| Location | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founded by | Jeff Vaclavik, Graham Stanford, Sally Handlon, Rob Dougherty |
| Festival date | June |
| Website | Official website |
The SouthSide Film Festival is an annual non-competitive, not-for-profit film festival that takes place each June in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. [1] The festival features locally produced as well as international films, guest filmmakers, juried selections, and seminars for filmmakers and fans. [1] The first festival took place in 2004. [2]
The "SouthSide" refers to the area of the city on the south side of the Lehigh River which was home to Bethlehem Steel and underwent redevelopment in the early 2000s. [3] [4]
From its inception through 2021, the festival had screened close to 1,600 independent films from 102 countries and 47 states of the U.S. [5] The festival focuses on independent filmmaking and features Invitational Films and Juried Selections, [1] a highlighted genre, and a highlighted cultural region. The annual festival also includes filmmaking workshops to teach techniques and concepts. Teachers have included Mel Halbach and Clayton Farr of FilmTreks, [6] Shanti Thakur of Hofstra University, and Pawel Partyka of Se-ma-for animation studio.
Film screenings take place on the campus of Lehigh University, [7] in alternative venues such as Godfrey Daniels Listening Club and Deja Brew Coffeehouse, [8] [9] in Touchstone Theatre, the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, PBS39, Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema, and the National Museum of Industrial History. [1] [7] [9]
At the 2025 festival, more than 80 independent films were shown in three different locations around Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. [10]
The 2026 festival, from June 10-13, will mark the festival's 22nd year. [9] [1] [7]
It is the longest running film festival in Bethlehem. [11] [1]
The festival's logo pays homage to that industrial heritage by including a representation of a blast furnace, still highly visible in Bethlehem. [12]
The SouthSide Film Festival and its host organization, The SouthSide Film Institute, have received grants and awards including a Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission Organization of the Year award [13] which noted "By providing access to independent films for the public, creating a venue for film enthusiasts and filmmakers to come together, and mounting a children's film series, (the SouthSide Film Festival is) developing an appreciation for film as an art form and contributing to a thriving arts scene in Bethlehem that benefits the Lehigh Valley." The festival awards The Linny and Beall Fowler Audience Award that honors the audience’s favorite film. [5]