WAVERLY — Filmmakers are encouraged to submit all types of film genres to the Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival, slated to run March 22-24 at venues throughout Lackawanna County, including the Waverly Community House, The Ritz Theater and the University of Scranton’s PNC Theater.
Deadline for regular film submissions is Oct. 15 and can be made at nepafilmfest.com. Categories for submission include narrative shorts, narrative features, documentary shorts, documentary features, female directors/screenwriters, children’s animation, children’s short and student films. All submissions will be screened prior to public viewing for artistic and technical merit.
Dedicated to nurturing emerging and independent filmmakers from Northeast Pennsylvania and around the world, the three-day festival correspondingly promotes cultural awareness and appreciation of film as an art form by exposing local audiences to unique and original cinema. Now in its third year, the festival’s reputation is built on a commitment to offer the region access to new and independently produced films by a wide range of emerging and established filmmakers. The theme of the festival is “Renewal and Reinvention.”
A variety of workshops and panel discussions will also be offered throughout the weekend, including workshops in screenwriting and editing. For more information and ongoing updates, visit nepafilmfest.com.
Established filmmakers and wannabe filmmakers are invited to sign up for The Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival’s Mystery Box Challenge at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton.
Participating teams will receive a cardboard box filled with objects that must be incorporated into a short film. Each Mystery Box will contain a character name, a line of dialogue, a prop, a type of location, a plot element and a wardrobe item. In addition, all filmmakers are required to include a specific shot type and a product placement item from Pennsylvania.
Each team will then have until Oct. 31 to complete and submit their films using one of three suggested movie genres. Entrees for The Mystery Box Film Challenge will be screened during the Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival at the Ritz Theater.
Advance registration for the Aug. 23 Mystery Box event should be made by filling out the online form at nepafilmfestival.org.