About the Festival
The Easthampton Film Festival celebrates independent filmmaking and enriches our local arts scene by hosting events and workshops that bring people together through a shared passion for cinema.
The 5th year of our festival will take place at venues in Easthampton, Massachusetts from April 23-26, 2026, and will feature a diverse selection of remarkable films from local, regional, and international filmmakers, along with filmmaker talkbacks after each screening. We will also be hosting panel discussions with industry experts and networking events for anyone interested in filmmaking.
In addition to our annual festival, EFF also offers filmmaking workshops throughout the year. These are hosted by guest experts and cover a range of topics including screenwriting, acting, stop-animation, and more.
Our Purpose
Chris Ferry, Festival Director, filmmaker, and resident of Easthampton, founded EFF in 2022 because he wanted to help create the kind of small town he wanted to live in — one with a thriving independent film scene. Each year, he meticulously curates a program of local and international films that explore diverse topics and transport audiences through a wide dynamic range of human experience.
EFF brings the art of filmmaking full circle by bridging the gap between filmmaker and audience. From inspiration to production, screening, discourse, and back again, our ongoing events, workshops, and resources complete the cycle of creating and sharing films that bring cultural value to our community.
Our Team
The Easthampton Film Festival is made possible by an awesome team of volunteers!
Chris Ferry
Festival Director
Chris is a consultant, actor and producer based in Easthampton. He started EFF in 2022 in order to help foster a thriving local independent film scene in Western Massachusetts. He currently serves as the president of the board of directors at Easthampton Media, and is a passionate believer in creative expression, especially as a means of community building. He enjoys podcasting, and has voiced a wide range of fantastical, kid-written characters as a long-standing member of the award-winning Story Pirates Podcast.
D’ahnee Lorenzo
Operations
D’ahnee is a REALTOR® and business operations professional based in Northampton, MA. She helps individuals and families navigate the home-buying and selling process with clarity, care, and a strong understanding of the local market. Alongside her real estate work, D’ahnee is involved in entrepreneurship and business operations management, supporting organizational growth and sustainability. She is an aspiring filmmaker assisting in the business operations for the Easthampton Film Festival, where she helps manage the infrastructure that supports independent filmmakers and creative programming.
KT Baldassaro
Head of the Horror Film Subcommittee, Festival Moderator, and Public Ambassador
Kt is an actress, filmmaker, writer, and director based in Western Massachusetts. At the Easthampton Film Festival, she helps select horror films, leads post-screening discussions, and connects audiences with the festival through local outreach. She also hosts the podcast What If I Don’t Like It?, where she explores how bias and expectation shape the way viewers experience movies, and shares her insights with audiences through her social media platform @MovieRuntime.
David Marks
Marketing & Outreach
David loves local music, live theatre, and anything that brings people together to share art and music. He believes that art has a powerful ability to connect communities. His work with events such as Back Porch Festival, Green River Festival, and 93.9 WRSI–produced events like Über Festival (a former beer festival in Easthampton) and Meltdown- Children's Music & Book Festival makes him an ideal addition to the team and a strong asset in helping the Easthampton Film Festival continue to grow and succeed.
Lena Vani
Selections Committee Chair
Lena Vani is a filmmaker, producer, and trained actor who was born and raised in Easthampton. Her work as a producer focuses on independent films known for their offbeat sensibility and strong character-driven narratives. She is the co-founder of Off Hand Co. and is passionate about supporting bold, original voices in film especially from women. It is an honor for her to serve as Chair of the Selections Committee for the Easthampton Film Festival, helping shape a program that reflects both the creative spirit of the region and the diversity of independent cinema.
Jeff Uzzel
Brand Strategy & Design
Jeff is a multidisciplinary creative who has supported the Easthampton Film Festival with brand, design, and marketing initiatives since 2024. As an emerging documentary filmmaker himself, Jeff understands how much work goes into every production and believes that supporting independent film is essential in today’s media environment, where elevating diverse voices and original storytelling is more important than ever. Outside the studio, Jeff is an avid ultrarunner who regularly competes in 50K to 100 mile trail races across the country and internationally.
Donna Cuipylo
Attorney
As a trial attorney, Donna loved all aspects of the courtroom drama - staging, costuming, persuading - and the anticipation of the verdict. Now retired from trial practice, she is exploring new ways to enjoy the art of drama. She serves on the EFF development and selection committees. Her credits include Key Production Assistant on Join the Club, a film produced locally in Easthampton by writer/director Melissa Dimetres. It’s all for fun.
Wally Marzano-Lesnevich
Development Committee Co-Chair
Wally co-wrote the feature The Problem With People with actor/comedian Paul Reiser, who stars alongside Colm Meaney. The film premiered at the Austin Film Festival and streams on Prime. His debut feature Almost Paris, which he wrote, starred in, and produced, debuted at Tribeca and is available on numerous platforms. He has made numerous shorts films, co-directs the LAVA Film Festival in Greenfield, and has taught screenwriting for the Smith Precollege Summer Creative Writing Program, the Easthampton Film Festival Workshops, and privately.
Enrico Grillo
Technical Director
Enrico is a cinematographer, gaffer, editor, lighting designer, and a bunch of other things too, most of which involve sending light through lenses, attaching computers to things, or attaching computers to things that use light/lenses. As the technical director for EFF since the 2024 season he gets to follow his passion by using light and lenses to show you films.