The Black Bear Film Festival

The Longest Continuously-Running Film Festival in Northeast Pennsylvania

Schedule Of Events

Main Stage Sunday Feature

11:00 am - And Through The Portal We Go

Drama 1:23m

Directed by Mike Hayhurst

Director, Mike Hayhurst, brings us this clever, quirky comedy with touches of satire. Three characters, Katie (Sarah Goeke, Craig (Joseph Lymous and Mikey (Taylor Curtis), have been living with other cult members on their group journey to bring themselves to spiritual perfection, Their leader, Yom, and other followers have supposedly gone through a mystical portal in the woods, never being seen again. Each day, they wake up believing they will enter and cross over to a heavenly existence, only to find themselves in a sort of Twilight Zone, repeating the same day, over and over.

And Through the Portal We Go Tickets

12:45 - Short Block 1:22

The Suit

Drama Short 20m

Directed by Carol McCann

Grandmother and granddaughter go on a quest to find the best suit for Grandpa, despite her daughter’s offer to also assist. While looking for that ‘perfect fit’ they get to bond sharing a generational family experience, often with a different outlook from the rest of us.

Go For Grandma

Drama Short 34m

Directed by Sabrina Doyle

Inspired by the iconic 80’s fantasy films, Go For Grandma is a magical journey into the mind of a young boy who escapes a traumatic home life through the power of his imagination and his grandmother’s fables.

Bar Boy

Drama Short 20m

Directed by Bryan Powers

Gary is a realistic man in his 60’s faced with a reality that many single older people of any persuasion must confront; growing older and less ‘marketable’ in romance. When he meets 20 something, handsome Julian at a local gay bar, they both may learn from each other and find mutual respect. Black Bear is proud to have a member of our film committee, Keith LaPan, in the role of Gary.

The Purple Umbrella

Thriller Short 8m

Directed by Dennis Sema

A young, curious man becomes intrigued with the recent unsolved murders committed across the country. The only clue is the sighting of a mysterious person, face unseen, carrying a vivid purple umbrella. Our own Black Bear intern, Dennis Sema, produces, directs, and acts in the film, showing us how to craft a short indie film with little funds but clever touches of Hitchcock, Truffaut, and a bit of Film Noir.

Main Stage Short Collection Tickets

3:00 pm - Awards and Closing Ceremony