West Chester Film Festival

06/02/2026

Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈

This month we'd like to celebrate all those in the LGBTQ+ community.
We are happy to be partnering with the Chester County History Center on another Rustin Day of Film. This short film block offers a curated selection of LGBTQ+ and Black stories in honor of Bayard Rustin, a local activist and leader in both the civil rights and gay rights movements.

🌈Join us on June 13th!
Get your tickets today ➡ mycchc.org/rustin

05/18/2026

Films at First Sight wraps up their coverage of our 2026 Festival in the podcast linked below! They discuss the Coffee & Cartoons Pop-Up, more short films, and all the award winners. Listen at the link below, and give them a follow for more film and fest discussions!

https://filmsatfirstsight.libsyn.com/west-chester-film-festival-2026-day-three

Thanks Joe & Graham for coming to the WCFF for the first time, we hope to see you back next year!

05/14/2026

Want to see what happened during the busiest day of the 2026 WCFF? Listen to the recap of Day Two from the Films at First Sight Podcast, talking about everything from the "Celebrate Chester County 250" Pop-Up to the dozens of films shown that day. Check it out at the link below and follow them !

https://filmsatfirstsight.libsyn.com/west-chester-film-festival-2026-day-two

05/08/2026

Want to relive the Film Fest weekend? The Films at First Sight podcast is sharing recaps of each day, including discussing events, films, and much more. Find the first episode at the link below, and give them a follow wherever you listen to podcasts!

https://filmsatfirstsight.libsyn.com/west-chester-film-festival-2026-day-one

05/04/2026

Panic Switch, from local filmmaker Cameron Red Howe, wasn't just a fan favorite at this year's West Chester Film Festival—it also won the Chester Award for Best Student Film!

This stop-motion animation of a standup performance (from the popular West Chester Story Slam) features a high school teacher finding something unexpected in his classroom, with hilarious results.

And now you can watch it online! Find it at https://youtu.be/ScrB_NXAhIc?si=WKnTKvgT_wlcfr-l

Thanks Cameron for sharing your film with us!

3 likes, 1 comment. "Panic Switch (2025) | Animation Senior Thesis"

05/01/2026

Did you see the amazing banners at our Horror and Coffee & Cartoons Pop-Ups? They were made by local artist Lindsey Keller, and such a great addition to our events! Reach out if you need decorations your own celebrations!

04/30/2026

If you saw "Dare to Declare" at the WCFF this weekend and wanted to participate in their mission, there are many opportunities to get involved this year, including this one tonight at 5 pm in West Chester!

We invite you to be part of a special ceremony this Thursday, 4/30, at 5:00 pm (right before the kick-off to the Town Tours & Village Walks).

Join us and partners for Chester County Community Foundation’s Dare to Declare reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by the official America250 Bell Unveiling on the Historic Chester County Courthouse Steps! After that, head inside the Courthouse for the Town Tours Kick-off, beginning at 5:30 pm. No registration is required – and all are welcome.

We hope to see you there! 😃

04/30/2026

🌟 We are still riding waves of joy from this year's West Chester Film Festival. And we love hearing from our filmmakers, audiences, and community that they had a fantastic time too!

🌟 If you didn't know, the WCFF is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit. It is a true labor of love to bring this world-class celebration of short film to our town.

🌟 Thank you to all the volunteers, sponsors, venues, guests, filmmakers, and Friends of the Fest that have made this happen for 20 amazing seasons. We can't wait to see what lies ahead!

04/29/2026

Thank you to Craig Smith for leading this thoughtful discussion from some of our filmmakers!