Video-sharing website Vimeo will be at ArtPrize, hosting Vimeo Offline, an opportunity for you to see your favorite videos in an offline environment.

Vimeo will screen the very best in animation, music video, short film and time-lapse made by its users. During that time, a community-made ArtPrize video will premiere.

“We thought the two brands fit together really well and wanted to do something a little different in terms of events at ArtPrize this year,” said Steve Niebauer, a content and community manager at Vimeo, as well as a graduate of Grand Valley State University.

Filmmakers are encouraged to shoot anything and everything during ArtPrize 2011 and upload their footage to Vimeo. That footage will be “edited into a narrative that speaks to the creative process and impact ArtPrize has on everyone involved.”

Catered appetizers and a cash bar will be available during that time.

A new web series, produced in Grand Rapids, will make its debut at ArtPrize. “Backstage Drama” is the story of a young man who witnesses a murder and is placed in a witness protection program as a janitor in a community theatre in Grand River, Mich. Teresa Thome, one of the creators of the series says “Backstage Drama” could be called “‘Sopranos’ meets ‘Waiting for Guffman,’ meets ‘Glee.’”

The web series was going to premiere this fall at backstagedrama.com, but when Thome and co-creator, Patrick Ziegler, heard ArtPrize wanted to expand its offerings in new media, they knew the art competition would be the perfect debut.

The international film festival, Thriller! Chiller!, is back for its sixth year. Having been in the community so long, it’s a favorite of not just the West Michigan community, but local filmmakers as well.

“I’m just a fan of a well-run festival that plays incredibly entertaining, well-made films and it’s nice when a festival is just great to its filmmakers,” said Michael McCallum of Rebel Pictures.

The 2011 lineup of films includes 13 features and 44 shorts for a total of 57 films. Thriller! Chiller! may seem like a horror-only film festival, but it also features the best of sci-fi, action and suspense from around the world.