Buy 2023 Allentown Film Festival Tickets Now!
The inaugural Allentown Film Festival takes place in person in April 2023 at five venues in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Films will be added to the below schedule until April 1st. BUY A MOVIE LOVER BUNDLE AND SAVE!
Saturday, April 1
LGBT Shorts
3:30 PM · Sat, Apr 1 · Admission FREE (Click to RSVP)
Bradbury-Sullivan Center, 522 West Maple Street, Allentown, PA 18101
Rainbow Speed Dating (2 min) WORLD PREMIERE Jay tries his luck with a gay online speed dating service service.
Kath Duncan -The Untold Struggle for Civil Rights (6 min) A documentary about Scottish lesbian Kath Duncan, one of the UK's most important civil rights leaders.
DEADNAME: Sid (9 min) Estranged from his religious father, Sid refuses to back down in this gritty documentary about determination.
A Feast That Never Comes (6 min) Four characters inhabit cycles within cycles of contentment, discontentment, inertia, movement, desire, and betrayal.
For I Am Dead (18 min) Oscar, a wealthy but lonely middle-aged man who lives in a chateau, confesses his love to the gardener.
Brief (7 min) A tight-laced business man meets an unlikely stranger who reminds him how to love in a quirky encounter.
Green Bamboo (3 min) The sweet moments experienced by two women moving in together reveals the ways we are all alike.
Identibye (15 min) A man works against the clock to achieve his goal, confident that his true identity is what matters most.
MeTube: August Sings 'Una Furtiva Lagrima' (8 min) Intergalactic music nerds August and Elfi conquer the stage and orchestrate their final adventure.
Lunch Tattoo (11 min) Roksana and Nico want tattoos. Their parents, not so much.
Rose Levine: She Does Me (5 min) WORLD PREMIERE Bob Levine discusses his drag, which he began in 1955.
*** Bob Levine, aka Rose Levine, and Allentown filmmakers Carla Passos and Leila Lins will join in the post-screening panel discussion. ***
Thursday, April 13
Music & Mayhem Shorts
7:00 PM · Thu, Apr 13 · Admission FREE (Click to RSVP)
Downtown Allentown Market, 27 North 7th Street, Allentown, PA 18101
Frame Fumble (4 min) A frazzled tech worker struggles to preserve the aspect ratio that defines his professional space.
Rain (7 min) Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.
Brief (8 min) A tight-laced business man meets an unlikely stranger who reminds him how to love in a quirky encounter.
Compassionate Caren in the Big, Bad World (13 min) When a demeaning waiter confronts a demanding diner, sparks fly - and so do the dishes.
Musical Mayhem (3 min) An earnest musician races against the clock in an attempt to fulfill a recording contract.
Rainbow Speed Dating (2 min), Jay tries his luck with a gay online speed dating service service.
Bill Murray Lost in Berlinale (6 min) American actor Bill Murray signs autographs at the Berlinale Film Festival - until he doesn't.
Still Dreaming (4 min) Kwesa the Artist brings to life a dream he experienced as a teenager.
MeTube: August sings 'Una furtiva lagrima' (8 min) Intergalactic music nerds August and Elfi conquer the stage and orchestrate their final adventure.
Hopelessly Hopeful (14 min) They can’t live with or without each other. Will this couple continue to fight for their love?
Marine Manasian (4 min) A noncommunicative man and woman meet and love only in a dream.
The Coin (4 min) A Charlie Chaplin-inspired black and white silent film tells the story of a coin's journey.
My Little Sanctuary (17 min) An autistic man decides to start dating.
Friday, April 14
Shorts Competition Finalists: K-12, College, & LV Filmmakers
12:30 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
The Soulsman (4 min) Local salesman Tex Johnson recruits new workers.
The Visitor (3 min) Someone arrives at the wrong house.
The Budgie (2 min) An animated poem from John Lennon’s The Spaniard in the Works spring to life.
Beyond Your Nightmares (5 min) James is having nightmares. Or is he...
The Brief Case (5 min) Private investigator Michael Montero takes on a new client, who isn’t all what he appears to be.
The House (5 min) A reclusive woman allows a stranger to stay the night. Unfortunately, the House doesn't approve.
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket (1 min) A young girl skips through life -- and a learning experience.
Get Bugged (5 min) Pollinators face problems. How can we help?
Wager By YPGHaji featuring 3x Kxng (3 min) Music video
Phone Addiction (2 min) Phones can be addictive
Jam Goes to Hell (5 min) A lonely young man ends up in Hell after a fatal accident -- but he won't give up.
The Nerves Reminded Me (2 min) A man contemplates his life in poetry.
Sunday (3 min) A couple faces a crisis.
The Sassy Show (3 min) Sassy the dragon interviews Blue the Bird.
Farewell Dad (2 min) A struggling first-year student desperately seeks her father's support.
don't fall asleep (2 min) A young woman fights insomnia and her demons.
Angel in Light (2 min) A young man reflects on a past relationship
The Haunted Table (2 min) An haunted antique store offers a table for sale.
10 EUROS (3 min) An American tourist in "France" tries an Uber
The Exchange (5 min) Mafia hitmen negotiate a high-stakes deal with two suburbanites who have nothing to lose.
GIRLS SMOKING (3 min) A reflection on how the media reinforces cultural phenomena such as moralizing behaviors and gender stereotyping.
Never Alone Again (5 min) A guileless consumer is unaware that he is being tracked by portable speaker technology.
Nothing But a Dreamer (5 min) Unable to make a friends, a young woman dreams them up.
Don't Touch That Wheel (1 min) A driver changes each time she touches the steering wheel of a vintage car.
Immaterial (5 min) One woman rescues another from the early 20th century.
Lucky Doug and Other Wacky Comedies
2:30 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Clones (14 min) A suburban couple takes part in a cloning trial experiment to relieve student debt.
Lucky Doug (83 min) After discovering he's going to be a dad, Doug decides to become a millionaire.
Sketch (8 min) Two baristas begin to suspect their regular customer of murder.
State of the Unity: Feature Documentary
5:00 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Soil (11 min) A man plants an acorn and nurtures it with the ashes of his dead father.
Inspired (5 min) Allentown-based Kwesa the Artist describes what inspires and motivates him.
State of the Unity (88 min) A Brooklyn band visits all 50 states to find out how the country might come together.
Family Films & K-12 Student Shorts Competition Finalists
5:30 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
twins talk (3 min) Toddler twins describe the world as only 2-yo toddler twins can.
Greg (13 min) Laura's dad disapproves of the "dummies" she brings home, but her new boyfriend Greg is in a category of his own.
Tatt (3 min) A monster's petty crime leads to demands for swift justice - then compassion.
Calf Rope (29 min) A former rodeo champion and cattle auctioneer teaches his young grandson a few tricks from his previous trades.
The Upgrade (5 min) Things can go wrong when technology becomes a big part of your life.
Rotten Egg (2 min) Making over-easy eggs is not easy.
3Up 3Down (4 min) An introduction to the 3Up 3 Down Baseball Organization.
The Letters From Leon Maxwell-Beckett (4 min) Letters shared with boyfriend with an unexpected turn of events
Heroes of BCTC (3 min) Ordinary students become Extraordinary when they attend BCTC
Our Silent Volcano (5 min) Our Silent Volcano is a journey through my family's history as the model minority across borders and generations.
The Storm (3 min) Lehigh Valley high school students experience a storm - and a blackout.
Project: LEAF (3 min) Sci-Fi, Comedy
City Storm (2 min) Luke Song, Community Music School
Behaving Badly
7:30 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
The Hobbyist (9 min) Sangstrom gets more than he bargained for when he asks a druggist for an undetectable poison.
I Had A Great Time Last Night (11 min) Two down-on-their-luck stoners bungle a bank robbery.
FREE FALL (20 min) A London banker make a big market bet on September 11, 2001. Inspired by a true story.
A Rare Dinner WORLD PREMIERE (14 min) Thomas and his fiancé Michelle celebrate their recent engagement with her parents.
Ethanol (4 min) A chilling look at Iran's illegal methanol-sold-as-liquor industry that costs thousands of lives every year.
Black Bourbon (12 min) Searching for his missing son, a delusional father grows increasingly desperate.
The Sweet Taste of Freedom (34 min) A man facing a long prison sentence has 48 hours to put his life in order.
Quirky Shorts & Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Shorts Competition Finalists
8:00 PM · Fri, Apr 14 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
The Worst That Could Happen (4 min) A boy imagines every possible worst-case scenario before approaching his crush.
Rainbow Speed Dating (2 min) WORLD PREMIERE Jay tries his luck with a gay online speed dating service service.
The Curse (2 min) The stuffed bear prize in a video arcade refuses to be ignored.
Married to the Mayor (7 min) WORLD PREMIERE Karen Tuerk discusses her upbringing and the unexpected joys, and drawbacks, of being married to Allentown's mayor.
I Used to Work at Blockbuster Video (7 min) A former Blockbuster employee waxes nostalgic about the now-defunct video store.
Solidarity (6 min) Two office workers vow to fight together when budget cuts threaten their jobs.
Forged in Steel (8 min) WORLD PREMIERE Former Bethlehem Steel employees reminisce about working at what was once one of America's most important, and dangerous, companies.
Peregrine (2 min) A falcon, a song.
Welcome to The Mind of Eli (5 min) Hit by a car, aspiring superstar Eli Escobar wins a lawsuit money that leads to MISERY AND GLORY.
The Interview (3 min) A job interview with a promising candidate takes a dark turn.
A Tale of Two Viruses (3 min) Two coronaviruses debate the morality of what they're doing to the human race.
The Forest Primeval (5 min) A look at fatherhood and how it distorts the passage of time.
Going Rogue (5 min) An astronaut in the year 2062 takes desperate measures in deep space.
Centripetal Acceleration (2 min) A lighthearted stop-motion physics lessons.
Summer Daze (5 min) It's 1961, and a young man is enjoying a nice day with his girlfriend. So why does she have an iPhone?
Pepstone Auto Repair (2 min) Keep your car driving smoothly with Pepstone's personal, human solutions!
Bare Hands/Ghost (3 min) A poetic rumination on survival.
A Silent Place (5 min) A man living in a world without sound coops with unique challenges.
Keep Fighting (2 min) After losing his brother, Jahdon pursues his dream of becoming a professional boxer.
Outgrowing My Shoes (4 min) A girl from Philadelphia experiences the joys and pains of growing up.
Saturday, April 15
What Is Art?
1:00 PM · Sat, Apr 15 · Admission FREE (Click to RSVP)
Allentown Art Museum, 31 North 5th Street, Allentown, PA 18101
What is Art? (8 min) WORLD PREMIERE Local Allentown artists and art lovers discuss the meaning of "art."
On / Off (7 min) If geniuses like Frida Kahlo and Beethoven had been distracted by social media, would they have been as creative?
Self-Portrait Artist (12 min) Jim Williams is a reclusive artist nearing death with a singular obsession: recreating himself, in all mediums.
Just a Walk (1 min) A woman walks along the colorful walls of Valiasr Street in Tehran, a metaphor of ambling in parallel worlds.
I am Danny Torres (14 min) WORLD PREMIERE Artist Danny Torres makes his community beautiful while maintaining Philadelphia’s rich Puerto Rican culture.
Walls Beneath Our Feet (5 min) The Race Horse Company circus group collaborates with Helsinki Urban Art and music producer RRKK on a dance.
The Language of Luggage (12 min) David Toolan travels to Europe to learn what makes antique trunks so special.
The Pump-King (3 min) Pumpkin sculptor Anthony Pater shares the beauty and the rot of his art.
Robert Shields Actor and Artist Robert Shields of "Shields and Yarnell" fame reminisces about his TV career and his life as an artist in Arizona.
My Father's House (16 min) A pastor wrestles with his faith as he watches his house of worship transition into a home for the downtrodden.
Tiffany's New Light (14 min) A small-town church wrestle with what to do with its century old Tiffany windows.
*** I am Danny Torres Director Abigail Torres and SELF-PORTRAIT ARTIST Director Curtis Whitear will join in the post-screening panel discussion. ***
Bitter Taste of Ginger: Arthouse Horror Thrillers
5:00 PM · Sat, Apr 15 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Candy Store (9 min) Marge and Moishe say: "Burn baby, burn!" when their candy store business hits the skids.
Life of the Party (13 min) A young man visiting his eccentric co-worker’s house finds himself trapped in a twisted party game with life or death stakes.
Bitter Taste of Ginger (75 min) In this arthouse horror thriller, Ginger comes up with an intriguing gambit to deal with her abusive mother-in-law Ginny.
Documentary Shorts & College Shorts Competition Finalists
5:30 PM · Sat, Apr 15 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood (8 min) A boy intent on buying a new cage for his beloved hamster is enticed into a world of hedonism.
The Associated Press: The First Centralization of Fact-Based News (10 min) A documentary reviews the history and importance of the Associated Press in modern-day communication.
Bill Murray Lost in Berlinale (6 min) American actor Bill Murray signs autographs at the Berlinale Film Festival - until he doesn't.
What is Art? (4 min) WORLD PREMIERE Artists in Allentown, PA discuss the meaning of "art."
Hellbent (19 min) Residents of a small Pennsylvania town fight frackers to protect their drinking water and a rare salamander.
Grocery List (3 min) Kim and Sam face the world and all of its big (and little) challenges.'
Fish Delivery (4 min) Bones and trees begin play eerie music.
Autograph (3 min) A poetic documentary asks people on the street what makes them unique.
All Alone (3 min) A girl locks herself in her room and struggles to cope with being alone after losing someone close to her.
Dance Battle (2 min) A girl is alone at a dance but finds a guy to dance with. Another girl is jealous of their happiness and decides to do a dance battle.
Delicate As a Flower, She Stings Like a Bee (5 min) A relationship goes wrong.
Eye of the Storm (5min) An autobiographical documentary about a young filmmaker who chases tornadoes and follows his dreams.
LISTEN (3 min) This documentary explores the ways technology is adversely affecting our ability to hear.
A Runner Finds Boots by a River (3 min) On a jog through the woods, a young woman finds a lone pair of boots by a river and ponders over them.
Reaction (1 min) A girl struggles with loss.
I Can't Handle You (3 min) Students struggle with the stresses of studying abroad, far away from everything they love.
Illusions (4 min) Shot on an iPhone, the film makes familiar items look very unfamiliar.
10 O'Clock News (5 min) A frustrated news anchor with a dark secret is pushed over the edge on a stressful day.
Followed (4 min) Beware of what lurks behind you.
Gory Gory
7:30 PM · Sat, Apr 15 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Other Side of the Hole (16 min) A despondent man discovers magical worlds beyond the holes he cuts in his living room wall.
The Door (11 min) After a family tragedy, brothers Neil and Chris discover a door in the middle of the woods that will change their lives.
The Cemetery (3 min) A woman emerges from the grave to confront herself.
House of Brotherly Love (18 min) Jaylen protects his sister.
Bilateral Symmetry (4 min) A wife and husband return home to find that they are not what they seem.
Chateau Sauvignon: terroir (13 min) The isolated adolescent son of a storied vintner dynasty inadvertently exposes his family’s murderous ways.
A Killer Service (25 min) A woman fighting to get by sets out to make a bloody difference in the world.
Women Take Control
8:00 PM · Sat, Apr 15 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Altered (9 min) Ten minutes before her wedding, Anne wonders if she's making the right decision.
Compassionate Caren in the Big, Bad World (13 min) When a demeaning waiter confronts a demanding diner, sparks fly - and so do the dishes.
hArmless (9 min) A young woman working the moonlight shift at her local bodega discovers a patron in the bathroom at closing time.
Letters (9 min) A late father's letter prompts a pair of sisters to reflect on their relationship with him -- and each other.
The Red Dress (3 min) exploration of the difficult paths we must walk on to get to our dreams.
No Time Off For Good Behavior (7 min) A young woman leaves her infant daughter to live with her grandmother in a moment of forced parting.
Tomorrow Will Be Too Late (15 min) A look at the often impossible-to-articulate experience of anxiety disorder.
Lost in Time WORLD PREMIERE (8 min) The art director hijacks a film set and embarks on her own hypnotic, cinematic journey.
Ex (15 min) Sam seems delighted when she rekindles a relationship with her ex-boyfriend Jack. But is she?
Lunch Tattoo (11 min) Roksana and Nico want tattoos. Their parents, not so much.
Sunday, April 16
Surreal Shorts
12:30 PM · Sun, Apr 16 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Time Spent (12 min) Wrestling with the escalating cost of living in the UK, Nathan considers a new job with unusual strings attached.
Scared To Death (5 min) In 2020, doomsday prepper John Doe flees to his bunker and loses all connections in this psychological horror thriller.
The Toms (9 min) In a dystopian world that privileges men named Tom, Tim struggles to fit in.
Castling (18 min) A cosmic cataclysmic event changes geopolitics. Mexico is doing well, unlike Europe.'
It's a Dog (8 min) He's bald. Well, maybe he's "going" bald. Hair on the sides counts, right? At any rate, he’s pathetic. And old.
You, Too (12 min) When small talk drives you crazy. Literally.
The Contestant (9 min) For these performers, the chance to show their talents is a dream ... or a nightmare.
The Trail (6 min) Lost in the woods, a woman encounters a mysterious stranger again. And again. And again.
Her Mother's Eyes (16 min) A mother reckons with feelings of jealousy and longing when her daughter returns home with a new boyfriend.
Out and About: Feature Film Closer
3:00 PM · Sun, Apr 16 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Holly Hill (15 min) The lives of three couples converge one evening at the Holly Hill Motel.
Out and About (83 min) A middle-aged man takes stock of his life over the course of an afternoon walk through his hometown.
Closing Reception with Short Films and Live Music
5:30 PM · Sun, Apr 16 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)
Miller Symphony Hall Lyric Room, 23 North 6th Street, Allentown, PA, 18101
Join us for the closing reception and raise your glass in the beautiful Lyric Room at Miller Symphony Hall!
Short films, music videos, and live music. Mingle with filmmakers, film lovers, and friends.
Brittni - Life is Better With You (4 min) Official music video for Brittni's original song "Life is Better With You."
Married to the Mayor (7 min) Karen Tuerk discusses her upbringing and the unexpected joys, and drawbacks, of being married to Allentown's mayor.
Lost in Time (8 min) Director, Blake Vale is on the last day of shooting her film when her art director hijacks the set to take us on her own hypnotic, cinematic journey.
Back in Business (3 min) Memory, reconciliation, second chances, and the baggage we carry all figure in this study of choices made.
Congratulations to our 2023 Honorable Mention Films! Click here to view honorees list.
Founded by award-winning filmmakers and educators, the Allentown Film Festival is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that brings the Independent Film Festival experience to Eastern Pennsylvania. Each screening block includes films of various lengths followed by a Q&A panel discussion with filmmakers.
