First Take Short Series

2025 approx 2 hr

Join us as we celebrate the work of local filmmakers with another installment of the First Take Shorts Series. Our diverse lineup will feature some of the best independently produced works by local filmmakers, who range from students to seasoned professionals. Supported by a grant courtesy of the Vesta Fund.

Followed by a Q&A and awards ceremony with the filmmakers. Garden, County, and Ambler screenings will feature different shorts – catch all three! Free for Members.

To Orbit Around A Dying Star
15 min - dir. Justin O' Neill
A college student is forced to come to terms with his family's cycle of addiction during his 21st birthday.

Shed
4 min - dir. David Esposito, Ryan Crepack
Tensions rise as neighbors debate ownership of a shed.

Gardener of the Galaxy
11 min - dir. Nick Natalicchio
World renowned astrophysicist and planetary scientist Dr. Edward Guinan reflects on his life, work, and involvement in the “Red Thumbs Mars Garden Project” at Villanova University, which experiments with growing sustainable food sources on Mars.

A.P.O.
3 min - dir. Trevor Muller
A found footage horror short.

The Dennis Boys
7 min - dir. Stephen Arthur Schaffer
A family drama about two brothers with conflicting ideologies regarding the care of their sick mother.

Room Tone
19 min - dir. Tatyana Yassukovich
A sound man who lives in a version of his own silent movie, finds himself on a set of an all female crew.

Stay.
2 min - dir. Carter Betau
A young woman reflects on love, heartbreak, and the weight of a life-changing decision in the wake of a heated argument with her boyfriend.

Star Dust
5 min - dir. Alexa Cristoaica
In the celestial meadows of space, a star shepherd helps his eldest star embrace its fading light, revealing the cycle that sparks new life.

Hazy, Hot & Stupid
13 min - dir. Tony McCall
A pair of people experience some interesting, fleeting moments in Pleasantville, New Jersey.

Director Various

Country USA

Language English