WAVERLY — The F. Lammot Belin Arts Foundation at the Waverly Community House announced the first-ever Belin Film Festival, will run from Friday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 16, giving members of the public access to a variety of related workshops and panel discussions, including workshops in screenwriting and editing.

The festival is designed to allow emerging and independent filmmakers to showcase their movies to a live audience for critical review, allowing the public to screen a variety of unique, original films written, produced and directed by independent and emerging filmmakers from around the world as well as this corner of Northeast Pennsylvania. Its goal is to offer the region access to new and independently produced films by a wide range of emerging filmmakers and to provide a platform for the filmmakers to show their work.

The over-arching theme of the festival is “Heritage and Inheritance.” All submissions will be screened prior to public viewing for artistic and technical merit.

The Belin Film Festival will be anchored at the Waverly Community House (Comm), 1115 North Abington Road, with screenings at the Comm, the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock and the Theatre at Lackawanna College in Scranton.

The Belin Film Festival categories included to date are as follows:

1. Narrative Short Form Under 60 Minutes

2. Narrative Long Form Over 60 Minutes

3. Documentary Long and Short

4. Lackawanna Underground: A short form under 10 minutes for filmmakers nurtured and filming in Lackawanna County. Presenters anticipate that this will attract short pieces, anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes, on the rich history of the Underground Railroad and the coal mines, as well as discrete cultural roots. These will be made available within Lackawanna County following the festival.

5. Foreign Film Short Film Under 60 Minutes: Submissions will be accepted beginning six months in advance of the festival for “early bird” submissions and as late as two month prior. An advisory committee will select films for viewing based upon specific criteria including artistic merit, theme, originality and technical presentation.

6. Lackawanna/Luzerne Spotlight: Filmmakers who were either born in or currently living in the Lackawanna or Luzerne regions will receive a special discount.

7. Female Directors/Screenwriters: To be eligible, at least three of the following key creative roles must have been filled by women: writer, producer, director, cinematographer, editor, composer, lead performer (one woman may serve in more than one role). Films must reflect these credits in their submitted material.

Films must be submitted through Withoutabox. For more information, go to belinfestival.com, visit the festival Facebook page or call Alexandra MacNamara at 570-862-1743.

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For Abington Journal

Information provided by the Waverly Community House.