedicated NHFF enthusiasts, and financial supporters.

Jeff: We wanted to start out and let you to know that the Festival is our favorite four days of the year.

George: 5 years ago, we thought it was a bit ambitious, but now we’re total and complete believers in what NHFF is capable of, what it brings to our city, and its contribution to the Arts Community.  I was at the Times Square Theater, in New York City a few months ago, and listed was the documentary U.N. Me, about the exposition of the United Nations, which I saw two years ago at NHFF, and had the opportunity to interact with the directors afterward.  That says it all.

NHFF: What are some of your favorite parts of the weekend?

George: When I’m sitting in a film and look next to me and realize I’m sitting next to the cast, where else can you do that? It’s magical.

Jeff: I love it when the students present their films from the Young Filmmakers Workshop; to see the joy of the students and their families to premiere their film on the screen at the Music Hall is just incredible.

George: I love it, it’s not always about the Big Features, but about the community.  That weekend Portsmouth becomes one big theater, and we’re all a part of it.

Jeff: It’s not like going to the movies at Fox Run, [at NHFF] each venue has its own personality, and it has this… grittiness to it, this tangibility… every film becomes more than just a film, it becomes an experience.  I also really enjoy the broad range of film.

NHFF: Why do you come alongside NHFF as a financial sponsor?

George: It is the most unique event in Portsmouth, and it is organic and homegrown.  It is a world-class experience in one of America’s Great towns.  There are different things that different places are known for, Sundance is a big deal for Park City, Tribeca is a big deal for New York City.  Here in this community this [NHFF] is a big deal and we love doing whatever we can do to stand behind it.

Jeff: We also don’t want to be left out, NHFF is a rocketship, and we want to make sure we’re on board.

NHFF: What are some of the benefits of sponsoring?

Jeff: We don’t give to get back.  We give because it’s our way of giving back to Portsmouth.

George: Portsmouth wasn’t always the Portsmouth it is today.  It was a very different place in the 60’s and 70’s, what it didn’t have was the arts.  The arts saved SoHo, San Fran, and Brooklyn, and it is the arts that changed Portsmouth.  The arts are ground-zero, and it is incumbent for local businesses to give to the arts, because it is an investment in the quality of life.

NHFF needs more sponsors like Olde Port Properties, if you think partnering with us is a good fit for your business, and you want to be a part of the excitement this October please Download our Advertising and Sponsorship Packet, or contact Nicole Gregg: nicole@nhfilmfestival.com

*We want to extend a huge thank you to George and Jeff for meeting with us, cheering us on, and standing behind us for the last few years.  To learn more about George, Jeff, and Olde Port Properties, please visit their website.