Allentown Film Festival

Thank you for helping us make the 2026 Allentown Film Festival a success!
Details about the 2027 Allentown Film Festival coming soon.

2026 Allentown Film Festival Award Winners

Best Narrative Feature

Pieces of Lilo

Director: Nathaniel Mathis

Best Narrative Short

A Quart of Salt

Director: BJ Barretta

Best Documentary

Dad Genes

Director: Craig Downing

Producer: Matt Isaac

Best Horror Film

Pyre

Director: Dylan Miller

Best Art-Related Film

Yearn

Director: Ben Smith

Best Spanish-Language Film

The Message

Omar G. Neri

Best Music Video

Vodka

Director: Paul Michael Lincoln

Best Director

EmmyLou Diaz

A Peculiar Morning

Best Actor

Caleb Short

Proper Disposal

Best Actress

Brooke Harrsch

Buch

2026 Regional Short Film Contest Winners

The 1-5 Minute Short Film Contest $1,000 Grand Prize

Popcorn Pushers

Directors: Jiah Peck and Thom Peeler

The K-12 Student Film Prize $100

One More Night

Director: Ainsley Quay

The College Student Film Prize $100

Between The Lines

Director: Sarah Campbell

The Non-Student Filmmaker Prize $100

The Scissor Man

Director: Will Martinko

2026 Allentown Film Festival Schedule
The fouth annual Allentown Film Festival will take place from April 9 - 12, 2026, at the Civic Theatre of Allentown's two historic venues and April 26, 2026 at the Allentown Art Museum. We will screen 112 films selected from over 1100 films submitted by filmmakers around the world.

To buy individual tickets, click on the screening block(s) below.

Thurs, April 9

Regional Competition Semi-Finalists
6:00 PM · Thurs, Apr 9, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

K-12 Semi-Finalists

One Minute Later (3 min) A bungled donut robbery sparks a wild, on-foot escape through town.

The Gummy Bear’s Revenge (2 min) A Gummy Bear encounter transforms Rodney’s once‑ordinary world.

The Sassy Show (episode 5) (5 min) Rex throws a surprise birthday party for Sassy.

Just another dream (2 min) An Afghan girl finds freedom in dreams and writing beyond her walls.

College Semi-Finalists

A Corncob Figurine (4 min) (Trailer) A grandfather who made things others would never dream of, Corncob Figurines.

In My Mind's Eye (4 min) A widowed photographer finds healing and hope through love, grief, and art

Gone but NEVER Forgotten (3 min) A father–son clash sparks tender reflection on love and loss.

The Wheel Keeps on Turning (4 min) Memories of time in the Garage start a new beginning.

Falling Into Frame (3 min) (Trailer) A magic painting sends June and Robert on a quest to reunite in love.

The Other World (5 min) (Trailer) Lost in a zany dimension, two friends fight to get back home.

Date Night (Director: Biello) (5 min) Rosy and Sy confront whether their love can survive the struggle.

Croaked! (4 min) (Trailer) A boozy detective and a bold frog chase the criminal known as Silly Goose.

Mahi Mahi: Ceviche (2 min) We must feed him

The Starving Artist (5 min) A surprise visit forces Max to conceal her art‑student dreams.

Seasons - Wave to Earth (4 min) A heartbroken young man is haunted by memories of a past love

Non-Student Semi-Finalists

My Garden Pals (4 min) Katie the Caterpillar is having difficulty getting along the tools in the garden.

Surveillance (5 min) (Trailer) An abduction case hinges on whether one witness can be believed.

Tales from the Park Bench (3 min) A point of view perspective of a Park Bench

Dine (1 min) An animated short horror film.

Pickup In Bethlehem (1 min) Limo driver can't do the run and a substitute takes control.

A Daily Struggle (4 min) (Trailer) A move to L.A. tests his dream of making it in music.

Hooked On A Feeling (4 min) A boyfriend hides a terrible secret from his girlfriend

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Pieces of Lilo (Feature Drama)
7:00 PM · Thurs, Apr 9, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to purchase tickets)

Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Pieces of Lilo (1 hr 30 min) (Trailer) Jerry returns home after his father’s funeral and is pulled into a destabilizing 24 hours where past and present collide. Vivid childhood memories intrude on reality, igniting long‑buried tensions with siblings, Lilo, and wounded relatives. As resentments erupt and the family’s emotional structure cracks, Jerry spirals into a psychological break that forces everyone to confront the legacy and trauma they’ve avoided for decades, blurring the line between memory and identity.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Homegrown Films: Local Shorts
8:00 PM · Thurs, Apr 9, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Inequity Indoors (7min) Yusuf Dahl’s fight to repeal the Thurmond Amendment exposes its human cost.

Phillipsburg A Railroad Legacy (14min) Exploring the history and impact of Phillipsburg’s once‑thriving rails.

Guitar Lessons (preview screening) (20min) At 70, he swaps screen time for guitar strings—thanks to his wife.

Buch (9min) (Trailer) A young woman prepares to make a statement about the loss of her boyfriend.

The Day the Wind Blew East (11min) (Trailer) He comes back for Lily Rose—but her new fiancé may seal his fate.

Torments (26min) Claire’s gift lifts others’ burdens but leaves her carrying them.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Fri, April 10

Regional Competition Finalists
6:00 PM · Fri, Apr 10, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

K-12 Finalists

Date Night (Director Watkins) (2 min) After forgetting date night, a girl scrambles for last minute date ideas.

The Mystery Dog (5 min) A ghost club goes undercover to find a phantom dog in a music school.

Clickbait (3 min) Four teens vanish after a campfire turns into a phone‑driven distraction.

One More Night (5 min) Two kids reunite a year later to relive the day that changed them.

College Finalists

Loud & Lively, Still & Silent (2 min) A city’s rush fades into the quiet beauty of falling snow.

Capicua! (1 min) An animated tale of a grandpa and grandson bonding over dominoes.

The Check (1 min) A first date implodes when a guy asks the worst question imaginable.

UNSOLVED: The Cereal Murders (5 min) Cereal boxes fall victim as a detective faces his strangest case yet.

Nevermore (4 min) Inheritance, murder, and a vengeful Raven haunt a guilty doctor.

Sprinkles (5 min) Nick braces for the toughest talk of his life with his longtime crush.

Hivemind (3 min) A girl explores a strange game after her friends mysteriously stop talking to her.

Password 316 (3 min) A man tries to hack his girlfriend’s laptop while battling his alter ego.

Between The Lines (4 min) Notes in a used book foretell the terror that strikes when lights fail.

Non-Student Finalists

illustrabamus (3 min) (Trailer) An experimental short exploring young‑adult growth through mixed media.

A Day at Gap Theater (4 min) An inside look of a screening at the newly opened Gap Theater.

The Hardest Arrangement (4 min) (Trailer) While planning a funeral, Danielle discovers the love Marcus meant to share.

Right Here (5 min) A missing child reveals a deeper truth as a mother’s reality unravels.

A Neglected Face of Profundity (4 min) A haunting look at how judging the messenger blinds us to real wisdom.

Tooth-walking Seahorse (3 min) A documentary about an Atlantic walrus herd off the coast of Svalbard

A Painting Comes to Life (2 min) An animated version of cityscape paintings using stop motion techniques.

Popcorn Pushers (4 min) (Trailer) A mob‑owned cinema faces chaos as the Lumbagos fight to stay open.

The Scissor Man (3 min) (Trailer) Wilkes‑Barre’s 1917 nightmare begins when the Scissor Man emerges.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Dad Genes (Feature Documentary) & a Short
8:00 PM · Fri, Apr 10, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Conception Game (8 min) (Trailer) Missy’s baby quest hits chaos when Patrick unwittingly breaks the code.

Dad Genes (1 hour 3 min) (Trailer) Dad Genes is a documentary that tells the story of a former sperm donor whose carefree bachelor life takes an unexpected turn two decades later. After registering with a DNA ancestry site, he discovers he may have dozens of children, leading to an unprecedented family reunion, a surprising romance with the mother of a donor child, worldwide media attention, and a remarkable experiment in instant family and an unconventional fatherhood.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Sat, April 11

Better Together?: Shorts on Love and Connection
6:00 PM · Sat, Apr 11, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

The Lingering (11 min) (Trailer) An exorcist’s simple job unravels when the spirit proves familiar.

A Conversation at the End of a Party (8 min) Two exes find closure during their first conversation since their breakup.

Overthinking Overthinking (2 min) (Trailer) One message sparks Adam’s confusing but hopeful path to love again.

AISLES (10 min) Their repeated store encounters weave a tender, time‑bent romance.

The Family Photo (9 min) (Trailer) A moon photo left by an Earth astronaut unleashes a butterfly effect on us all

Dreams To Believe In (10 min) A hopeless romantic sets out to find the love meant for him.

Anchors Astray (3 min) (Trailer) A sailor and friend must escape after being stranded on an island.

Murphy (7 min) Overslept and scrambling, Murphy fights delays on his way to a key rendezvous.

The Fiddler Crab (8 min) (Trailer) Two crabs bond on a perilous journey about home, hope, and survival.

A Peculiar Morning (12 min) (Trailer) Her safe, lonely world shifts when a kind delivery man reaches her heart.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Dreamland Awaits (Feature Arthouse Horror Thriller)
7:00 PM · Sat, Apr 11, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Dreamland Awaits (1 hr 16 min) (Trailer) The story follows Josh, a seasoned but troubled detective hardened by 20 years of confronting life’s darkest corners. When his wife and two daughters are kidnapped by a mysterious figure, Josh is forced into a harrowing game of survival. To save them, he must follow the stranger’s commands: move into a desolate house, remain unnoticed, and complete a series of increasingly disturbing tasks.

However, the house is more than it seems, a gateway to a dark dimension that begins to unravel Josh’s reality and push him toward insanity. As he fights to save his family, Josh must confront not only the malevolent forces around him but also the darkness within himself.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Quirky, Unhinged, & Unfiltered Shorts
8:00 PM · Sat, Apr 11, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

All the King's Horses (11 min) (Trailer) Sophia Henrietta vows to become England’s queen—what could go wrong?

Pan and Stove (2 min) A pan falls in love with a stove and gets burned.

Don't Bury It (10 min) (Trailer) A breakup pushes Doug from burying chores to burying bodies.

Heather Fell (11 min) An unhoused fortune teller is offered her client's house to conduct her readings.

Heckler Guy (5 min) (Trailer) An actor confronts a heckler while shooting a film.

HEAD (6 min) (Trailer) Two misfits with oozy secrets stumble into a messy, unexpected love.

Sugar Daughter (3 min) A dad hunts for his missing girl, armed with one very strange photo.

The Uninvited Guest (5 min) (Trailer) A charming intruder upends Jason’s reality—and his sense of self.

Lonely Miss Albright (9 min) (Trailer) Miss Albright’s plants are enough for her… or so she believes.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Horror & Gory Shorts
9:00 PM · Sat, Apr 11, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

Theatre514, 514 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

WHITCH (6 min) An eerie visitor summons darkness, pushing Aura into a fight for safety.

Switched (4 min) A son rushes home after a frantic call—something is terribly wrong.

Over the River and Through the Woods (15 min) (Trailer) Grandma’s new boyfriend is 26 with questionable motives and a cryptic past.

Hell's Half-Acre: Sojourn (11 min) (Trailer) True-crime Western: the Bloody Benders lure victims in postwar Kansas.

Hide (16 min) (Trailer) A father and daughter’s ritual shields them from a terror after dark.

Bugaboo (5 min) A woman bound to a cursed doll seeks revenge on the man who wronged her.

Pyre (20 min) (Trailer) A mother accused of witchcraft faces a ruthless inquisitor to save her child.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Sun, April 12

Psychological Thriller Shorts
12:00 PM · Sun, Apr 12, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

A Night To Remember (13 min) (Trailer) Hungover Hannah retraces a wedding night that ended with her husband missing.

Triggered (7 min) (Trailer) An ordinary man answers a phone—and enters a nightmare of deadly demands.

Proper Disposal (11 min) (Trailer) There are rules for the disposing of a soul and consequences for breaking them.

Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man? (12 min) (Trailer) A man on his deathbed makes a horrible confession.

Strangers in a park (15 min) (Trailer) A brief park encounter unravels hidden truths and shifting power.

Donor (22 min) (Trailer) A grieving mother meets the recipient of her stillborn daughter's heart.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Surreal Shorts
2:00 PM · Sun, Apr 12, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

The Red Market (9 min) (Trailer) Crushed by debt, Zephyr turns to organ sales and a ruthless loan shark.

Long Distance (7 min) A young man struggles with his relationship, separated by time itself.

Matthew 4:08 (6 min) Entrepreneur meets his successful self, forced to choose integrity or gain.

IT'S ABOUT TIME (21 min) (Trailer) Justine finds a time‑bending watch and is swept through strange worlds.

Downsized (9 min) (Trailer) On his last day, he hides a digital trace of his wife from a coworker.

The Visitor (15 min) (Trailer) A sharp‑tongued shopkeeper battles Death in a twist‑filled showdown

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Delightfully Unpredictable Shorts
4:00 PM · Sun, Apr 12, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Birthday Party (7 min) A comedy probing why gifts are given: charm, gain, or real gratitude.

Bugster & Wingster (1 min) (Trailer) A roll bug’s prank on his superstar partner turns the circus upside down.

The Message (8 min) Luis reveals alien truths on TV—until a “ship” lands mid‑broadcast.

Vodka (5 min) Her viola performance falters as she grows steadily, disastrously drunk.

Cereal Killer (7 min) (Trailer) A pushy courier crashes poker night—and his behavior grows eerie.

Goodbye, Neverland (6 min) (Trailer) A doubting author takes a side step into a critique of modern society.

Favourites (5 min) Parents face an impossible choice when their family camping trip turns deadly.

The Stork (8 min) (Trailer) Supportive but clueless parents scramble after ruining a vital delivery.

A Quart of Salt (7 min) (Trailer) NEXA’s “help” sends Gwen’s dinner—and her marriage—spiraling.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Iowa Vet: Dogs, Cats, Corn, & Murder (Feature Biopic)
7:00 PM · Sun, Apr 12, 2026 · Admission $10 (Click to buy tickets!)

19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104

Iowa Vet: Dogs, Cats, Corn, & Murder (1 hour 25 min) (Trailer) In this candid documentary, Dr. Alan Younkin opens up about building an animal hospital, navigating seismic shifts in veterinary medicine, and finding new purpose after moving on. And he reflects on his brushes with murder, Mormons, modern marriage, and more. Witty, emotional, and thought-provoking, Iowa Vet that will make you laugh. It may make you cry. It will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Sun, April 26

What is Art? PLUS a collection of Spanish-language short films with English subtitles
12:00 PM · Sun, Apr 26, 2026 · Admission FREE - Click to RSVP

Allentown Art Museum, 31 North 5th Street, Allentown, PA 18101

Behind the Art - Patricia Shistle (6 min) Exploring Patricia Shistle’s expressive art and the life that shapes it.

Single Use (2 min) Plastic‑laden tides turn silent as humanity’s waste cycles through life.

Clack Mountain Clay (5 min) Quinn Maher discusses working with clay from Clack Mountain in Kentucky.

Hushed Museums - Director's Cut (2 min) Please don't touch the art, it may just touch you back...

Heritage Bride (2 min) Uncovering the beauty and history of Asir’s traditional women’s attire.

The Lost coordinates (5 min) (Trailer) A film exploring modern life’s disconnection from nature and the cosmos.

Yearn (4 min) (Trailer) An earthquake lets two statues finally unite in a rule‑breaking romance.

The dance of darkness (6 min) (Trailer) Amid an artistic crisis, Saul’s Butoh dance journey reveals art’s real soul.

Is that you? (4 min) A lost photo of a stunning girl sends his day—and heart—spiraling.

The Message (8 min) Luis reveals alien truths on TV—until a “ship” lands mid‑broadcast.

Post-screening Panel Discussion featuring attending filmmakers and cast members.

Filmmakers love the Allentown Film Festival for its “smart, kind, film-loving folks” and its “efficiency and professionalism at all levels.” Enthusiastic audiences enjoy screening blocks in a gorgeously restored 1920s arthouse theatre from the golden age of cinema — “arguably the nicest venue I’ve ever been to.” “Engaging talkbacks and fun meet-the-filmmaker networking events” make the experience truly memorable. “Some films are even better than those featured at bigger cachet festivals.” Plus, you get a “super-cool medal”! Read additional enthusiastic reviews at FilmFreeway.com/AllentownFilmFestival, and submit your films today! Feel free to contact us at AllentownFilmFestival@gmail.com.

Allentown is only 60 miles from Philadelphia and 90 miles from New York City. In fact, many of North America's largest cities are less than a half-day’s drive away. The fourth annual Allentown Film Festival will take place from April 9 - 18, 2026 at two of the city’s most iconic cultural landmarks: the Civic Theatre of Allentown and the Allentown Art Museum. We strive to expand the enthusiastic audience of moviegoers in Pennsylvania’s third-largest city and beyond and to promote outstanding films from Eastern Pennsylvania and around the world.

Make plans to attend the 2026 Allentown Film Festival!

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. Screening blocks of short and feature films are followed by Q&A panel discussions during which audience members interact with filmmakers. It’s an unmatched opportunity for artists to receive feedback and encouragement.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk presents a medal to filmmaker Kwesa the Artist with Festival Director Alan Younkin.

Set amid gentle hills and charming countryside, the Lehigh Valley is a diverse area, home to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, as well as dozens of small towns and picturesque boroughs, all peppered with parks, trails, and waterways ready to explore.

Steeped in pre-Colonial, early American, and industrial history, the region’s storied past defines its dynamic present, offering visitors everything from craft beer and covered bridges to museums and amusement parks.

Special Regional Filmmaker Prizes*

1-5 Min. Short Film Contest $1,000 Grand Prize*

1-5 Min. Short Film Contest $100 K-12 Student Prize*

1-5 Min. Short Film Contest $100 College Student Prize*

1-5 Min. Short Film Contest $100 Non-Student Filmmaker Prize*

* All genres welcome (scripted, unscripted, etc.)

* Open to filmmakers within a 100-mile radius of Allentown, PA

* Free to enter

* Entry deadline: February 15, 2026

* Multiple submissions by filmmakers encouraged

* Click to submit your film.

The the third annual Allentown Film Festival took place from April 10 - 13, 2025 at the Civic Theatre of Allentown's two historic venues and the Allentown Art Museum.

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