The SouthSide Film Institute is proud to present the 18th Annual SouthSide Film Festival returning Tuesday, June 14th through Saturday, June 18th. The festival takes place across Bethlehem’s SouthSide Arts District with screenings at the National Museum of Industrial History, Touchstone Theatre, and the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts).
The festivities kick off on Tuesday with the Opening Night Party beginning at 6:30pm at the National Museum of Industrial History and continue at 7:30pm at Charter Arts with a screening of Calendar Girls, a coming-of-age story about Florida’s most dedicated dance team for women over 60 – The Calendar Girls. The party includes finger foods and beer from Lehigh Valley locals Retriever Brewing Company and a $10 admission covers the party and movie screening. Stick around after the screening for a Q&A with Lehigh Valley native Donna Andersen-Allio of Calendar Girls!
The festival continues throughout the week with additional screenings Wednesday through Saturday, including the always-popular blocks of independent short films from across the globe. Movie-goers can also chat with visiting filmmakers after screenings or grab a meal at a local restaurant and take advantage of the Festival’s Flash Your Pass discounts for fest-goers.
Other festival highlights include:
- The late night screening featuring a newly restored release from Kino Lorber of Brian Trenchard-Smith’s classic thriller Stunt Rock at 11pm at Touchstone Theatre.
- A day of all LGBTQ+-focused films screening on Thursday, June 16th with representatives from Lehigh Valley’s Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and the Lehigh Valley Gay Journal
- The Automat, a documentary about historic cafeteria chain Horn and Hardart, which was the blueprint for Starbucks and has a legacy that continues today. Featuring Mel Brooks, Colin Powell, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
- Game 11, a narrative short filmed in Allentown by DeSales University graduate Vernard James, Mountains We Climb, a documentary short about a cyclist from Doylestown, Chris Baccash, and Wings, and animated short by Lehigh Valley native Jill Yapsuga.
- The festival concludes on Saturday evening with a 7:20pm screening of Only In Theatres, a heartfelt ode to the Laemmle Theatres, a beloved 84-year-old art house cinema chain in Los Angeles at Charter Arts ($10 admission, free with all access pass). Following the screening the Festival invites attendees to celebrate another successful year at the Closing Night Party beginning at 9pm at Color Me Mine. Food and drinks are included in party admission ($10 admission, free with all access pass).
About the SouthSide Film Festival
The SouthSide Film Festival is an annual five-day event featuring international films, guest filmmakers, juried selections, locally produced films, and networking opportunities for filmmakers and fans of independent film. The SouthSide Film Festival is a program of The SouthSide Film Institute, a not-for-profit volunteer-run organization promoting the art of the independent filmmaker. For more information visit ssff.org.
Media Contact
Glenn Koehler
Vice President
SouthSide Film Institute
[email protected]