ArtsQuest is hosting The Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22 at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, located in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

A Student Showcase featuring the work of students at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts will take place on Friday evening.

Saturday’s festivities are organized into three adjudicated blocks highlighting the work of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s finest filmmakers. The festival will feature over 27 short films directed by local filmmakers and film students. On Saturday night, an awards ceremony will honor the festival’s standout films.

Viewers who intend to watch all three blocks of films on Saturday may purchase a festival pass, giving them access to the entire festival or a ticket for individual blocks

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Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m.

Student Showcase

Price: Free

Runtime: 90 minutes

As part of the Literary Arts curriculum at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, students study Screenwriting, Film Studies and Advanced Film Theory across their four years in the program.

The students in these courses produce various film projects under the direction of instructor Heath Mensher, including the “Ciné-Roman,” the “One-Shot Film,” and the final culminating “Final Short Film Project” from the Senior Class. These films are specially designed to be shot using smartphones, with “no budget/high concept” expectations where writing and vision are paramount.

Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m. Block One

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rated – Equivalent to R

Please note: All selections are listed alphabetically by film title per block, and not necessarily in the order in which the selections will be screened.

Ad-Lib, Cinematographer Rachel Alexander

Banana Tree, director Sarah Bui

A Coward’s Legacy, director Derek Rahm

Eva & Fern, director Daniel Paashaus

Happy Sadurday, director Hannah Mittermeier

It Drops at Midnight, director Raymond Ceres

Mother Earth Mother Death, director Thom Peeler *OUT-OF-COMPETITION*

A Wednesday in Hershey, director Matt Ward

Saturday, March 22, 4:30 p.m.

Block Two

Runtime: 96 minutes

Rated – Equivalent to R

Please note: All selections are listed alphabetically by film title per block, and not necessarily in the order in which the selections will be screened.

exception(al), director Michelle Bossy

I Love Monroe, director Steven Liiro *OUT-OF-COMPETITION*

In Sickness, director Daniel de Bruyn

NORJAK, director Mason Leaver

Our Shared Curse, director Eve Polek

Rivercobble, director Burls & Bramble

Rubbing Sticks, director Raymond Ceres & Charalampos Bakirtzis

Terra Luna, director Scott Lentz

The Trunk, director Tony Susi

Who’s Crazy Now?, director Samantha R. Kennedy

Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m.

Block Three

Runtime: 98 minutes

Rated – Equivalent to R

Please note: All selections are listed alphabetically by film title per block, and not necessarily in the order in which the selections will be screened.

My Hair, director Alison Loeb & Sam Guncler

The War is Over, director Andrea Kramer & Dave Lamm

Gardener of the Galaxy, director Nick Natalicchio

ON THIN ICE, director Chelsea Komorowski

One Night, director Ryan Tocci *OUT-OF-COMPETITION*

Remembrance, director Colin Lawville & Aiden McKee

Simmer, director Joshua Afiriyie

The Capsaicin Clash, director Mason Leaver

Weighted Blanket, director Jeffrey Harvey

Saturday, March 22, 9:15 p.m.

Awards Ceremony

The Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival wraps up with an awards ceremony honoring the festival’s standout selections. In addition to the Best in Show Award and a $500 cash prize, the GLVFF Jury will present accolades for Best Director, Best Performance, Best Editing and more.

ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities.

ArtsQuest supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, of which nearly 50% are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.