The Remnants of War

Our Feet are Rooted

Director: Krista Imbesi
Runtime: 29:54 minutes

“Our Feet Are Rooted” is a documentary about government sponsored land grabbing in Northern Uganda and the non-violent techniques community members are using to fight for their ancestral land.

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Buddha’s Shame

Director: Morteza Atashzamzam
Runtime: 30 minutes

Bangladeshi local reporter Tamna travels to Myanmar-Bangladesh border to cover Rohingya genocide.

Screening Info

Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 2pm
Venue: Reading IMAX Theater
Address: 30 N 2nd St, Reading
Tickets: $10

Special Block: Mental Health

In the Balance

Director: Kemuel Charles
Runtime: 23:57 minutes

Two US Marine Soldiers returning home from the Iraq war, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, must learn how to cope with their “new” everyday reality. Shawn is an ill-mannered alcoholic on the verge of exploding, while Chris seeks redemption within his psychiatrist, with the hopes of reclaiming his family and life.

After Chris has a brief yet awkward encounter with his Ex-Marine Sergeant, Shawn, whom has cut himself off from everything except cigarettes and alcohol. Chris begins to question his ethics and morality, as Shawn settles into a life of anger and self-destruction. Chris wants nothing more than to
reunite with his beautiful wife, Kenia, who still has concerns about her husband’s state of mind as well as the safety of their six-year-old daughter.

Chris confidently seeks the help of his new therapist, which ultimately turns out to be God manifesting as part of his spiritual sanity.

The Darkness Before Me

Director: Rachael Quinn
Runtime: 15 minutes

What lurks in the darkness – hides plainly in the light.

Tony, a grown man, suffers an inexplicable fear of the dark. Seeking help, he finds himself on the couch of a less than perceptive psychoanalyst. What’s really haunting Tony? Does he know? Can the doctor find it? Will the doctor find it? To understand what takes place when the lights go out, one must pay close attention while they’re still on.

Screening Info

Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 1pm
Venue: The GoggleWorks Boscov Theater
Address: 201 Washington St, Reading
Tickets: $10

Short Docs – Bundini, Amber’s Halfway Home

Bundini

Director: Patrick Green
Runtime: 21:55 minutes

Drew “Bundini” Brown was the source of Muhammad Ali’s spirit who stood by the champ during his triumphs, trials and tribulations both inside and outside the ring. “Bundini” is the first ever documentary on Ali’s beloved trainer/Svengali that explores the extraordinary life of the man whom Ali said made him “The Greatest” through archival footage, family photos, and narration by “Bundini” biographer Todd Snyder and Bundini’s only son, Drew III.

website

Amber’s Halfway Home

Director: Melissa Armstrong & Jason Pidgeon
Runtime: 30:09 minutes

Amber Reynolds runs her nonprofit, the Halfway Home Animal Rescue, in Greenfield, TN, a tiny farming community hidden somewhere between Nashville and Memphis. At a glance, Greenfield is pastoral, beautiful even. But underneath idyllic scenes of meandering creeks and cotton fields, is a raging problem of too many unwanted animals.

In Amber’s Halfway Home, a film crew follows Amber for one day. During that day, she rescues 19 dogs. Some are dumped on the roadside and left to survive on their own. Others are living in unhealthy conditions at the unregulated and pitifully funded shelters. Watch as one woman saves these homeless animals from certain death.

Amber’s Halfway Home is an exploration of the conditions at government-funded shelters and the consequences of ignoring our country’s homeless animals. But, it’s also a celebration of a woman battling for change in her Southern community, a warrior who saved 2000 dogs in one year.

website | watch trailer | facebook

Screening Info

Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 12pm
Venue: Reading IMAX Theater
Address: 30 N 2nd St, Reading
Tickets: $10

Thriller Combo – Don’t Go Hiking, Night at the Eagle Inn

Don’t Go Hiking

Director: Director
Runtime: 4:56 minutes

A young man encounters a mysterious stranger while hiking in the woods.

website

Night at the Eagle Inn

Director: Erik Bloomquist
Runtime: 70 minutes

Fraternal twins embark on a pilgrimage to a remote inn to investigate the last known whereabouts of their father who mysteriously disappeared the night they were born — their exploration leading to shocking revelations as the property’s dark secrets ensnare them in a hellish labyrinth they must escape before dawn.

website | facebook

Female Filmmaker Shorts

Dust

Director: Serena Giordano
Runtime: 6:24 minutes

Rossella and Guglielmo’s older brother, Edoardo, passed away. Death brings the two siblings back together…maybe.

World Cup

Director: Maryam Khodabakhsh
Runtime: 17:42 minutes

On the night of a couple’s migration, the child of their friend who has been entrusted to them gets lost, and then a secret is revealed …

Life Happens & Then You Cry

Director: Qbah Fernandez
Runtime: 19:53 minutes

A day in the life of busy career woman, Kate (Kate Hughes). Kate finds herself in a pivotal moment of her life where she must make a difficult choice about her relationship with long term boyfriend, Dave (Christopher Morris). With some help from her sassy Latina best friend, Sara (Sara Viteri) she may be able to find a solution to her dilemma.

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Offline

Director: Kate Kelsen
Runtime: 7 minutes

A terminally-ill man faces his greatest challenge when he gathers his close friends to plan his funeral.

website | watch trailer | facebook

Inspira

Director: Emma Orelove
Runtime: 5:58 minutes

An exploration of life for one woman living in 2020 through breath. Created by an all-female team.

website

Jabaril Keating

Director: Stacey Larkins
Runtime: 10 minutes

Upon making a life altering decision, Jabari Keating is a candid first person narrative film that explores his personal reflections, life experiences and trials and tribulations as an African American in present day America.

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Wistful Pieces

Director: Ellany Kincross
Runtime: 18:03 minutes

Nick and Nadia are a successful couple in their 40’s who have been married for 12 years. Their lives have revolved around love and career until Nadia’s ex-boyfriend, Adam enters the picture. Adam is desperate to make peace with the past. As he thrusts himself into their lives, Nick and Nadia’s commitment is tested by otherworldly forces.

Can Nadia forgive Adam? Can Nick and Nadia find their way back to each other?

Wistful Pieces explores how the past isn’t always complete and that the world you see isn’t really all there is.

website | watch trailer | facebook

Duet

Director: Mika Orr
Runtime: 21 minutes

Duet is the story of one fateful day in the lives of 8-year-old girls May and Shadmit, who dislike each other but learn that their lives have become oddly intertwined forever.

Duet is a multidisciplinary project, uniquely integrating film and music. The story raises questions about loneliness, regret, subject memory and fate that ties two children together for a lifetime.

website | watch trailer | facebook

The Fading Moon, Distressed Desert, & Calm Cloud

Director: Rochelle White
Runtime: 3:05 minutes

A raging Desert allows her frustration to grow to the point it almost consumes her! She is scared the moon may never return! But as the cycle of nature unfolds, the Desert soon learns she has no other choice but to trust in its wisdom.

website | watch trailer | facebook

Screening Info

Date: Friday, October 1, 2021 at 7:30pm
Venue: The GoggleWorks Boscov Theater
Address: 201 Washington St, Reading
Tickets: $10

LUNAFEST 2021

LUNAFEST

ReadingFilmFEST celebrates female filmmakers!

ReadingFilmFEST in collaboration with the American Association of University Women, AAUW will host LUNAFEST during our seventh annual film festival!  LUNAFEST is a fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing people together in their communities to engage in the arts.

This unique film festival features seven short films by lauded women filmmakers who have been featured at major film festivals, from Sundance to SXSW. Films range from animation to documentary to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, body image, relationships, cultural diversity and breaking barriers.

Proceeds from the event benefit AAUW, as well as Chicken & Egg Productions.

When: Thursday September, 30th

Doors open at 6:00 pm   Films begin at 7:00 pm

Where: Reading Movies 11 and IMAX Theater

Click here for tickets to LunaFest.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ OUR VACCINATION POLICY BEFORE PURCHASING TICKETS!


LUNAFEST TICKETS

LUNAFEST LINEUP

OVEREXPOSED: FILMING AN ARCTIC ODYSSEY

BY HOLLY MORRIS

Overexposed:  Filming an Arctic Odyssey (2021). Dir. Holly Morris. A high-stakes behind-the-scenes look at the film team that captured the daring story of the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition.

HOLLY MORRIS

Holly Morris has told, and championed, pro-woman stories on the global stage for two decades. She is an internationally known filmmaker, author, and presenter (works include “Adventure Divas” and “Globe Trekker.”)

Her most recent film, “The Babushkas of Chernobyl” (lauded as “an affectionate and stirring documentary” by The New York Times), premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for Directing, the first of nearly two dozen awards received before being broadcast worldwide. The film’s story, which is based on Morris’s print journalism and also forms the basis of her popular TED Talk, is about a defiant community of women who live inside Ukraine’s radioactive “Exclusion Zone.”

Her newest feature film, a high stakes Arctic documentary called “Exposure”, will be released in 2021.

KNOCKING DOWN THE FENCES

BY MEG SHUTZER

AJ Andrews, the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, struggles to make it as one of the best professional softball players in the world.

MEG SHUTZER

Meg Shutzer is a queer, award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative reporter from Oakland, California. Her first documentary, “New Generation Queens: a Zanzibar Soccer Story,” premiered at the Manhattan Film Festival in 2015, played on four continents, and won numerous awards at film festivals.

A LINE BIRDS CANNOT SEE
BY AMY BENCH

Separated from her mother at the border, a 12 year old sets out on a harrowing journey to the United States to find her.

AMY BENCH

Amy Bench is a Texas-based filmmaker and visual artist who is drawn to the immediacy of film and photography to tell stories of community and resilience. Trained as a cinematographer, her observational style highlights small details of the human experience that transcend formal explanation.

Amy’s animated documentary “A Line Birds Cannot See” won Special Jury Recognition at SXSW, Best Animated Short at Bend Film Festival, and the 2020 Ellie Award in video for excellence in digital magazine journalism.

Amy is a member of the 20-person artist collective and gallery ICOSA, based in Austin, Texas. She received her MFA from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010.

THE SCIENTISTS VERSUS DARTMOUTH
BY SHARON SHATTUCK

A young neuroscientist and her colleagues make a life-changing decision to speak up for women in science everywhere.

SHARON SHATTUCK

Sharon Shattuck is an Emmy-nominated documentary film/TV director and cohost of the podcast “Conviction: American Panic” from Gimlet/Spotify. She’s the cocreator of the New York Times Op-Docs science series, “Animated Life,” which was nominated for a 2016 Creative Arts Emmy.

Her work has appeared on PBS, National Geographic Channel, Netflix, Slate, Vice, The New York Times Op-Docs, The Atlantic, ProPublica, Spotify, and Radiolab. She has degrees in forest ecology and journalism.

UNTIL SHE IS FREE

BY MARIA FINITZO

Mixed-media artist Sophia Wallace imagines a culturally cliterate world, where all people are equal and able to live with rich possibility and purpose.

MARIA FINITZO

Maria Finitzo is a two-time Peabody Award–winning social issue documentary filmmaker whose 30 years as a filmmaker has resulted in a body of work that has won every major broadcast award, including most recently the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, and has been screened in festivals and theaters around the world.

Her films are novelistic in their structure, providing multiple points of connection for an audience. She allows the narrative arc of her character’s story to evolve, colliding with other subjects from the film, creating a complex, nuanced story that serves as a vehicle to deepen our understanding of society through everyday human drama.

CONNECTION
BY TRACY NGUYEN-CHUNG & CIARA LACY

A lifelong angler, Autumn Harry had never fished beyond the waters of her reservation—until she picked up a fly rod.

TRACY NGUYEN-CHUNG 

Tracy Nguyen-Chung is a filmmaker, strategist, and founder of After Bruce, a boutique PR agency whose clients have included “The Farewell,” “The Great Hack,” International Documentary Association, LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, and more. She also coproduced “The Great Hack,” an Emmy and BAFTA-nominated feature documentary that world premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix.

CIARA LACY

Ciara Lacy is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker and director of “Out of State,” which premiered at the LA Film Festival and was broadcast on “Independent Lens”. Her work has shown at festivals around the world as well as on Netflix, PBS, ABC, and Al Jazeera. In the digital space, she has created content for The Guardian and The Atlantic.

BETYE SAAR: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
BY CHRISTINE TURNER

There’s no stopping this legendary artist, even at age 93.

CHRISTINE TURNER

Christine Turner is a filmmaker based in New York. Her critically acclaimed documentary “Homegoings,” about a funeral director in Harlem, premiered at Documentary Fortnight at MoMA and was broadcast nationally on the PBS series “POV.”

With over a decade of experience in television production, Christine also collaborates on nonfiction series and documentaries for broadcast.

Workshop for Filmmakers

The course will take place live at the Goggleworks Center for the Arts Boscov Theater and virtually for filmmakers unable to attend in person. The course will guide filmmakers on what it means to go through Development, Package a feature film and raise Financing through private equity and debt possibilities.  The different presentation modules demonstrate why taking a start-up business approach is more effective than optioning the rights to your screenplay.

We will go through the development process of creating all of the packaging elements needed for either an Ultra-Low, Moderate-Low, or Low-Budget feature.  Case study features along with series and documentaries from a variety of genres, budgets, and countries will be presented in order to see what worked – and what didn’t.  A deep dive into the US, Canadian and European film financing process will then be covered to articulate where funding comes from through both private and public opportunities.

Participants will also have the opportunity to pitch their projects during the last portion of the class and raise questions to the group for guidance and support.

(Kevin will also arrange one on one Zoom consultations with filmmakers who are seeking further guidance on their current projects in Development beyond what this course has to offer)

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
Film Financing, Package Elements, Investment Sourcing, Investment Units through, Limited Liability Corporation, Tax Credit Loans
First-In Money, Talent Retainer Fees (Scale / Schedule F), Pre-Sales Estimates, Co-Production Agreements, Proof of Concepts, (Mood Reel / Short Film)
Marketing Materials (Look Books / Pitch Decks), Distribution Agreements (Exclusive / Non-Exclusive), Mentoring Producer, Executive Producer
Divide & Conquer Writer / Director / Producer

Kevin Christoffersen Film StartUp – Educator and Development Executive

Kevin has been working in just about every form of media for nearly 3 decades – producing content internationally across 4 continents while living in 5 countries.  He is an Educator and Development Executive of the platform, ‘FILM STARTUP.’  In this role, Kevin guides filmmakers through the A to Z feature film development process with his workshop courses, development labs, webinars and consultations.  On the Executive Producing side, he works on establishing financing for different feature films of various budget levels both in the U.S. and in Europe.  He is also consulting filmmakers on distribution deals within foreign markets that include tv broadcasters, distributors and streaming platforms.  Kevin sits on the Advisory Board of the Art Of Brooklyn Film Festival and has recently completed co-writing a feature length screenplay.  He was based in Switzerland for over 7 years as Executive Producer of World Television managing Film StartUp managing large scale productions for Fortune 500 companies, United Nations agencies and NGO’s.  While working between New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver, he continues to form new film industry partnerships along the way.

Media Advisory

READING, Pa, May 12, 2021 — The ReadingFilmFEST is the recipient of a $35,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The money will support the festival’s development initiatives, including production, marketing and promotion, and year-round administrative expenses.

“It is vitally important to support the arts when considering community and economic development, which is why I advocated for ReadingFilmFEST in this grant process,” Sen. Judy Schwank said. “In just a few years, this festival has established a tremendous reputation for quality events that support artists and has brought positive attention into our city and county.”

The funding comes as a relief to the newly established nonprofit organization, which also endured financial loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ReadingFilmFEST was able to persevere, in part due to collaborative efforts and the successful launch of last year’s hybrid festival.

Now in its seventh year, the festival continues to support emerging filmmakers, enhance local art culture and encourage spending in the local community through the following opportunities: FiveMinuteFilmFEST, women and minority screenplay competition, independent premiere film releases, summer Mini-FilmFEST, LunaFEST, and other events.

“ReadingFilmFEST is encouraged by the unified support and collaboration within the community to build a more robust, more vibrant Reading post-COVID. Our focus as a new nonprofit is to create an even more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive film community,” Executive Director Cammie Harris said.

In early 2021, ReadingFilmFEST became its own entity, establishing a board of directors and an advisory council, including past contributors, organizers, and community leaders. Local partnerships will also ensure the festival’s continued viability as an important community event.

ReadingFilmFEST will occur September 30-October 3, 2021, and features indoor, outdoor and online screenings for filmmakers and audiences to safely enjoy.

When: Tuesday, May 18, at 4 p.m.

Where: Boscov Theatre at GoggleWorks   201 Washington St., Reading, Pa 19601

Attendees: 

State Sen. Judy Schwank

Cammie Harris, executive director of ReadingFilmFEST

Tracy Schott, board president/creative director of ReadingFilmFEST

Dr. Rodney Ridley, associate provost and vice president/chief operating officer for the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

John R. Loyack, president of Alvernia University

Levi Landis, executive director of GoggleWorks Center for the Arts

Cesar Gonzales, The Gables Foundation/owner of The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel

Notes: Photo opportunities available. This press event is also open to the public.

ReadingFilmFEST grew out of ReadingFilm, the region’s film commission, to become an established nonprofit organization located at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pennsylvania. The festival continues to promote the area as a location and destination for film and media production, building the community through events and programming and cultivating the development of a regional film industry. ReadingFilmFEST creates programming throughout the year for audiences, students and filmmakers, culminating in a four-day international film festival each fall. FilmFreeway featured ReadingFilmFEST on its Top 100 Film Festivals. In past years, the festival has generated filmmakers from across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Iran and Columbia. For more info, visit readingfilmfest.com.

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Made-In-Reading Mini FilmFEST at First Energy Stadium

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Reading’s Fightin’ Phils presents a Party with a Purpose with ReadingFIlmFEST on Thursday, August 27th doors open at 5:30 pm, event starts at 6 pm at First Energy stadium. The outdoor event will present ReadingFilmFEST’s Made-in-Reading block of films, featuring the premiere screening of DUST NUGGETS by Sue Lange and Andrew Pochan, as well as several short films by local filmmakers. Food & drinks will be available at FirstEnergy Stadium concession stands. Guests can enjoy live music throughout the evening between film screenings.

Tickets are $5 per person and must be purchased in advance. Purchase tickets at August 27th Reading FilmFEST Event at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“With the need for social distancing, the festival was looking for an outdoor venue to safely show this program. We were delighted to learn that the Fightin’ Phils were willing to partner with us in this effort!” says ReadingFilmFEST’s Creative Director, Tracy Schott. Since 2015 ReadingFilmFEST has presented up to 70 films each year from filmmakers around the world during a 4-day festival in November. The festival also has supported local filmmakers by presenting the Made-in-Reading block of films as part of the program. “We know that Dust Nuggets included crew, talent, and extras from the Reading area, and wanted to allow the community to view this fun film in an equally fun venue.

“The pandemic has forced us to rethink the presentation of ReadingFilmFEST for 2020” adds Executive Director Cammie Harris. “Though many festivals have opted to cancel or go completely online this year, we’ve put on our creative hats to create a hybrid festival.” The 2020 ReadingFilmFEST will take place on October 1 – 4, 2020 with films available through outdoors, drive-ins, and online screenings. “In the spring, we turned our Five Minute FilmFEST for high school students into a streaming event that was also broadcast on BCTV. We’ll remain flexible in our approach to this year’s festival by providing options that entertain and educate our audiences while also keeping everyone safe.”

Details about festival events will be posted on ReadingFilmFEST.com, and available on the festival’s social media channels:
Facebook: facebook.com/readingfilmfest
Twitter: @ReadingFilmFEST
Instagram:@ReadingFilmFEST
For further information contact:
Cammie Harris
ReadingFilmFEST Executive Director
charris@readingfilmfest.com