The 2021 ReadingFilmFEST 4-day festival ended on Sunday, October 3rd with an awards ceremony honoring the best films of the festival followed by a Celebration of Reading’s Latin Community.
Mayor Eddie Moran offered a proclamation honoring the festival as …. “The ReadingFilmFEST has evolved and set the standard for the City’s thriving film industry with its dedicated category of locally – filmed productions Made in Reading; and the ReadingFilmFEST uplifts and supports aspiring filmmakers, actors, and movie enthusiasts by going beyond the festival weekend with year-round programming; and the ReadingFilmFEST also leaves a substantial impact on its attendees by featuring films that highlight social issues such as racism, gender identity, minority ethnicities, and women empowerment, among others, and the City of Reading and I take immense pride in the evolution, growth and national recognition the ReadingFilmFEST have gained, becoming the most important one in our region.” Eddie Moran, Mayor of Reading
The WH Dance Academy wowed the audience with incredible dancing followed by salsa music by Pancho Bongo Y Su Orquesta. The event was free to the public thanks to support from the Reading Musical Foundation and The City of Reading. “It was a true celebration that honored both our visiting filmmakers and the local community” remarked Cammie Harris, Executive Director.
This year’s festival included a number of collaborations including a presentation of LunaFEST with the Reading Chapter of AAUW, a pop-up art show with Reading Artists Collective, events for filmmakers at Reading Film Studio, a script reading with Reading Theater Project, as well as more than 80 films screened at the GoggleWorks Boscov Theatre and R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX.
“The quality of films received this year was incredible. There was definitely something for every film lover across genres” stated Creative Director Tracy Schott. The award winners included:
- People’s Choice Best in Show – WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
- People’s Choice of Reading – THE STAKEOUT
- Best Narrative Feature Film – SIMIN by Morteza Atash Zamzam
- Best Documentary – INTO THE CANYON by Pete McBride
- Best Documentary by a Female Filmmaker – THE VOW FROM HIROSHIMA by Susan Strickler
- Social Impact Award – NO TIME TO WASTE: The Urgent Mission of Betty Reid Soskin by Carl Bidleman
- Best Made in Reading Film – FOLLOW ME AND I WILL BE BEHIND YOU by Kyle Allison and Taryn Habel
- Best Short Film – DUET by Mika Orr
- Best Short Film by a Female Filmmaker – JABARI KEATING by Stacey Larkins
- Best Screenplay – LOVE IS A FOOT, Michael LaFata
- Best of StudentFEST –THE FINAL MASTERPIECE by Patrick Hanser
- Best Cinematography in a Feature – Morteza Atash Zamzam, SIMIN
- Best Cinematography in a Short Film – Mika Orr, DUET
- Best Music / Scoring – Mojtaba Poorbakhsh, GOODBYE OLYMPIC
- Best Actress in a Feature – Amelia Dudley, NIGHT AT THE EAGLE INN
- Best Actor in a Feature (tie) – Bret Lada and Dustin Fontaine, ANDY BAKER TAPES
- Best Actress in a Short – Carlotta Brentan, I’LL MEET YOU THERE,
- Best Actor in a Short – “The Journalist”, I AM AN AMERICAN
- 2nd place Best Actress in a Feature – Laleh Eskandari (mother), SIMIN
- 2nd place Best Actor in a Feature – Superior Guard, MANDATORY
- 2nd Place Best Actress in a Short – Kate Hughs, LIFE HAPPENS AND THEN YOU CRY
- 2nd place Best Actor in a Short (tie):
- Oscar Clitheroe, THE GANGBUSTER and
- “Superior Guard”, MANDATORY
- 2nd place Screenplay – PENN HILLS RESORT, Phil Burdette
- 3rd place Screenplay – IFFY MURPHY by Sara Hosey
ReadingFilmFEST is supported by grants from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, The Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, Berks County Community Foundation, Berks Community Action Program, The Holleran Foundation, Berks Arts Council, The City of Reading, and the Reading Musical Foundation. Major sponsors included Alvernia University, Sweet Street, Visions Credit Union, East Penn, Penske, Performance Toyota, West Reading, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, R/C Movies 11 & IMAX, plus dozens of other businesses who lent their support to the festival.
The festival organizers are already looking forward to 2022. “It’s not too early to learn how you can get involved in next year’s event! It takes an army of volunteers and the support of the community to make this happen!” says Ms. Harris. “A big thank you to everyone who came out this year!”
For more info, visit readingfilmfest.com.
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