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The Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival, presented by the Waverly Community House and supported by the F. Lammot Belin Arts Foundation, has announced its official program selections for this year&rsquo;s festival, slated for April 17 and 18. All films will be shown at The Ritz Theater and Performing Arts Center, located at 222 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton.
				Dedicated to nurturing emerging and independent filmmakers from Northeast Pennsylvania and around the world, the two-day festival correspondingly promotes cultural awareness and appreciation of film as an art form by exposing local audiences to unique and original cinema. Now in its fourth year, the Festival&rsquo;s growing reputation is built on a commitment to offer the region access to new and independently produced films by a wide range of emerging and established filmmakers.
				The 2021 NEPA Film Festival will offer comedy and drama feature films, documentaries, shorts from around the world, films from local NEPA filmmakers and the ever-popular Mystery Box Challenge.
				Tickets to the Festival can be purchased on nepafilmfestival.com and at the Waverly Community House. One-day passes for either day are $15.
				The Festival is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The NEPA Film Festival is sponsored by Toyota of Scranton, The Robert and Virginia McGregor Family, Scranton Tomorrow, NEPA Film Society, Peoples Security Bank and Karam Orthodontics. Media support is provided by Lamar Advertising and VIA.
				On Saturday, April 17th:
				The comedy feature film &ldquo;Ape Canyon&rdquo; will be shown from noon to 1:15 p.m. The story follows Cal Piker and his sister Samantha as they head out on a Big-foot hunting adventure and encounter many obstacles. Directed by Joshua Land and Victor Fink.
				The following shorts beginning at 1:45 pm:
				&ldquo;The Gear.&rdquo; The theme of this animation is creativity and innovation to drive an industry. Directed by Omid Seifi.
				&ldquo;The Boy Hero.&rdquo; This film raises awareness of childhood cancer through an unlikely friendship that forms over an art project. Directed by Kyle Thompson.
				&ldquo;Ontario.&rdquo; Parents announce their impending divorce on route to a family beach vacation. Directed by Eliza Good.
				&ldquo;Zoe In Review.&rdquo; An emotionally fractured woman examines her past in search of answers for her present entanglement. Directed by Stacy Larkins.
				&ldquo;So It Goes.&rdquo; A dictator with an orange for a face becomes the new symbol of fascism.as the color orange morphs into the ultimate hue of hate and destruction. Directed by Jim Hall.
				&ldquo;Chasing Sparks.&rdquo; A boy chases inspiration until he finds the need to have something more: an original idea. Directed by Lucas Moreira.
				&ldquo;Doesn&rsquo;t Fall Far&rdquo; for Mature Audiences. One Friday night. Two exposed secrets. Three lives changed forever. Directed by Joshua Michael Payne.
				The Drama Feature film &ldquo;Playing with Beethoven&rdquo; will be shown from 3 to 4:45 p.m. The day before a life-changing competition. A young concert pianist is lured away from the security of his practice space under the spell of a free-spirited young woman and learns that life, like his music, is all about taking risks. Directed by Jenn Page.
				Films, Awards and Question & Answer Sessions from this year&rsquo;s Mystery Box Challenge will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m., with seating opening at 5:30 p.m.
				This year&rsquo;s film festival challenged film makers to create a short film from scratch showcasing the items contained in a &ldquo;mystery box.&rdquo; Each mystery box contained a character name, a line of dialogue, a prop, a type of location, a plot element, a wardrobe item and a choice of three movie genres. The challenge required inclusion of a specific &ldquo;shot&rdquo; as well as a &ldquo;product placement item&rdquo; from Pennsylvania.
				The films include the following:
				&ldquo;Bailey&rsquo;s Invitation&rdquo; by Vinnie Langdon III
				&ldquo;Ghost Jumper&rdquo; by Trisha Thompson
				&ldquo;The Pitch&rdquo; by Somber Lotus Films
				&ldquo;The Last Escape&rdquo; by Route 22 Filmworks
				&ldquo;The Good Times&rdquo; by T.W.F.C. 
				&ldquo;Dog Fight&rdquo; by James Felcon
				&ldquo;Ambivalence&rdquo; by IHMA
				&ldquo;Johann: A Retrospective&rdquo; by Todd Klepp/Federated Monkey Studios 
				&ldquo;Tenth Dimension&rdquo; by Desiree Films 
				&ldquo;Movie Marathon&rdquo; by WEV3 Pictures
				&ldquo;In the Night&rdquo; by C Stands for Cinema
				&ldquo;The Will&rdquo; by Anthony Cutro
				On Sunday, April 18th:
				The following International Shorts begin at noon:
				&ldquo;The Quiet&rdquo; When an astronaut ponders on the quietude of space, he comes upon a startling self-realization. Directed by Radheya Jegatheva.
				&ldquo;Coffin Decolette&rdquo; This film highlights the suffering of an impoverished middle-class Egyptian child bride. Directed by Nancy Kamal.
				&ldquo;iRony&rdquo; A film that explores the relationship between man and technology&#8230;told from the perspective of a phone. Directed by Radheya Jegatheva.
				The following Documentaries will be shown from 12:45 to 3:15 pm:
				&ldquo;Made In America&rdquo; Made in America explores and compares the effect of trauma on the veteran community and the Urban Black community. Directed by Kevin Bryce
				&ldquo;Mark Jury&rdquo; This documentary follows the journey of Mark Jury, acclaimed Vietnam veteran, photo journalist and filmmaker as he battles PTSD, enters treatment, and discovers a way to move on from his past. A 10-minute Q & A with Director John Mikulak immediately follows.
				&ldquo;Hanson&rsquo;s Park&rdquo; This documentary features the entertainment, food, rides, boating and camping that was once Hanson&rsquo;s Amusement Park, located in Harvey&rsquo;s Lake, Pennsylvania. Directed by Thomas Novotney, Jr.
				The following Local NEPA Films will be shown from 3:30 to 4:30 pm:
				&ldquo;Charlie Chaplin&rsquo;s Body&rdquo; for Mature Audiences This R-rated comedy laughably based on real events, finds two unemployed mechanics trying to blackmail Charlie Chaplin&rsquo;s family for the return of his stolen remains. Directed by Jeff Boam.
				&ldquo;The Back Breakers&rdquo; A portrait of a small independent wrestling promotion in Archbald. Pennsylvania and the unique people involved. Directed by Alexander Monelli.
				&ldquo;Sing to Me&rdquo; A short film about the beautiful and intimate experience of two friends that use the power of love and friendship to help cope with loss and grief. Directed by Luz Cabrales.
				For more information on the NEPA Film Festival visit nepafilmfestival.com. For more information on the Waverly Community House, visit the website: waverlycomm.org. To learn more about our host venue, The Ritz Theater and Performing Arts Center, visit ritzpac.com.

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