Act 1 Presents the 25th Anniversary DeSales University Film Festival

The School of Performing Arts presents the 25th Anniversary DeSales University Film Festival, premiering on Saturday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. in person at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts and also with the films streaming online.

Tickets for the live performance are $18 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. DeSales students can purchase tickets for $8. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center Box Office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting desales.edu/act1. The DUFF films stream that night as well, promptly at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the streamed premiere are $15 per viewer.

An exciting showcase of world premiere films, the DeSales University Film Festival features the emerging voices of film directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, designers, editors, animators, and actors in the DeSales TV/film department. The event also includes photo highlight segments, showcasing beautiful and compelling art by the talented photographers of the TV/film department and the entire University.

As part of the 25 years of DUFF celebration, the festival will feature three free screenings during the week leading up to the event on March 29 with three local charities benefitting. Battle Borne, Animal Food Bank, and Valley Youth House will be featured individually at the screenings. All three are open to the public, with no tickets required. Everyone who attends is asked to make a donation to the sponsored nonprofit organization each night.

On Tuesday, March 25, films that were strong contenders for the festival but ultimately not selected will be shown (DUFF B-Sides). The featured charity is Battle Borne, which supports veterans and their families, helping individuals deal with mental, emotional, and physical trauma, as well as substance abuse and everyday life challenges.

The DUFF Documentary Showcase will be shown on Wednesday, March 26, and will support the Animal Food Bank of the LV, which distributes pet food to those experiencing economic distress with the goal of keeping pets in their homes.

Finally on Friday, March 28, DUFF will host a Guest Artist Film Screening and Q-and-A session with writer/director and Festival Awards Adjudicator Blake Winston Rice. The screening will benefit Valley Youth House, which uses customized programs to meet the needs of vulnerable young people in communities.

Other charities will have tables displayed at the festival, including Bloom, The Kindness Project, Turning Point, Allentown Food Bank, Alternative Gallery, and the Arts & Cultural Alliance. These tables will have information and opportunities to give. And 100% of all proceeds from merchandise sales at the festival will be donated to the charities.

Films in the festival will compete for Best Overall Film or the DUFFY, as well as Best Performance, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Editing/Sound Design, and the award for Audience Choice.

For the first time, three alumni of the DeSales TV/film program served as the jury to select the films in the festival. J.C. Falcon from the class of 2018 is a Los Angeles-based director of photography with a passion for visual storytelling; Jackie Fiorillo, a member of the class of 2020, is a writer, director, and intimacy coordinator based in Savannah, GA; and Buddy Greenbaum from the class of 2016 is a videographer and editor at LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

In addition to his screening, award-winning film director and screenwriter Rice serves as DUFF Awards Adjudicator. He began his career in front of the camera as an actor and comedian before transitioning to narrative directing in 2018.

In 2024, Rice premiered his breakout film, the 1990s dramedy “Tea” (starring Michael Gandolfini), in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. “Tea” has been selected into 13 Oscar-qualifying film festivals, winning awards at Charlotte, Hollyshorts, Yellowstone International, Bushwick, and Micheaux Film Festivals. The film has Patty Jenkins serving as an executive producer.

For the DUFF photo competition, photographer and OM System (formerly Olympus) Ambassador Frank T. Smith will judge student entries. Smith is a self-taught photographer who specializes in outdoor and architectural photography.