Thank you to everyone who made the 2025 Media Film Festival a success: our festival jurors, filmmakers, volunteers, venue owners, sponsors, and most importantly, YOU—the audience!
The 2026 Festival Dates are March 6th-14th. Stay tuned for more info!
The Media Film Festival is a week of independent short films shown across many different venues throughout Downtown Media, Pennsylvania and culminating on the last night at the Classic Media Theatre. Since 2007, the Media Arts Council (MAC) has been celebrating the best of local and regional moviemaking talent, as well as national and international films, showcasing their creative spirit and striving to elevate the quality of local filmmaking. The festival is about connecting filmmakers with other filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences while having fun doing it!
2025 Juried Award Winners
Steps
Ah-Ma Burns
Jules
Trash & Burn
Audience Award Winners
Please Send Help
Singing in the Lifeboat
Driven Out
Gardener of The Galaxy
My Name is Jonas
Willow
2025 Film Fest Trailer featuring all 29 films.
29 Movies. 2 Weekends. 4 Great Locations!
Friday, March 28 Opening Night The Townehouse 117 Veterans Sq
Saturday, March 29 Movie Tavern Night Sligo Irish Pub 11 West State St
Saturday, April 5 Movies & Awards The Media Theatre 104 East State St
Saturday, April 5
Documentary Night Institute of Science 11 Veterans Sq
Join the panel discussion “From Concept to Screen” with Filmmaker Tom Quinn: 5PM, Saturday, April 5th. The Media Theatre. This event is free. Click for info.
Friday, 3/28 7pm Townehouse
Opening Night/Sold Out
My Name is Jonas (Drama, Philadelphia, PA)
Grin (Horror, Philadelphia, PA)
Driven Out (Thriller,NJ)
Warmth (Animation, Korea)
My Couch (Comedy, Media, PA)
Followed by Q & A w/ Directors
Saturday, 3/29 7pm Sligo
Movie Tavern Night/Sold Out
The Concert (Drama, FL)
Come Out, Wherever You Are (Apocalyptic, IL)
Willow (Drama, DE)
For You (Heartwarming, Iran)
Be Kind! (Comedy, France)
Followed by Q & A w/ Directors
Fri, 4/4 7pm Inst of Science
Documentary Night/Sold Out
Steps (Comedy, Toronto, CA) *First Prize Festival Winner
Adidas Owns the Reality (Sunbury,PA)
Gardener of the Galaxy (Villanova,PA)
Trash and Burn (Chester, PA)
Followed by Q & A w/ Directors
Sat, 4/5 3pm Media Theatre
Best of Local & Regional
Alast (Media Arts Council Film Initiative)
Her Own Skin (Dystopian, West Chester,PA)
Good Job, Troy (Comedy, Langhorne,PA)
Rubato (Media Arts Council Film Initiative)
Singing in the Lifeboat (Elmhurst, NY)
Baby Love (Merion Station, PA)
Faith in the Flag (Media Arts Council Film Initiative)
Ah-Ma-Burns (drama/fantasy, West Chester, PA) *Third Prize Festival Winner
Followed by Q & A w/ Directors
Sat, 4/5 7pm Media Theatre
Closing Night & Awards
The Waiting (Heartwarming, Iran)
Jules (Drama, West Phila) *Second Prize Festival Winner
Crowboy (Animation, Penn State, PA)
Steps (Comedy, Canada)
The Pizza Connection (Dark Comedy, Schuylkill Haven, PA)
Please Send Help (Drama, Los Angeles, CA)
Allure-(Animation, San Francisco CA)
Muddy Goes To College (Comedy, Philadelphia, PA)
Followed by Q & A w/ Directors & Awards
Panel discussion “From Concept to Screen” with Tom Quinn 5PM Saturday, April 5th @ The Media Theatre. (This event is free)
Bringing a film to life is a journey of creativity, collaboration, and overcoming challenges. From Concept to Screen is a curated conversation by filmmaker Tom Quinn for independent filmmakers eager to transform their ideas into compelling visual stories. This event brings together seasoned indie filmmakers to delve into the entire filmmaking process—from the first spark of an idea to the final cut ready for audiences. Join us for an inside look at the industry and get your questions answered by those who have been there.
Tom Quinn is a Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominee for his debut film, THE NEW YEAR PARADE, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance and screened at festivals and venues including SXSW and MOMA. Tom was listed one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by FILMMAKER MAGAZINE and one of the Ten Young Writer-Directors to Watch by MOVIEMAKER. He was a VFX producer on films including LAWLESS, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, and THE CHERNOBYL DIARIES. His most recent film, COLEWELL, was developed with support from the Biennale College, IFP, the San Francisco Film Society, and The Sundance Institute before premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The film received two Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Lead Actress for Karen Allen (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK). Tom is an associate professor for the Film & Television program at Drexel University.
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MFF in the news:
2025 Films In Detail
March 28th Lineup: Opening Night at the Townehouse
My Name is Jonas (10 min)
On his first day in rehab, a man battling the demons of drug addiction reveals a mind-bending truth.
Director & Writer: Cory Bortnicker
Producers: Cory Bortnicker, Melanie Speck
Director of Photography: Emily Marquet
Editor: Ben McGinley
Key Cast: Cory Bortnicker
Grin (5 min)
A teen discovers that sometimes home is the least safe place to be.
Director & Writer: J. P. Hoffman
Driven Out (20 min)
A former high school bully is sent on a harrowing journey when a former classmate recommends a mysterious new ride share service..
Director: Andy Currie
Writer & Producer: Dan Fried
Key Cast: Rick Irwin, Stephen Cofield Jr., Have Burton Paschall, David Tyree
Warmth (5 min)
High in the wintry mountains, a lonely snowman cares for an abandoned child.
Director: MinSeok Jean
Writer: JinHee Lee
Producer: JiSeon Kim
Animation: JiSeon Kim, JungHyun Ahn, JinHee Lee, SooHyeon Seo, YeonSu Jang, YunA Pak, YoonYoung Choi, SeoYeon Lee, DaSom Yoo, SoYe Park
Rigging: Hyun Hur
Voice: JiHyang Jung
My Couch (6 min)
In a comedic flurry of frustration, a guy is just trying to get his dad’s sofa back.
Director & Writer & Key Cast: Michael DiMonte
March 29th Lineup: Beer and A Movie at Sligo
The Concert (7 min)
Bonded over their love of music, a trio of teen girls offer each other support.
Director & Writer: Elizabeth Bourgeois
Producer: Hays Hitzing, Nancy Nagrant
Key Cast: Sophie Ryann Farnan, Demetris Owens Jr.
Cinematographer: Tyler Williams
Editor: Stephen Takashima
Music: Darren Morze
Come Out, Wherever You Are (29 min)
Retired mayor Vernon Parrish hides himself away in a remote cabin, yet his past still finds him.
Director: Caitlyn Presberg
Writer & Producer: Dan Burns
Cinematographer: Anh Vo
Key Cast: Blake De Pastino, Marilyn Bass, Amber Rose Mason, Douglas “Hurricane” Hall
Willow (6 min)
Two sisters bear their souls for the first time during a simple picnic.
Director: Alyssa Rose Capitini
Writer, Producer & Key Cast: Jackie Diehl, Kaitlyn Diehl
Sound: Yaaseen Henneghan
For You (5 min)
Wishes come true for three pre-teen friends who host their own celebration for their shared birthday.
Director, Writer & Producer: Samaneh Esmaeili, Yavar Darehzami
Key Cast: Hadi Nabidost, Amirreza Abaspour, Mohammad Nabidost
Be Kind (18 min)
In the idyllic French countryside, a cankerous senior makes his wife a promise that’s hard to keep.
Director & Writer: Antoine Béguin
Producer: Julien Aouidad
April 19th Lineup: Documentary Night at the Delaware County Institute of Science
Steps (19 min) *First Prize Festival Winner
Kidnapped and locked inside, fitness-obsessed Tanner Slade is having the worst vacation ever.
Director, Writer & Producer: Dan Bricker, Eytan Millstone
Key Cast: Evan Williams, Vincent Cueva
Adidas Controls the Reality (21 min)
Activist prankster group Yes Men launches a bodacious hoax to spark debate on Adidas’ labor practices and the plight of their garment makers.
Director: Keil Orion Troisi, Igor Vamos
Producer: The Yes Man, Threads and Tits, Clean Clothes Campaign
Key Cast: Len Leng, Igor Vamos, Isabell Schnalle, Paula Keilholz
Gardener of the Galaxy (10 min)
Hoping for a green future, Astrophysicist and planetary scientist Dr. Edward Guinan details Villanova University’s “Red Thumb Mars Garden Project,” experiments with growing sustainable edible plants on Mars.
Director & Producer: Nick Natalicchio
Producer: Alex Djordjevic
Trash and Burn (18 min)
Trash and Burn lays witness to the U.S.’s largest trash incinerator processing waste from Canada to Puerto Rico, one economically disadvantaged inner ring city, and a community’s life and death 30-year-old fight against environmental racism.
Director, Writer & Producer: Bilal Motley
April 5th Lineup, Media Theatre: Best of Local Films
Alast (7min) Media Arts Council Film Initiative
A teenager searches for his older brother who has mysteriously disappeared
Director: Arya Gohel
Writers:Arya Gohel, Lauren Kennedy
Director of Photography: Matthew Lawrence
Editors: Matthew Lawrence, Ricky Williams
Boom Operator: Ricky Williams
Production Sound Mixer: Matthew Lawrence
Music by: LVKEHOUSE, Donovan Jarvis
Producers: Cash Liam McMearty, Arya Gohel
Executive Producers: Hezekiah Lewis, Darryl Ridgeway
Cast: Benjamin Kerr, Nick Libutti, Cash Liam McMearty
Her Own Skin (18 min)
A woman’s journey to independence leads to a life-changing discovery.
Director, Writer & Producer: Brian McDermott
Key Cast: Giovanna Baccini, Ibrahim Miari, Laura Vivo, Lyratah Barrett
Good Job, Troy (4 min)
Desperate for a creative outlet, a young man questions his need for originality.
Director, Writer & Producer: Austin Courtney
Key Cast: Henry Zinn
Rubato (14 min) Media Arts Council Film Initiative
A piano student looks for inspiration before his piano recital.
Director: Drew Mynarski. First Assistant Director: James Weiman
Writesr: Drew Mynarski & Anastasia Wren Lauer
Producer: Anastasia Wren Lauer. Executive Producers Hezekiah Lewis and Darryl Ridgeway
Production/Creative Consultant: Caleb Lucky
Director of Photography: Michelangelo Alessandro Bellini
Assistant Camera: Nolan Carey & Mathew Lawrence
Editors: Nolan Carey & Michelangelo Alessandro Bellini
Sound: Richard Williams
Music: Rubato by Nathan Sepinwall
Key Cast: Paul Johnson, Ryan Davis, Chris O’Neill, Kate Legere
Baby Love (7 min)
In a war of words, a pregnant teen seeking an abortion and a judgmental physician’s assistant spar.
Director, Writer & Producer: Kate Klesen
Producer: Rodney Reyes
Key Cast: Kassandra Perez, Veronica Papianna
Singing in the Lifeboat (14 min)
During the COVID pandemic, Jin seeks solace in the wilds of Montana but her dark thoughts follow her.
Director & Writer: Grace Wijaya
Producers: Yaari Tal, Zachary Jones, Grace Wijaya
Key Cast: Pricilla Jin Chung
Faith in the Flag (8 min) Media Arts Council Film Initiative
A Veteran Struggles with PTSD and finds strength in an unexpected place.
Director: Nolan Carey
Writer: Owen Young. Story Consultants, Nolan Carey, Caleb Pryor, John Mullany, Hezekiah Lewis
Producer: Caleb Pryor. Assistant Producer: Nolan Carey. Executive Producers Hezekiah Lewis and Darryl Ridgeway
Director of Photagraphy: Elijah Williams
Sound: Owen Young and Darryl Ridgeway. Sound mixers: Nolan Carey and Meg Martin
Key Cast: John Mullany, Victoria Carey, Benjamin Kerr, Nolan Carey, Meg Martin, Olivia Hansen
Ah-Ma Burns (12 min)
Director, Writer & Producer: Max Kane
Producer: Alyssa Callahan, Joey Krulock, Kenzo Le
Key Cast: Alice Lin, Jeff Chen, Joey Krulock
Cinematographer: Jay Swuen
April 5th Lineup: Best of Fest at The Media Theatre
The Waiting (3 min)
A small act of kindness between two young boys is a beautiful snapshot of friendship.
Director & Writer: Amir Rooini
Jules (20 min)
Amid hairpin turns and breakneck speeds, aspiring motorcross racer Jules faces the ultimate test.
Director, Writer & Producer: Tiffany M Abney
Writer: Emalie Moniz
Key Cast: Renelle Nicole, Mike Merrill, Eric C. Lynch
Crowboy (5 min)
A lonely young boy goes on a magical quest facing challenges and making friends.
Director: Alexander White, Cynthia White
Writer: William Doan, Frank Martinez
Producer: William Doan
Original Art Work: William Doan
Animation: Alexander White
Voice Actors: Jeanne Simmons, Leo Rubenson
Musician: Takuma Kanaiwa
Steps (19 min)
Kidnapped and locked inside, fitness-obsessed Tanner Slade is having the worst vacation ever.
Director, Writer & Producer: Dan Bricker, Eytan Millstone
Key Cast: Evan Williams, Vincent Cueva
The Pizza Connection (4 min)
Tin is the traditional gift for tenth wedding anniversaries, but the Zhous are celebrating with pizza with a heaping topping of resentment.
Director & Writer: D.J. Higgins
Producer: Julie Robinson, Joe Minella, Joe Sernio
Key Cast: Stu Li, Jenny Lin
Please Send Help (20 min)
Adrift in grief, two brothers attempt to navigate failed relationships.
Director & Writer: Danny Corey
Key Cast: Robert Malcolm Cumming, Scott Kruse, Miranda Baker
Allure (4 min)
An astronaut is torn between the stars and his best friend back home.
Director & Writer: Jerry van de Beek, Betsy De Fries
Producer: Betsy De Fries
Music: Nature Ambient Seatools
Muddy Goes to College (11 min)
Muddy, a brilliant wise-talking dog, and his stoner buddy get enrolled at Kutztown University and hijinks ensue.
Director & Writer: Alex Reinhard
Producer: Max Morgan, Katherine Reinhard
Key Cast: Joseph Dedricks, Jeffery Alan Solomon, Erich Rausch, Oaklky, John Potvin, Conner Applegate, Melissa Hurst, Amariah Dionne, Boubakar Djombana
Director of Photographer: James Powers
Gaffer: Maxwell Collins, Jason Penza
Camera Assistant: Adam Hribar, Joe Grasso
Scorer: Alexander Arntzen
