Now in its seventh year, the Annapolis Film Festival runs March 21-24. This year’s event, produced in part with funding from the Maryland Film Office and the Maryland State Arts Council, features more than 70 films from more than 25 countries, as well as panel discussions, Q&As, receptions and more. "With the theme of this year's festival, ‘Truth in Storytelling,’ we are honoring all the brave storytellers and journalists in pursuit of the truth with a stellar slate of films we have curated." said Patti White, Festival Director.

Though a relative newcomer, the festival has quickly become a favorite of attendees and filmmakers alike. “The Annapolis Film Festival gets bigger and better each year,” said Jack Gerbes, Director, Maryland Film Office, who is serving as a judge for the festival. “The festival organizers, their supporters and the City of Annapolis should be proud of the outstanding films, producers, directors, actors and guests that come to Annapolis each spring to celebrate film.”

A major part of OTD’s mission is securing local, regional, national, and international media placements that drive Maryland tourism. A major part of that effort is getting in-person, face-to-face meetings with media leaders, and OTD continues to rack up successes, with major Maryland stories being picked up by O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour magazine, and The Travel Channel in the last quarter. OTD’s recent slate of “desk-sides” has included productive trips to media outlets in New York City, Baltimore, the Eastern Shore, Philadelphia and central/south Pennsylvania. This week, OTD’s PR staff and partners are in the United Kingdom with Capital Region USA pushing the Maryland message overseas. In the upcoming weeks meetings are scheduled in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Washington D.C.

The Maryland Office of Tourism Development is planning to transform the Sideling Hill Rest Area into a one-of-a-kind gateway attraction that promotes Maryland’s mountains, valleys and waterways, from the Catoctin Mountains and further west, with exhibits, programming and on-site transactional opportunities. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development and the Maryland State Arts Council held a workshop at Frostburg University in January 2019 with tourism and arts partners in the region to begin the conversation about what defines the region’s differentiators, identifying the must-see destinations and experiences, and determining the best ways to inspire visitors to stay longer and spend more in the region. The notes from the workshop’s working groups are available at this link and are open for public comment. The public comment period will be open until April 15, 2019.

OTD is one of the sponsors of a new public television documentary about the Great Allegheny Passage, entitled “The Great Ride.” Produced by Pittsburgh’s WQED, the documentary follows six cyclists as they bike the 335-mile length of the combined C&O Canal Towpath (Washington, D.C. to Cumberland) and Great Allegheny Passage (Cumberland to Pittsburgh). The one-hour program debuts March 14 at 8 p.m. “We believe that this stunning documentary will stimulate cultural tourism in the entire corridor in which the trail runs, attract cycling and hiking enthusiasts, and promote the history of the region,” said Darryl Ford Williams, WQED vice president of content. The show will be airing on other regional PBS stations later in the spring and early summer. Content on Maryland’s portion of the trail on the VisitMaryland.org web site may be viewed here.

Judy Bixler is the new chair of the Maryland Tourism Development Board. Ms. Bixler is co-owner and captain of the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry – the oldest privately owned ferry in the U.S. – and a longtime advocate for Maryland tourism. She takes the reigns from Rick Howarth, President, Six Flags America, who helmed the board since 2016. Newly appointed members of the board are as follows: Maryland State Senator Katie Fry-Hester, District 9, Carroll and Howard counties; Maryland State Senator Bill Ferguson, District 46, Baltimore City; former Calvert County Commissioner Pat Nutter; former State Senator Jim Mathias who has been re-appointed to the board as a private citizen, and Monroe Harrison, Director of Public Affairs, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.

Pictured, clockwise from above left: Judy Bixler, Senator Katie Fry-Hester, Senator Bill Ferguson, Monroe Harrison and Pat Nutter.

How can OTD help spread the word about your attraction or event? "Maryland Mondays" is the perfect way to help us help you. Each Monday, OTD launches a new “Maryland Mondays” ticket give-away program across all of our social media channels, consumer newsletter, and weekly “Maryland Minute” radio spots. Combined, these channels reach thousands of potential customers each week. To find out how to get involved by providing tickets to your attraction for an upcoming "Maryland Mondays," email OTD’s Leslie Troy.

For the latest on events and everything going all around Maryland, view the latest edition of Visit Maryland Now! here.

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on Entercom stations and WBAL.