Join us at The Marigold Theater to toast the winners of this year’s festival, and 5 amazing seasons so far!

What I Want You To Know a feature documentary directed by MA-filmmaker Catie Foertsch. A gripping and intimate account of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, told by combat veterans who share deeply personal stories from their deployments and explore the moral tragedy of their wars. This screening will be followed by a talkback with the director and other guests.

A block of comedic shorts at CitySpace followed by a talkback with attending filmmakers moderated by Kt Baldassaro. This screening includes:

How to Hide It by Ramla Ali and Richard A. Moore
Herencia by Javier Barrios Acuna
Drafting by Janshin Soo
The War on Straws by Eleanor Vigneault (local filmmaker)
Lay Lefty Down by Traven Rice
The Journey Home by Cole Whitaker (local filmmaker)

Come fuel up for the final day of EFF’26 - we’ll be under the festival tents outside THCC!

Join us at THCC (The Heavy Culture Cooperative) to connect after an epic day of independent cinema. The bar is open every day of the festival from 5pm - Midnight!

A block of shorts at CitySpace celebrating the debut work of local filmmakers, followed by a talkback with attending filmmakers. An audience favorite every year! This screening includes:

Leech by Kyle Abney (local filmmaker)
Well-Tempered by Kristen Flanagan (local filmmaker)
Steeped in Denial by Sue Farina (local filmmaker)
In Other Words by Rowan Hodgson (local filmmaker)
Frank’s Not Here by Zachary Domes (local filmmaker)

A feature documentary by Nina Rosenblum and Daniel Allentuck & narrated by Liev Schreiber at E-Media. This film is a tribute to the little-known contribution made by the combat cameramen of the U.S. Army Signal Corps to World War II in Europe and to our collective memory of the conflict. What distinguishes They Fight With Cameras from previous documentaries about the war is that, rather than furnishing an overview, it presents an eyewitness account of the war as seen through the lens of a highly decorated frontline soldier/cameraman who recorded the war in Europe from D-Day to the liberation of Dachau with skill, empathy, and unflinching courage.

A block of narrative shorts at CitySpace which explore the bittersweet aspects of becoming who we are, followed by a talkback with attending filmmakers. This block includes:

3 Minutos by Douglas Ryan (local filmmaker)
The Curious Incident of Everett Wilder by Ben Tobin (local filmmaker)
Ball Lightning by Catriona Trina Baker
Psychic Connection by Kathy Graivier
Only Time Heals by Victoria Roccaforte (local filmmaker)
Join the Club by Melissa Dimetres (local filmmaker)

A block of regionally-relevant short documentaries at E-Media which explore our connection to the natural world, followed by a talkback with attending filmmakers. This screening includes:

The Forest in the Trees by Ben Goulet-Scott and Matt Shelley-Reade (local film)
The Queen of the Catskills by Jamie Kennard
Rising River’s Edge by Hugh Finnerty (local filmmaker)
Forever Home by Kyle Barton (local filmmaker)

A special free screening at SmithCollege’s Graham Hall, Hillyer. Moderator Alex Manugian will present a curated selection of short films from EFF ’26, with a focus on local filmmakers. The seven selections from our Drama, Queer, Comedy, and Freaky Films blocks range from scrappy no-budget shorts by emerging young filmmakers to lovely, professionally-produced narratives by veteran filmmakers.

After, Alex will welcome those filmmakers who can attend on stage for a Q & A. Arguably the most popular aspect of EFF, the Q & A is a wonderful opportunity to give filmmakers the recognition they seldom receive and to be inspired by their creativity, tenacity, and ingenuity. This event is free to all members of the Smith community and the community at large. This screening block will include:

Lay Lefty Down by Traven Rice
My Daughter Lyra by Anya Bachor
The Orange at the Seder by Jacob Combs
The Waiting by Ted Omsley (local filmmaker)
Head by Keith Ruggiero
From the Grave by Michelle Mott (local filmmaker)
Encounter at Carillon Vault by Evan Moren (local filmmaker)

A block of short films at CitySpace which explore Queer experience, followed by an audience talkback with attending filmmakers. This block includes:

The Paradise Road by Lisa Marie Tedesco
The Orange at the Seder by Jacob Combs
When We Move by Jasper Fletcher and Lukas Fletcher (local filmmakers)
Teddy & Tater by Lou Duchin

FREE! Take part in or simply observe a 90-minute workshop with local filmmakers Christian Banda, KT Baldassaro (Smith ’06), and Alex Manugian. Whether it’s a short film, a music video, a TV pilot, or a feature film, they’ll share their many years of experience and dive deep into the essential elements all pitches must have. In a lively, warm, and engaging environment, come watch participants and instructors work together to best frame their ideas and voices. Every participant will receive EFF 2026 merchandise. This event is free to all members of the Smith community and the community at large.

We have received the maximum amount of available participant sign-ups, but we encourage you to join us as a member of the audience! To learn more about the Workshop, check out this online form

A block of documentary shorts at E-Media which explore stories of perseverance in the face of adversity. This block includes:

The Letter by Michael P DeMinico and Steve W Thompson (local film)
Why Not? by Colin Hodgson (local filmmaker)
Gaza’s Rain by Mo'men Ghanim Hasanain
Homegirls in Outer Space by Ben Guest (local filmmaker)
White Nine by Nilou Safinya (local filmmaker)

A block of dramatic narrative shorts at CitySpace followed by a talkback with attending filmmakersmoderated by Victoria Roccaforte. This block includes:

We Need To Talk by Andrea M Catinella
A Beautiful Day by Ryan Nunes
Scalae Senus by Allison Thompson (local filmmaker)
Cold Summer by Nick Bernat (local filmmaker)
Thickly Settled by Brian D Jones and Jordan Brooks (local filmmakers)
Something Greater Than You by Gordon LePage
The Waiting by Ted Omsley (local filmmaker)
Notification by Gregory Boover (local filmmaker)

FREE! A workshop for actors who are ready to stop waiting for the right role and start creating it. When you make your own work, everything changes. In a friendly, collaborative environment, you'll discover the project idea that's right for you and leave with a real creative vision and the confidence to actually pursue it. Cast Yourself is an actor-focused workshop that introduces independent filmmaking as a practical tool for creating roles and generating opportunities. The session demystifies the filmmaking process for actors and helps participants identify a realistic project they could develop for themselves after the festival. The emphasis is on clarity, feasibility, and creative ownership. No filmmaking experience necessary. Just show up.

Join us beneath the tents outside of THCC for a delicious, made-on-the-spot mini donut session with the one and only Wake the Dead Donuts. Saturday is the busiest day of the festival. -you’re going to need donut power just to keep up :)

A block of four gripping narrative shorts at E-Media about teen protagonists navigating moments of personal crisis.
Please be advised that each of these well-wrought, complicated and challenging films variously depict and/or explore bullying, depression, school violence, sexual identity, and unplanned pregnancy, and may be triggering for some audience members.
A post-screening talkback with attending filmmakers will be moderated by Chris Ferry. This block includes:

In Plain Sight by Alexander Maxwell
Match Dot Mom by Tara Parian
My Daughter Lyra by Anya Bachor
Shitheads by May Resh (local filmmaker)

A block of edgy, weird, and wild short films at CitySpace that wander the realms of fear and dread. A post-screening talkback with attending filmmakers will be moderated by Kt Baldassaro.
This block includes:

Head by Keith Ruggiero
Garden of an Angry God by Matthew David Roe (local filmmaker)
Night Terror by Jared Skolnick
Mercy: Queen of the Undead by Riley Cosby (local filmmaker)
Long Time, No See by Donald Saunderson
From the Grave by Michelle Mott (local filmmaker)

Feature documentary by Alvaro Jimenez and Cliff Orloff at E-Media. What makes someone leave everything and everyone they know and love, and forego their familiar culture, to make their way into an unknown future in an unknown land?  What makes someone stay where they live despite hardship and deprivation? This film follows several Cubans from different walks of life who love their country but struggle with the conflict to stay or leave an increasingly dysfunctional government and rapidly collapsing economy. 

A local arthouse feature film by Nick Verdi at CitySpace. As his relationship and family structure falls apart, Ben struggles to connect with anyone in his life while spiraling into alcoholism and isolation. Don’t Let It Bring You Down follows Ben’s descent to rock bottom and is reminiscent of work by John Cassavetes and Mike Leigh. Shot on virtually no budget, this unflinching film boasts excellent performances and cinematography that makes you feel that you’re inside the scene.

A special documentary screening of Fear of Heights at Visions Video. In 1983, film student Rich Murray was handed $20,000 in a brown paper bag by a hustler named 'Butch.' These were the funds he used to direct his first music video for a local Philly rocker named Alan Mann. That video for the song “Christmas on the Block” went on to become the first and perhaps only video by an unsigned artist to play on regular rotation on MTV. Using “Christmas on the Block” as a framing device, Murray illuminates Mann’s larger story - and how he could have, should of and almost did make it, but didn’t because of his excesses, and a tragic accidental death. The film also turns the lens sharply on the film’s director (Murray) and how his own excesses might have resulted in the same tragic trajectory, that but for wisdom and luck, did not.

Join us at The Marigold Theater after the screening of Urban Ed and to celebrate our fifth season. This year’s festival will be our biggest and best yet, and we need you to come help kick it off! This event is free and open to the public.

An award-winning local feature film by Wade Wofford at The Marigold Theater. When their charter school is shut down in the middle of the year, a group of inner city students comes up against America’s broken education system and a world full of contradicting lessons.

A special early screening of an award-winning documentary feature film by Thomas Seymour at Visions Video. From Blockbuster dreams to streaming screens, Video Dreams: A VHS Massacre Story follows a filmmaker’s journey through a vanishing world. Follow the directors thirty-year odyssey to get on the shelf of Blockbuster Video and beyond. A tale of struggle, perseverance, and what to do when your dreams no longer make sense. This multiple award-winning film features Lloyd Kaufman (creator of The Toxic Avenger), Debbie Rochon, Joe Bob Briggs, and many others. From Tom Seymour, creator of VHS Massacre 1 & 2 and American Expendables.