Media Film Festival a celebration of independent films, storytelling
Plus, Jones award banquet honors exemplary community leaders
MEDIA » The 2023 Media Film Festival spotlights a three-day event of world-class independent short films from Thursday, March 30 to Saturday, April 1, which will delight audiences with exceptional storytelling for its 16th groundbreaking year. It is an eminent program of the Media Arts Council.
The historic Media Theatre will roll out the red carpet for the lineup of 47 films highlighting outstanding local, national and global talent.
Their films have all been chosen from over 100 submissions. International filmmakers who hail from Ukraine, Canada, Iran, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, and the Netherlands, will join homegrown talent from Media, Philadelphia, Pottstown and West Chester.
The program features diverse genres, including drama, comedy, documentary, experimental, animation and a student film, as well as the everpopular Fright Fest on Friday at 10 p.m. with its 10 horror films. Evening viewings of regular screenings begin at 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m.
Marking its sweet 16, the festival is a critically acclaimed event that continues to emerge as a vital cultural happening that hails from the Delaware Valley. The festival mirrors the growth and vibrancy of Media, “Everybody’s Hometown” with its celebration of the arts.
Film enthusiasts will revel in viewing local notable films, which include “Solidarity,” a movie by Philadelphia director Mark Mazzeo.
It tells the tale of workers Reilly and Darwin who hear about office budget cuts and agree to act in solidarity to save their jobs.
Global offerings include “The Banishment,” a 20-minute film from Turkish director Yilmaz Özdil and “Shut,” a submission from the Dutch director Niels Bourgonje.
The festival co-chairs for 2023 are Brad Sukala and Darryl Ridgeway. The Fright Fest co-chairs are Karen Chiarini and Lisa Pietras.
The next generation of imaginative moviemakers is fostered by the Media Youth Film Initiative. Since 2012, the initiative has been giving area teens the opportunity to learn filmmaking first-hand.
Young storytellers have taken on thought-provoking topics for over a decade. This year’s feature, “Cassie’s World,” from director Luca Bevilacqua, tells the story of a girl who seeks salvation in a virtual utopia after the death of her mother. The film opens the festival on March 30 at 7 p.m.
Over $1,000 in cash prizes will be presented April 1 after the regular screening evening program. The Aruffo-Rim jury awards will also be presented and followed by the coveted Golden Trolley grand prize. Award winners will be posted on the festival website.
Tickets for a single program at the festival cost $15. Daily passes are $25 and a pass for the three days is $50.
All films are screened at the Media Theatre of the Performing Arts, 104 E. State St. To purchase tickets online and for more information visit http:// www.mediafilmfestival.org.
The festival is produced by volunteers of the Media Arts
Council, a registered nonprofit organization with a mission to actively support local artists and integrate a wide range of arts into the life of the community.
MAC’s new gallery is located at 11 E. State St. MAC’s supporters include the borough, PNC Arts Alive, Morris Brothers Investments, Rhile Carpentry and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union.
More current programming and events can be found at http://mediaartscouncil.org.
Public invited to local frog walk
Biologist Garrett White will host a Frog Walk at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum on Thursday, March 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Frog calls are unique to each species. Those who participate in this after-hours walk can learn some common frog calls of the spring. Red light flashlights are recommended.
No registration is needed. Rain date is Wednesday, April 19 from 8 to 9 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/heinz.
Jones Scholarship banquet celebrates local leaders
Three hundred and fifty community members will celebrate the legacies of Isiah Jones Sr. and Tommie Lee Jones on Saturday, March 18.
These venerated citizens of Chester devoted their lives to their neighbors. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, they mentored young people, provided food and other basic necessities to their neighbors, advocated for governmental reform, and supported runaways and foster youth.
In the 1970s, Tommie Lee and Isiah Jones founded the Black Youth Society, which later became Youth in Action.
They established a food distribution site in Chester and pressed the state government to release more food supplies into Chester. By the end of that decade, they had collaborated with county officials to offer over 200 summer jobs to the youth of Chester.
In the 1980s, they established the first Youth Aid Panel, to keep first time youth offenders out of prison.
They served over 500 Chester families through clothing and food drives. And, they were instrumental in organizing the First Black Youth Olympics at Franklin Field & Cheyney University. Chester’s team placed third overall. They then saved Penn Day Care from closing, ensuring high quality childcare for working families in Chester. They advocated for changes to Interstate 495 and Route 291 planning, which spurred economic development in Chester.
In the 1990s, they were recognized by the National Runaway Association in Washington for establishing Safe House for Youth Runaway Victims.
They also served on the statewide advisory panel that advocated for legislation that would address the social and economic issues faced by the community of Chester.
There are generations of Chester residents who remember Isiah Sr. and Tommie Lee as self-less leaders. They left a lasting legacy. Many of the young people that they mentored have gone on to become engaged and active citizens that are paying it forward to the next generation of young people in Chester.
The event will honor those who are carrying on the Jones’ legacies with the following
awards:
• Overcoming Obstacles Award: DaNiah Brown, Dontae Bennir Caldwell-Wright
• Educator of the Year: Robin Taylor
• Tommie Lee Jones and Ike Jones Sr. Legacy Award: LaDontay Bell, Tracie Burns, Ralph Dorsey, Mark Freeman, Elaine Greene-Upton, Bruce Jones, Dr. Denise Purnell-Cuff, Josette Richardson and Charles Thompson
Isiah Jones Jr., founder of the Jones Scholarship Fund, said, “For decades, people in Chester have been telling me about all the good that my parents did in their lives. They helped people get jobs. They helped people get into college. They helped people turn their lives around. Now, many of the young people who were part of the Black Youth Society and Youth in Action are community leaders, themselves. We are seeing a ripple effect, throughout the generations.”
The 2023 Jones Scholarship Banquet is sold out.
But, the public can still make donations to the Scholarship Fund through The Community’s Foundation at https://tinyurl.com/TCFJonesScholarships.
Event proceeds will be invested into the next generation of Chester-Upland leaders. In fall 2023, students in the Chester-Upland community will be invited to apply for Jones Scholarships, which will help
defray the cost of their undergraduate education.
The Jones Scholarship Fund is a program of The Community’s Foundation based in Springfield that provides administrative and financial services to community-minded groups in Delaware County. The foundation’s aim is to empower everyday citizens to take philanthropy into their own hands.
More information on The Community’s Foundation can be found at http:// www.TCFhelps.org/.
Collenbrook Church offers free meals monthly
Collenbrook United Church, 5290 Township Line Road, Drexel Hill, has returned to offering free community meals on the last Saturday of every month from noon to 2 p.m.
The in-person meals provide home cooked meals and fellowship.
The next meal days are Saturdays, March 25 and April 29. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 610-789-9590 or email meals@collenbrookunited. org.