OCTOBER 5, 2026 – BOSTON, MA — Sweater Weather Fest, the first film festival to be held on Boston City Hall Plaza, will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. Free and open to all ages, the outdoor festival will feature industry panels, film screenings, DJs, local food and vendors, and activities connecting attendees with Massachusetts’ film and television community.

The evening will close with the final two episodes of Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” projected onto the festival’s giant 60-foot screen on the plaza. Filmed in Massachusetts, including Gloucester and Rockport, the horror-comedy series recently won 14 Emmy Awards, including outstanding comedy series, becoming the most awarded first-season comedy in Emmy history.

Founded by Ray Fuschetti, John Whoriskey Jr. and Vincent Henry, Sweater Weather Fest is produced in partnership with Sweater Weather Films and the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture as part of the City Hall Plaza Event Series. Sweater Weather Films received a City Hall Plaza Engagement Grant to produce the event. The festival is fiscally sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Mocean Energy, a local energy drink, is the festival’s lead sponsor.

The plaza will open at 2 p.m. with DJ Beez and DJ Real P, vendors, food and activities. Half-hour industry panels will begin on the main stage at 3:30 p.m. and continue into sunset.

The lineup of panels include:

• “Deep in the Credits”: Festival co-founder and location manager John Whoriskey Jr. will moderate a conversation with set dresser and prop maker Doug Armitage and costume designer Virginia Johnson about behind-the-scenes work and pathways into film careers.

• “Starring You”: Local television veteran Lisa Gresci will moderate a discussion about getting booked for on-camera work, featuring film producer and SAG-AFTRA New England Local President Liz Eng, as well as Robert Casey of Maggie Inc.

• “How Massachusetts Made an Instant Horror Classic”: Enjoy a behind-the-scenes conversation about the making of Widow’s Bay, filmed in Gloucester and Rockport with a talented Massachusetts crew. Hear firsthand about the production, locations, and experience of bringing this horror classic to life. Panelists include supervising location manager Greg Chiodo; Patrick Brazile, who worked with the locations team; and Massachusetts Film Office Director Meg Montagnino-Jarrett.

• “The Big Picture”: Join Adam Chip Hamilton, coordinating producer of “Ted Lasso,”  Ryan Cook, producer of “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” and production supervisor of “Dexter: Resurrection,” and Eran Lobel, CEO & Executive Producer at ELEMENT productions, for a discussion on how productions are developed and staffed.

• “A Czar Is Born”: Czarface, alongside Boston rap veterans 7L and Esoteric, will discuss alternative storytelling and how their music drew Hollywood’s attention following the release of “Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer.”

After sunset, selected entries from the festival’s vertical short-film contest will screen on the plaza, with the winner announced and awarded on-site. The contest is free and open to all, with entries closing Oct. 8. Submission details are available at sweaterweatherfest.com/filmcontest. The “Widow’s Bay” screening will follow to close the night.

Attendees interested in film careers can visit the festival’s Production Pathway, where IATSE Local 481, SAG-AFTRA New England, the Massachusetts Film Office, New England Studios and production companies will be available to discuss opportunities in the industry. Free professional headshots will be available to download the same day by QR code, and the Crafty Networking Hour will offer free snacks and opportunities to meet other creatives.

Additional activities include a Hollywood star trailer provided by Above the Line for photos, a petting zoo featuring two miniature dwarf cows from May Royal Minis, and a stop-motion filmmaking station presented by Filmmakers Collaborative, where children can make a film and take it home the same day.

The festival will also host a sweater and coat drive for Cradles to Crayons for Bostonians who need winter clothing. Each item donated will earn a raffle ticket for a prize awarded on the plaza.

Food vendors will include Aby’s House, serving smash burgers and steak and cheese; Cinsational Dining, offering Caribbean-Italian rice bowls; Tacos Las Toxicas, serving Mexican street tacos; and Red Apple Farm, offering cider doughnuts and cider. A beer and wine garden will be open to attendees 21 and older. Fall vendors and pop-ups will include Cheapo Records and Red Apple Farm.

City Hall Plaza is located at 1 City Hall Square, adjacent to the Government Center MBTA station. Full-day parking will be available for $25 at Government Center Garage. Dogs are welcome, and attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.

Admission is free. Attendees are asked to please RSVP online.

For additional information, visit sweaterweatherfest.com. 

ABOUT SWEATER WEATHER FILMS
Founded in Boston and operating nationwide, Sweater Weather Films works across documentaries, brand campaigns, live event films and original self-produced projects. The company was started by an Emmy Award-winning producer and a world-class cinematographer, both with national campaign and broadcast credits, who came up covering major breaking news before moving into long-form and commercial work. The result is work produced with hard-deadline efficiency and finished to the standard of a streaming original. More at sweaterweatherfilms.com.

ABOUT CITY OF BOSTON OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE
The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) works in collaboration with our creative and cultural workforce to hardwire arts, culture, and the creative economy into Boston’s future. The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture is working to ensure Boston is a city where culture thrives in every neighborhood and where everyone can shape, access, and participate in cultural life. We partner with artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and communities to strengthen Boston’s creative economy, expand cultural infrastructure, and embed creativity into the everyday life of the city. We believe creativity is essential public infrastructure. By investing in artists, cultural workers, and creative spaces, we help build a more connected, equitable, and vibrant Boston. Our work includes supporting the cultural sector through grants and programs, advancing affordable creative workspace and cultural facilities, and commissioning and caring for public art across the city. boston.gov/arts