West Chester Film Festival Is April 26-28

West Chester Film Festival Schedule Features Local Filmmakers And International Short Films

by Melissa Jacobs

The West Chester Film Festival just announced its 2024 lineup, and the schedule is jam packed with comedies, dramas, a heaping helping of horror and a dash of animation. Held April 26-28 at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center with events at other locations in downtown West Chester, the festival celebrates short films made by directors, animators and producers from around the world telling stories from diverse lenses.

One of the international films is “Making Up,” a film set in London’s East End circa the late 1980s and focusing on a father-daughter relationship. Plot twist: the father is a drag queen named Ted who was diagnosed with a hereditary illness and has to reconcile with his estranged daughter.

“The team is absolutely thrilled to have ‘Making Up’ screening at the West Chester Film Festival,” said Ryan Paige, the film’s writer and director. “Our story is one of love, reconciliation, understanding, and hope.”

“Yellow” hails from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and follows a young woman into a Kabul shop where she contemplates buying her first burqa, the head-to-toe covering worn by many women in that Muslim country. On the other side of the world, explorers trek through Norwegian mountains in “Fading Giants” to document the gorgeous but dwindling glaciers in that country.

Local filmmakers and stories are once again highlighted in the festival. “How Sweet The Sound” shares the story of John Sutton, a blind man who, since the 1980s, sang to commuters inside Philadelphia’s Suburban Station. “Infraction” documents the true story of Philadelphia native Terrance Lewis who was incarcerated for 21 years for a murder he did not commit.

“Pre-Existing Freedom,” made by Chester County native Frederick Taylor, is set in Atlanta and Nashville during the 2020 pandemic and social turbulence that followed George Floyd’s murder. “I am thrilled to return home and attend the West Chester Film Festival,” Taylor said. “This film is the culmination of the values I learned growing up in Chester County. [It] explores the construct of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and justice for all.”

On a lighter note, romance and technology are the backbone of “Bird Hours,” which combines virtual reality and climate change with romance and adventure. “We are so excited to share ‘Bird Hours’ with the festival’s audience,” said Kyle Dubiel, who wrote and directed the film. “In a world increasingly under various existential threats, specifically climate change, artificial intelligence, and the increasing corporate power and consolidation, our film explores the importance of staying human amidst the onslaught of forces trying to strip our humanity away.”

Animation is another genre included in the West Chester Film Festival, and “Bridges” looks to be one of this year’s big hits. Created by WWE Superstar Ettore “Big E” Ewen, narrative designer Jonathan Davenport and  cultural journalist Andreas Hale, “Bridges” spreads “awareness and love” about the heroes of Black history. “These stories are so important, not just as a portal to the past but as a roadmap for the future,” the “Bridges” team said in a statement. “The cast and crew of ‘Bridges’ are so grateful to the West Chester Film festival for the opportunity to spread this message of love and inclusion to anyone who needs to see it.”

For more information, visit West Chester Film Festival’s website.

Main Line Tonight is the digital media sponsor for the 2024 West Chester Film Festival.

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