Event Details
We welcome you to join us for a closing program to in order to hear your thoughts on what we can do to improve your film festival experience! We have attempted to shape the Lake Placid Film Festival to meet the needs of its attendees in addressing their educational pursuits. Previous feedback has led to such programming as a “Film Finance” panel, the Lake Placid Film Festival Student Summit, and our Artists in Residence program. All of these were based on suggestions and thoughts from YOU at this event. We invite you to join us to help create the 2026 Lake Placid Film Festival!
Panelists
Gary Smith, Adirondack Film, Board Chair
Gary is a hospitality industry titan, managing high end resorts in the Ozarks, Marco Island, and the Adirondack region for over 40 years. Gary is now continuing the two decades worth of work from Adirondack Film’s original organizers & founders as the organization’s current chair.
Noah Ramer- Director of Communications, Adirondack Film
Noah Ramer is the current Director of Communications for Adirondack Film. An avid cinephile whose greatest passion is the world of film festivals, Noah has attended over 2 dozen festivals as a member of the press, such as the Sundance Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, SXSW, and countless others. Noah is also an alumni of the Telluride Film Festival Student Symposium, a highly selective film education program for college students. Prior to his work with Adirondack Film, Noah served as festival director of the SUNYWide Film Festival, which celebrates student filmmaking across all of New York State’s public universities.
Graduating from SUNY Oswego with his Cinema & Screen Studies degree, Noah began working for Adirondack Film as its educational outreach coordinator. In addition to his current role with Adirondack Film as Director of Communications, Noah also works with students at the University of Rochester in a financial aid capacity. Noah’s favorite film is Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (2017)
Sarah Patton- Director of Development, Adirondack Film
Sarah Patton is the current Director of Development for Adirondack Film. Sarah has co-produced documentaries with her sister-in-law for 30 years coordinating production, overseeing fundraising and outreach for documentaries that have aired on National PBS and screened around the country and the world.
Sarah joined the Adirondack Film Board in 2022 before transitioning into her current development role in 2025. Sarah is thrilled to be a part of this cinematic adventure and loving living in the beautiful Adirondack Park. Sarah’s favorite film is Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015).
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