The Centre Film Festival is a week-long celebration of film and conversation connecting local voices with global ones through media arts, workshops and masterclasses. The Centre Film Festival brings multigenerational stories to the screen.

Schedule Of Events

Nov 11,2024

6:30 Pm - The Masterpiece + Running On Sand at The State Theater

Join us for Opening Night at the 2024 Centre Film Festival. Nominated for four Israeli Academy Awards, RUNNING ON SAND will be preceded by Sundance Short Film Grand Jury Prize winner, THE MASTERPIECE. Both films take an unflinching look at human rights, refugees, and economic injustice. Directors Alex Lora and Adar Shafran in conversation after their films screen at the State Theatre.

Nov 12,2024

2:00 Pm - Mediha + Afterward
"Oscar Winner Emma Thompson Joins ‘Mediha’ Team, Documentary On Yazidi Girl Who Survived ISIS Captivity. In a statement, Thompson said, 'what Mediha has had to face is overwhelming. One wonders how she survived it all — but she did and at the tender age of 18, she is heroically doing the essential work of bringing her perpetrator to justice and becoming an advocate for the Yazidi people. I couldn’t be prouder of her — and of the remarkable work Hasan has done to bring her story to light. It makes me proud to be human and it’s not often I can say that.'

6:30 Pm - Holey + Bad Shabbos at The State Theater
Kyra Sedgewick and Method Man join a hilarious cast in BAD SHABBOS. The sacred and profane collide in Holey .It's a night of dark comedy around the family table. Join directors Daniel Robbins and Bavly Soliman in a discussion after their unorthodox films screen.

Nov 13,2024

6:30 Pm - Tattooed4life at The State Theater

Liraz, a survivor of the NOVA party massacre in Israel, wields her tattoo needle as a weapon against pain. Each inked line becomes a thread of healing, stitching together the woundsleft by that fateful October 7th. Through her art, she finds solace and helps others find theirs.

6:30 Pm - Bye Bye Tiberias at The State Theater

In her early twenties, Hiam Abbass left her native Palestinian village to follow her dream of becoming an actress in Europe, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and seven sisters. Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Lina returns with her to the village and questions for the first time her mother’s bold choices, her chosen exile and the way the women in their family influenced both their lives.

4:00 Pm - Hippo at Carnegie Cinema

Hippo, a peculiar adolescent, and his Hungarian step-sister Buttercup struggle to come of age in late 1990s America, under the roof of a mother who has been institutionalized at least once.

Nov 14,2024

6:30 Pm - Dovbushv at The State Theater

In the early eighteenth century, foreign rule means dark times for the Hutsuls of the Carpathians. The two Dovbush brothers become opryshkos - mountain outlaws. But the two brothers become enemies - one cares only about money, the other - Oleksa - fights for his people. The Carpathians are convulsed with a wave of uprisings. The aristocracy uses its military might to try to kill Dovbush and destroy his legend. But Dovbush outwits them. The desperate lords devise a devious plan and attack the invincible outlaw's Achilles heel - his love for his childhood sweetheart, Marichka. Who will be the assassin to attack the Opryshko whose immense strength and bravery inspired folk tales? Will the lords' treacherous plan destroy the hero before he can lead his people to freedom.

Nov 15,2024

12:00 Pm - Sugarcane + Happy Thanksgiving at Foster Auditorium at Paterno Library

"The revelations of Sugarcane are many, but perhaps the most shocking one is the evidence that the film-makers bring forth that infanticide was practiced at this school, where the bodies of children of women abused by Catholic priests were incinerated on school grounds. As it turns out, this horrific discovery has serious implications for co-director Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose father, Archie, may have been the only survivor of these events. Julian makes the courageous decision to place himself into the movie, and we see father and son slowly work through years of estrangement and decades of history to learn the facts about how Archie came into this world. "This film is also about the resilience and the love of the community and the families that you see here," said NoiseCat.

6:30 Pm - We Should Eat at Rowland Theatre

When a family gathers for dinner and to be part of a 12-year-old’s school project on identity, people rethink who they are and what they want to eat.

6:30 Pm - 3.400kg + We Strangers at Rowland Theatre

A middle-aged woman struggling with obesity faces a critical decision when her pursuit of a life-changing gastric bypass surgery takes an unexpected turn. On the verge of qualifying for the insurance-covered procedure, she suffers a debilitating stroke. Now, she must make a life-altering choice: follow a strict diet to prevent another stroke or consume high-fat foods to reach the weight required by her insurance, further endangering her health.

Nov 16,2024

12:00 Pm - Made In Pa: Local, In Short at Rowland Theatre

Support local filmmaking! Watch shorts that are Made in PA and meet some of the local filmmakers.

Join us for a Q and A after the film with visiting directors, Tony Buba.

12:00 Pm - Through The Storm at Rowland Theatre

The Red Lake Nation High School football team becomes a symbol of hope, unity, and resilience for the entire community.

12:pm - Rodeo Girls at Rowland Theatre
In Texas, where rodeo is an institution, three very young girls immerse themselves in the tough world of this spectacular and dangerous sport, proving that it is not just for men.

4:00 Pm - Driver at Rowland Theatre
DRIVER is a soulful exploration of resolute female long-haul truck drivers pursuing validation for their hard-earned work as they navigate the oppressive forces in their industry. Employing an intimate lens, Nesa Azimi’s first feature brings the audience into a community of solidarity and self-determination.

4:00 Pm Every 85 Minutes at Rowland Theatre
A day in the pandemic life of Deana, an Army veteran in Las Vegas struggling with PTSD and MST (Military Sexual Trauma) along with the isolation and disillusionment many felt. When memories of her assault are triggered she battles with the choice of ending it all or getting help.

4:00 Pm - Seeds at Rowland Theatre
Ziggy is offered her first gig as an online influencer, promoting for Nature’s Oath, a seed and fertilizer company. When her cousin summons her back to the rez, she is forced into a battle to save her people’s legacy, finding her power along the way. Written, directed and starring Kaniehtiio Horn. Also starring Graham Greene.

4:00 Pm - Cut Me If You Can + Sleeping Alone at Rowland Theatre
Stuck in the loop of a horror B-movie, two black stereotyped characters decide to up the script. But the film has other plans.

Nov 17,2024

4:00 Pm - Three (Extra) Ordinary Women At The State Theater
Through Captivating Images Of Mount Kilimanjaro And Eye-Catching Animation, Three (Extra)Ordinary Women Tells The Personal Stories Of Three Women Of Color Who Have Collectively Overcome Poverty, Abuse, Systemic Racism, And Political Occupation Through Practicing Forgiveness, Helping Others And Immersing Themselves In Nature. As They Brave Their Biggest Physical Obstacle Yet – Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - Trekking Up Africa’s Tallest Peak Through Arctic Temperatures And Some Of The Highest Altitude On The Planet, They Discover They Still Have Emotional Hurdles To Climb.

4:00 Pm - A Runner's High + It Will Be Different At The State Theater
Finding Himself At Rock Bottom, Kallup. Mccoy Il Finds The Strength Within Himself To Face His Personal Demons And Generational Trauma Head On.

1:30 Pm - Home At The State Theater
A Young And Recently Married Orthodox Man's Dream To Open A Computer Store In An Ultra-Orthodox Neighborhood In Jerusalem Turns Into A Violent Nightmare When The Entire Neighborhood Sees Him As An Existential Threat. Turning His Whole World Upside Down, The Threat Enters His Home And Puts His Marriage To The Test, As He Faces The Reality Of His Own Free Will Within A Predetermined World.

1:30 Pm - A Body Called Life At The State Theater
A Self-Isolated Young Human Known As "James" Delves Into The Hidden World Of Microscopic Organisms, Forging A Tender Connection With These Nearly Invisible Creatures And Developing A Massive Online Following, As He Seeks To Understand His Own Place In The Cosmos And Accept The Scars Of His Past.

1:30 Pm - Gardener Of The Galaxy At The State Theater
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.

3:30 Pm - Short And Proud At The State Theater
It's Pride On Screen At The Centre Film Festival! Watch Shorts From Around The World And Meet The Filmmakers.

Join Us For A Q And A After The Film With Visiting Filmmakers Rani Crowe, Ashley Seering, And Taylor James.

Date:Nov 11-17,2024

Locations:

State Theatre, 130 West College Avenue, State College, PA 16801
Rowland Theatre, 127 North Front Street, Philipsburg, PA 16866
Foster Auditorium at Paterno Library, 102 Paterno Library, State College, PA 16801
Carnegie Cinema, 113 Carnegie Building (Penn State University), University Park, PA 16802

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