Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin

The fifth annual Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) is set to roll in the southern Wisconsin city February 18 to 21. There will be over 140 films including premier showings by local filmmakers and selections from competitions and festivals, as well as vintage, classic, and unusual films. Seven downtown venues will host the films, whose categories include documentary, feature, short film, best of state, student, and animation. The selections are held under wraps until a Reveal Party, where they are announced to those in attendance. The signature event of BIFF 2010 will be a special showing of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films accompanied by the Beloit Janesville Symphony playing Ben Model’s original scores to a live audience. “We are being inundated with phone calls this year from filmmakers, some of whom wouldn’t have even talked with us a few years ago,” says executive director Roddie Beaudon. “It’s a great feeling.” For more info, visit BeloitFilmFest.com.