Maryland

“Twenty Million People,” a romantic comedy made by three filmmakers from New York City, claimed the top prize Saturday at the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown. The film was named Best Feature at the three-day film festival's closing ceremonies Saturday night at the Academy Theater off East Washington Street. The film asks the question, “There are TWENTY MILLION PEOPLE in the greater New York City area. So why is it so hard to find someone you like?” Co-producer Chris Prine, who also acted in the movie with co-stars Michael Ferrell and Devin Sanchez, said the picture was shot over a 12-day span in Jersey City, N.J. The budget was $12,000.

Minutes after the Maryland General Assembly adjourned for the final time in 2013 last week, two Washington County delegates headed out the door, even as many of their colleagues readied for the late-night parties in Annapolis that typically follow the end of the session. Del. Andrew A. Serafini, R-Washington, and Del. LeRoy E. Myers, R-Washington/Allegany, said they were eager to get back home, and also keen to get away from the State House. A few days later, Myers seemed more upbeat as he tended to business at Myers Building Systems, a Clear Spring-based general contracting firm that he owns.

Three filmmakers from the Big Apple were in the Hub City on Friday to show their romantic comedy, “Twenty Million People,” at the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown. New Yorkers Michael Ferrell, Devin Sanchez and Chris Prine said during a reception at the Academy Theatre off East Washington Street that they attend film festivals not only to get exposure for their pictures, but to trade techniques with other filmmakers. “You exchange war stories and tips, and we stay in touch with people when we go to other festivals,” Ferrell said.

And the winner is .... “Mr. Congeniality” by the sophomore theater students of the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts. Three entries by students from the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, each a parody of major motion pictures, were screened Friday at the Bridge of Life as part of the Maryland International Film Festival Hagerstown. “Mr. Congeniality” was a twist on the 2000 Sandra Bullock film, “Miss Congeniality.” In the students' version, two male FBI agents have to enter a beauty pageant.

The Pegasus Ride for Cancer is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Pegasus Radio Control Airplane Club on Old Forge Road in Hagerstown. This is a self-paced organized motorcycle ride. The route is a little more than 60 miles long through the mountains of central Maryland and south central Pennsylvania. Registration costs $10 per driver and $5 per rider, and includes lunch and a "show. " For more information, contact Rick Marquiss at 301-331-7025 or treasurer@pegasusrc.com .

The Maryland Public Service Commission in Baltimore is launching an investigation into complaints that Potomac Edison overbilled some Western Maryland electricity customers by failing to read their meters as often as required. The agency opened a case file Tuesday on customer complaints that their meters were read less often than every other month, as required by law. The case stems from complaints made last summer, including those filed last May by the former Frederick-based Sugarloaf Conservancy.

The excitement began building for the second Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown on Thursday afternoon as people crowded into the new location of the Washington County Arts Council for an opening reception and a chance to rub elbows with one of the stars of this year's festival - Tony Mendez. Mendez, the former CIA agent whose work to free six Americans in Iran provided the storyline for the Academy Award-winning movie “Argo,” arrived at the arts council at 34-36 S. Potomac St., dressed in a black tuxedo and in the company of his wife Jonna.

Ever walk into a party and notice someone who was horribly underdressed? And you feel sorry for him - him and another guy you notice, who is also underdressed. Then you see another and another and finally it hits you: You are the only one in the room wearing a suit and tie. Yes, you are the oddball. Not them. There was an uneasy breeze wafting over our local legislative delegation this week as it started to come to grips with the unpleasant reality that Maryland is not made up of Washington County.

Sometimes, it's not what you say; it's how you say it. Words - like numbers - are like show dogs. You can make them jump through hoops on command to prove a point. Any subject's validity can be proved or swayed with the right words, creating the right images. In the corporate world, that's called advertising. In the political world, it's campaigning. And in sports, it's known as marketing. People who can sell ice to an Eskimo or water to a drowning man, have a real gift.

It's a cinephile's dream: three days, 54 films from 11 countries. And it all takes place in downtown Hagerstown. The second Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown kicks off Thursday, April 11, and continues through Saturday, April 13, with films shown at three downtown venues - The Maryland Theatre, Bridge of Life and Academy Theater. Nearly 220 movies were submitted to the festival, of which only 54 made the cut, according to Tom Riford, president of the festival's board of directors.