FirstGlance Film Festival, Philadelphia’s Independent Film Festival since 1996, is excited to present original cinema on the big screen when it returns for its 26th annual event scheduled for October 5-8, 2023, at PFS Bourse Theaters, 400 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Single screening tickets are $15, $20 and VIP All Access Passes are $150.
With a strong focus on local filmmakers, nineteen films have ties to the Philadelphia area including:
Joe Kramer and Christian Sarkis Graham – Higher Grounds – Joe Kramer and Christian Sarkis Graham are the local filmmaking team behind Higher Grounds, a sci-fi comedy that takes an orbital view of life on Earth. Joe co-wrote, directed, and starred as Ralff, while Christian co-wrote and produced. The talented duo has several productions, both independent and commercial, to each of their credit. The film, which makes its Philadelphia Premiere at FirstGlance, was shot in Philly and features Philadelphia actor, writer, and producer, Kristen Vaganos. The filmmakers intend to turn Higher Grounds into a series.
Robin Epstein – Animal Attraction – Having grown up in the Philly suburbs, writer and director Robin Epstein snuck into the city every chance she could to get her fix of its art and culture. Her debut film, Animal Attraction, about two feisty dog owners who tangle in the unhappiest place on earth, a pet Emergency Room, and discover there’s no better place to find true love, is a World Premiere.
Alice Weber – About James – Alice Weber has been acting and directing plays in Bucks County and the surrounding area since moving here. Her short film, About James, is based on a true story of racial and social divides, hope and redemption, and a little romance. The director/writer/producer led the Philadelphia-area production team which consisted of a racially diverse group and strong female characters.
Greg Poppa – Foxes – Born in Philadelphia, actor Greg Poppa first developed his love of film watching David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, and Denis Villeneuve films. Foxes, about the cries of an unseen fox that guides prehistoric man and woman as they struggle to survive the harshness of their environment, is his first venture directing, writing, and producing. The production employed PA filmmakers, mostly from Philadelphia or surrounding areas.
Jill R. Frechie – Heart of the Beat with drummer David Uosikkinen – Jill Frechie strives to help individuals and businesses tell their stories through media and film. She is senior adjunct professor at Montgomery County Community College and is a member of the board of Main Line Television. She is a judge for the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards and Telly Awards and has received six Telly Awards and two Emmy nominations. In her documentary, Heart of the Beat, Hooters’ drummer David Uosikkinen tells the truth about the struggles of being an artist, an addict, and a musician. He reminds us that we are all human. The film makes its World Premiere on Opening Night.
Christy McCaffrey, Brandan Giehl, and Shawn McMullen – Run Greg Run– Director of the nonprofit, Project Scleroderma, a speaker, podcast host, and documentary producer born and raised just outside of Philadelphia where she lives and works today, Christy McCaffrey is writer/producer/director of Run Greg Run. The documentary is a remarkable and highly inspirational story about a man named Greg Cohen, an athletic trainer and distance runner, who also suffers from a rare incurable autoimmune disease called Scleroderma. McCaffrey, along with producer/director Shawn McMullen of New Pace Productions, and Director Brandan Giehl, a New Jersey native who studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a major in Film/Video Production, highlight the stories of patients living with the illness all over the world through documentary videos and film to dramatically increase the level of awareness for scleroderma.
Rob Watt – No Witnesses– Writer/director/producer Rob Watt is originally from the Philadelphia area. For as long as he can remember, he always wanted to be a filmmaker. From no-budget fan films in his basement to his professional career, his passion for film has been a consistent drive throughout his life. His short film, No Witnesses, about a hitman’s night that goes off the rails when a few unlucky people witness him on the job, uses visual images and cinematic techniques in conjunction with dialogue and sound to tell a comedic story.
Eddie Kehler – Plea – Born in Philadelphia, Eddie Kehler has been acting professionally since 1987. A member of the Actors Studio, he stars in the feature film Plea. The film is about a man who rebuilds his life after spending 20 years in prison wrongfully convicted of murder. The victim’s husband is obsessed with a documentary about the case and futilely tries to get the case reopened. Then the prosecutor is kidnapped in a desperate attempt to find the real killer. The film hopes to spark conversation about the problems with law enforcement and the criminal justice system in the U.S.
Bradley Hawkins, Peter Fenton, and Jack Packer – Night Voices – After directing four award-winning short films, Bradley Hawkins continues to build momentum as an indie filmmaker at age 66. With the story nearly formed in his mind’s eye, he called on longtime writing partner, screenwriter, and playwright, Peter Fenton, and pitched him the Night Voices story. A cutting-edge psychological thriller, it’s a short character study into the darkest depths of Jude Wilcox, a jaded late-night talk radio host stuck in a cycle of hopelessly demoralizing monotony, who makes a life-altering decision while on-air. Jack Packer makes his debut in a film role as Hunter.
Frank Tartaglia, Timothy Dowlin, Peter D. Pelullo, Mark Webber, Brandon E. Brooks, John DeStefano Jr., William Ostroff, Lauren LaVera, Peter Patrikios, Carmine Yusko, Nick Lanciano, Alexa Albanese, Danny Donnelly, Michael McFadden, Rocco Rosanio, Natalie M. Stone, Rudy Jones, and many others – Not For Nothing – Shot in Philly with a predominantly Philly-based cast and crew, Not For Nothing is a crime drama feature film about two brothers, along with a handful of their ragtag South Philly buddies, who end up sparking an old style mob type war on the streets of Philly after the girlfriend of one of the brothers mysteriously dies from an opiate overdose.
Maren Lavelle – Wendy – Lavelle filmed her short film at Cab Callaway School of the Arts in Wilmington, Del. with an entirely Philly-based crew, returning to her alma mater. She cast the 8th grade Theatre Majors in the film which is a proud celebration of young Queer love and joy.
Mark Webber – Ali’s Realm -– Mark Webber has appeared in over 40 films, working with such notable directors as Jim Jarmusch, Todd Solondz, Lynn Shelton, to name a few, and his honors as a director include awards at SXSW and nominations at Sundance and Tribeca. A former CAPA (Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts) student, he stars as Dr. Wilkes in Ali’s Realm, about a 15-year-old who has been traumatized by the death of her best friend.
Trevor Allem – 6:16 – Allem graduated from Temple University with a BFA in Narrative Film Directing. He wrote, directed, and starred in 6:16, his Senior Thesis film. The short is about two heroin users/dealers, Sophia and Nero, who must decide whether or not to call emergency services after a friend overdoses in their apartment. The moral decision could land both in jail. This important story sheds light on the complexities of the lives of those struggling with addiction.
Katrina Law – Mayfly – Mayfly is a suspenseful thriller that tells the story of Aaron Driscoll, a successful self-help author, who is forced to confront his dark past by a mysterious woman played by Law. Born in Philadelphia and raised in South Jersey, Law has had roles in notable television series including CSI: Miami and supporting roles in independent films such as Emmett’s Mark.
Safiya Songhai – Interception: Jayne Kennedy – American Sportscaster – Songhai is an African-American film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer born in Philadelphia. Her short documentary, Interception, illustrates the philosophy, strategies, and power moves that launched Jayne Kennedy’s career in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. She was the first Black woman to boldly run interception on the racial lines of American sportscasting.
Cory White – Master and Apprentice – White directs the short documentary Master and Apprentice about Don Frey, who became the head Athletic Trainer and wresting coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. He recruited local, above-average wrestlers not sought after by other colleges. Don turned a group of scrappy wrestlers from modest backgrounds into champions and set a record with 29 straight wins from 1968-1970. Fifty years later, the people who knew him best reflect on how he made them better people.
Jacob Metzger – Southern Lehigh Football: 2022 Season – A TV/Film graduate from DeSales University, Metzger is a videographer specializing in corporate and commercial videos. His short documentary follows the Spartans on their journey through the highs and lows of the 2022 football season.
Jill R. Frechie & John Ricciutti – Joseph A. Petrellis in It’s Just Joe – The Telly award-winning and Emmy-nominated Main Line Television documentary filmmaking team of Frechie and Ricciutti bring us the story of Joe Petrellis, who although started out pumping gas, made a name for himself through hard work and his artistry in the 1980s fashion world and forensic photography. It’s Just Joe not only honors his work, but it also exemplifies a past era. Frechie and Ricciutti’s past projects at FirstGlance include Kensington in Crisis, David Tuck “Never Forget,” Life Without Parole: The Story of George Martorano, and Ronnie Breslow: Freedom from Nazi Germany.
Brian Rock and Marian Edmiston – 1805 – Philadelphia and New York-based actor Marian Edmiston has worked on over 25 projects in television, film, and commercial productions. She and Brian Rock, who was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and earned his SAG card with his first co-starring role in Dispatches from Elsewhere (created by and starring Jason Segel), followed by a role in Mare of Easttown, star in 1805. The short chronicles the journey of Basammer and Marfay, runaway slaves, whose love is tested, pitting it against their morality as they battle both the laws of nature and the laws of man.