Media Film Festival to feature local, far-flung creative talent

Get your popcorn ready: The annual Media Film Festival, which showcases a slew of independent short films, is coming to town next month.

Now in its 19th year, the festival is run by the Media Arts Council and strives to showcase the quality of independent filmmaking while connecting filmmakers with their peers, industry professionals and audiences.

Film enthusiasts can attend any combination of three screenings at this year’s festival. The first is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 13 at the Delaware County Institute of Science. That screening will feature eight films, from filmmakers as local as Philadelphia and as far away as Iran. The Iranian film, “Like Friend, Like Deer,” tells the story of a wildlife ranger who kills an illegal hunter during a confrontation, exploring the deep connection between humans, animals and the environment they share.

The second screening will take place at 3 p.m. on March 14 at The Media Theatre and will feature eight films — some with a local flavor. For example, in “Flowers, Birds & Dad,” a grieving filmmaker on Super Bowl Sunday connects with Philadelphians at a local florist over a shared love for their favorite football team.

At 7 p.m. on March 14 will be the final screening and awards, showcasing eight films from a variety of locations. The longest film at that screening is “Orchards of a Futile Heaven,” in which a scavenger living on the fringes of a war-ravaged world risks everything to reunite with her lost son.

Each screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers. Tickets cost $20 for each individual screening, or $45 for all three.