Bucks County FilmFest To Showcase New And Emerging Talent

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The 26th Annual Bucks County FilmFest will be making its debut at a new location this weekend - the iconic Newtown Theatre, the oldest continuously operating theatre in the nation.

Formerly held at the County Theater in Doylestown, festival organizers are inviting film lovers, creators, and community members to again gather for what they are calling an “extraordinary event” spotlighting emerging independent cinema and screenwriting talent from across the county.

"This year’s festival is designed to be an immersive, community-centered experience from start to finish," said Brad Sanders, festival director. "By purchasing a ticket, you aren't just getting access to incredible entertainment — you are actively investing in the cultural heartbeat of Bucks County and supporting passionate filmmakers who bring these powerful stories to life."

Doors open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, with the festival running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and an intermission built into the schedule.

At the heart of the festival will be a screening of 25 juried independent shorts, ranging in length from two to 22 minutes and covering a variety of genres including experimental, narratives, music videos, family drama, documentaries, and animation.

“For some of these young filmmakers it will be the first time their work will be shown on the big screen,” said Sanders. “We also have repeat independent filmmakers who create some amazing films. This is an opportunity to support the arts, but it’s also a great way to see some films that you would never have access to.”

One of the films audiences will see is “A Big Foot Christmas," said Sanders. “It’s funny. It’s animated. And it’s very well done,” he said. “We also have some Halloween, suspenseful animated shorts. And we have drama with some heaviness to some of them. We have a nice variety this year.”

The juried festival accepts submissions from high school, college, and emerging artists with ties to Bucks County. A panel of judges then screens the submissions and selects the best for the festival.

“We had 172 submissions. We will be screening 25 at the theatre. We also have 25 which we will be screening virtually,” said Sanders. “It’s a shame we can’t accept them all because there are a lot of films that are very well done. Our judges have a tough job.”

In addition to the films, the festival features a screenwriting competition, with the top four submissions performed during a table read by eight actors from the Newtown Arts Company and a guest narrator.

The event will also feature a panel discussion with Robert May, director of the PBS docuseries “Bucks County USA.” He will be sharing insights in how he produces and directs and what goes into the creation of a docuseries.

During intermission, Sanders said patrons are invited to gather across the street at the Second Sin Taproom. An After Party is also planned at the Green Parrot.

Sanders said festival organizers are excited to bring the festival to the Newtown Theatre, which boasts a recently renovated house and is handicapped accessible. “It’s a very impressive space and there’s no bad seat in the house.”

A $40 ticket grants full access to a packed lineup of events throughout the day including:

• 3 Feature & Short Film Screenings: Curated blocks featuring standout works across multiple genres from local, national, and international indie filmmakers.
• Screenwriting Competition Table Read: Professional actors will perform live table reads of the four top-selected scripts from this year's screenwriting competition.
• Filmmaker Panel Discussion: An exclusive industry panel featuring award-winning filmmaker Robert May, focusing on his new PBS series, “Bucks County USA.”
  • Live Awards Ceremony: Celebrating top achievements across film and screenwriting categories, including the audience-voted Fan Favorite award.

All the films screened on Saturday during the festival will also be available to view the day after the festival virtually.

Tickets are available for purchase online and at the door. To secure a seat and support local arts, click here. For information, call 215.431.7566

Can’t join the festival in person at the Newtown Theatre? Audience members can create a virtual ticket account to stream 
official online selections starting October 17 from the comfort of home.

Schedule

• Doors open – 10:30 a.m.
• Film screenings – 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. 6 new films followed by Q&A
• Table reads – 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Film screenings – 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. 7 new films followed by Q&A
• Intermission – 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.
• Panel discussion – 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.
• Film screenings – 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. 12 new films followed by Q&A
• Awards ceremony – 6 p.m.