FirstGlance Film Festival, Philadelphia’s Independent Film Festival since 1996, returns to the iconic Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA, October 14-16, 2022, for its 25th anniversary event. Over fifty original indie films from Philadelphia and around the world will be in competition during the weekend event.
Projects with Philadelphia ties are well represented in the official selections and include:
Nicholas Peetros, Sr. – “Dear Mirror” – Peetros is the executive producer of this short horror film about a women who convinces her boyfriend to play around with a “fun” spell. Unfortunately, he doesn’t follow the rules and they both end up paying the price.
Brooke Lewis Bellas – “Red Rooms” – Philly native, Brooke Lewis Bellas, produced and stars in this web series about a group of people who find themselves held captive and streamed live on a popular dark web reality show where viewers vote on who lives and who dies. While enduring psychological torture, the imprisoned contestants reveal they share a diabolical connection in their past.
Jill Frechie and John Ricciutti – David Tuck “Never Forget“- The Main Line Television Emmy-winning creative team of Jill Frechie and John Ricciutti co-directed this short documentary in which Bucks County resident and Holocaust survivor David Tuck shares his story of pain and triumph. Their film, “Life Without Parole: The Story of George Martorano,” was a 2021 FirstGlance Film Festival Audience Choice Winner for both Best of the Fest and Best Documentary.
Jaran Huggins – “Sheet Music”- Huggins, a musician and recent graduate of Temple University’s film and media arts program, wrote and directed this short film about two Black musicians in 1930s Harlem who are preparing to perform live on stage in front of a white audience for the first time hoping to boost their careers. Feeling bogged down by their anxieties and expectations, one of them forgets his sheet music which proves to be just the tip of the iceberg for the already conflicted musicians.
Bethel Bates – “The Condemned Free” – Philadelphia filmmaker, Bethel Bates, wrote, produced, and directed this feature-length documentary about mass incarceration, social justice, and the school to prison pipeline. Her life growing up on the north side of Philadelphia gave way to a strong literary voice for which she expresses herself and her everyday living experiences in films.
Summer Benowitz – “There are Mermaids in LA”- Benowitz is a Philadelphia-raised, Los Angeles- based writer and director. Her short film, a subverted fairytale starring comedian Jamie Loftus, is a female-driven story about the struggle to find purpose in isolation and how painful it can feel to be ‘perceived’ after so much time nagging yourself alone.
Tom Quigley and Jake Noecker – “Hero” – Philadelphia-based filmmakers Quigley (director and writer) and Noecker’s (producer) short film, “Hero,” is about a young woman who ventures into a mystical forest in search of a legendary sword. Along the way, she faces many trials and comes at last to an ultimate test of her courage before she can claim her prize. Noecker’s film, “Lockbox,” was a 2021 FirstGlance Audience Choice Award-winner for Best Student Film.
Harris Shore – “The Trust”- Actor, writer, director, and Phoenixville native, Shore’s first short film is about a trophy wife who gets the dreaded call from the hospital that her husband has died of COVID-19 so she summons their attorney to read his trust to her and their son on Zoom. But when her husband’s CPA arrives unexpectedly, her life is turned from upside down to inside out – and who is at the door in the middle of a pandemic? Stars Constance Forslund (“Village of the Damned.”)
Danny Donnelly – “Something Borrowed” – Directed by Donnelly, the short film, “Something Borrowed,” is about three friends who go to the shore for a girls’ weekend but a fun idea goes awry and chaos ensues.
Gio Randazzo – “Number 14”- Randazzo is a Sicilian actor/director/producer who grew up outside Philadelphia. He began to pursue his acting career in New York City, where he starred in movies and TV shows such as “The Sopranos.” His film is about a man who makes major life decisions impulsively after receiving an exclusive offer on a luxury apartment only to find himself on a wait list. In a fight against time, he’s forced to push his own limits to overcome the obstacles he now faces.
Greta Guthrie and Jake Lazarow – “Overlook” – “Overlook” is based on a very real place, overlooking Guthrie and Lazarow’s small college town in PA. It’s a short film about a listless teen who spends his days clocking into the local convenience store, goofing off with his only friend, and waiting for purpose to find him in his small, torpid town. When a mysterious girl breaks the monotony of his routine, along with a new perspective, he must confront his biggest fear while realizing he still has a lot to learn – and maybe that’s okay.
David Block – “Who Said You Can’t Dance” – This short documentary, shot at Widener Memorial School in Philadelphia, brings wheelchair users and standing partners together. Whether the wheelchair users choose to dance competitively or not, the activity puts them in a world without limits. They were taught to believe that their disabilities would limit them, and now doing something that they thought they would never be able to do exposes them to a world of possibility.
Viren Shinde – “The Everyday Show” – Shinde is a Philadelphia filmmaker whose short film is about an acclaimed film director who appears on a talk show to promote her latest film but the show’s host insists on unearthing a decision from her past that she’d rather not discuss on live television. Shinde’s film, “Luna”, screened at FirstGlance 23.
Christopher Romano – “11:07” – Romano is a Philadelphia-based, award-winning writer/director and Temple University alumni. His short film, at its core, is about love and what it means to be in love.
Michael Johnston – “City Creatures” – Johnson is an Associate Professor of Cinema & Television at Kutztown University where he teaches screenwriting and film history. His unpredictable comedy short about a couple who confronts the financial strains of their new home, peculiarity of their new neighbors, and discovery of a mysterious stone and fossilized paw print in their backyard evolved from his concept to narrativize the bumper sticker – specifically animal bumper stickers – and the possibility of loving one’s pet too deeply and too intimately.
Derek Frey – “Awkward Endeavors” – Frey is a passionate and diligent filmmaker with extensive experience producing films for the major studios and serving as director, editor, and cinematographer on a number of award-winning independent projects. He directed the short, “Awkward Endeavors,” which charts the intersecting lives of three lonely men as they struggle to close that gap between themselves and the rest of the world. Frey’s music video, “God Came ‘Round,” screened at FirstGlance 20.
Joe Ronca and Marian Edmiston – “One Last Glance” – Ronca is a producer/cinematographer and three time award-winning political videographer and documentary filmmaker from Philadelphia. He teamed up with fellow Philadelphia-area filmmaker, Marian Edmiston, to bring the heartwarming short film about a woman looking to purchase an arrangement for her father’s grave as a holiday storm approaches. She finds herself drawn to a Christmas tree lot attendant who is friendly, philosophical, and perhaps for a moment, a bit more than that. The film was shot in and around West Chester, Media, and Springfield with principal cast and crew from the greater Philadelphia area.
Saritha Petthongpoon – “The Stand” – Set in Philadelphia, this short film, based on a true story, captures a singular moment in a mother’s internal struggle to overcome her abuser and fight for her children.
Dan Wilde – “No Perfect Walk” – A first-time filmmaker, Wilde has spent the last 14 years working as a video editor/videographer. He jumped at the opportunity to make his first full- length documentary which took him across South America over the course of 404 days. The journey sparked a desire for him to share unique stories that could also give a voice to those who could better use a louder voice.
Tickets are on sale now at https://firstglancefilms.com/tickets/.