Mtn Craft Film Festival Winners Tour
September 10 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
One of this region’s most unique film festivals is bringing last year’s winners to The Lindsay!
The Mtn Craft Film Festival takes place annually in West Virginia. It’s a celebration of all things Appalachia: film, art, and even locally brewed coffee and beer. Mtn Craft is currently on the road showing off last year’s winners at various locations throughout the region.
The only Winners Tour stop in Pennsylvania will be at The Lindsay on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m. This program will feature six award-winning short films and a post-screening Q&A. Tickets are free, and we recommend RSVPing in advance via the sign-up form below due to space limitations.
“They are the cream of the crop,” says festival director Ben Berry of 2025’s winners. “I think they’re a good example of Appalachian filmmaking because there’s such a variety in these films. You’ll see animation, narrative and documentary works, showcasing the storytelling that abounds in this region.”
The Mtn Craft Film Festival accepts films from all over Appalachia that “are meant to reach a broad audience in the entire region,” says Berry. This six shorts screening at The Lindsay are:
• The Ascent (Best Scripted Short, 18min): Jared’s escape into imagination blurs with the bitter reality of survival in this stark yet tender portrait of childhood, resilience and the fragile refuge of dreams. It’s the first narrative short from Oscar-nominated documentarian Elaine McMillion Sheldon (King Coal).
• Mountain Punk Arts (Best Documentary Short, 15min): In rural Appalachia, a few punks come together to re-establish a surprisingly familiar sense of community. Directed by Ethan Romaine.
• Picture of a Lost Family (Best Student Short, 15min): A woman visits her friend who stands frozen in time. Directed by Aram Riazi.
• Ted and Toby Really Don’t Know (Best Animated Short, 13min): Two queer (and anxious) young men get to know each other despite the oddness of their communication. Directed by Joshua White.
• Capitol Limited (Best Experimental Short, 2min): A wedding day, a tragedy, and an Amtrak train route are intertwined in this personal exploration of marriage and contemporary America. Directed by Lily Ekimian Ragheb and Ahmed T. Ragheb.
• A Bottomless Reservoir of Joy (Mtn Craft Award, 6min): A portrait of West Virginia-based nature illustrator Rosalie Haizlett. Directed by Curren Sheldon.
The 2026 Mtn Craft Film Festival will take place from Oct. 2-4 at the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center in Clarksburg, W.V. Berry believes “every film that plays at our festival deserves to be experienced in a movie theater with a live audience.”
“I think the big screen is a large part of the magic of a film festival,” he continues. “To see these films on a large screen with high-quality projection is something that not only draws the audience together, but also gives the filmmakers the laurels that they deserve for putting in so much hard work.”
