Above: Fall is prime time for indie film lovers, with a variety of festivals set for the upcoming months.
By Ken Mammarella
The big bucks in movies these days are in franchises, sequels, prequels, and reboots, but the most interesting ideas on the big screen come from independent films. Delaware has theaters that feature independent films year-round, recurring festivals, places to network, and a new tax credit. Here’s an alphabetical overview.
DelArt Film Society
The DelArt Film Society screens classic, documentary and independent films, usually two Saturdays a month and the second Sunday at the Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Bancroft Parkway, Wilmington. New independent films are sporadic. Indies “typically are shown only when it makes sense for an event or such. The examples being the Sinners screening in March that we had alongside film trivia,” says curator Tom Cavanaugh. “Or previously we showed The Brightness of Light film about Georgia O’Keeffe with the director/producer in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.”
Saturday screenings are $5 for the public, and Sunday screenings are included in admission. Refreshments bought at the museum cafe are allowed into the 165-seat auditorium. Visit DelArt.org/series/DelartFilmSociety.
Delaware Entertainment Production Tax Credit
The new Delaware Entertainment Production Tax Credit covers films, TV, esports and video game production. Companies that invest more than $100,000 in eligible activities within 12 months could receive a credit on state taxes equal to 30% of those investments. The bill also includes internships.
“For many years Delaware has relied heavily on a concentrated group of revenue-producing industries, particularly financial services and franchise revenue,” House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris says. “Those industries remain critically important, but we also have to position Delaware for the next generation of economic growth.”
Delaware Independent Filmmakers Guild
The Delaware Independent Filmmakers Guild is a networking group “dedicated to helping the independent film scene grow.” Its Facebook page includes calls for volunteers and crews for film shoots, screenings, contests and related activities.
Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival
The Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival began in 2022, presented by Jet Phynx and hosted and sponsored by the Delaware Art Museum. “I pushed out the film festival back this year due to our heavy production load,” Phynx says.
DreaMedia Productions
There are four parts to the core mission of DreaMedia Productions, according to Bill Shahan, who co-founded it with Brandon R. Baker. They are: “elevating Delaware’s film industry through festivals, productions, and industry partnerships; building a long-term Delaware film ecosystem; creating opportunities for local creatives while attracting outside productions; and positioning Delaware as a destination for film and entertainment.” Visit DreaMediaProductions.com.
Horror Fest Film Festival
The first Horror Fest Film Festival is scheduled Sept. 24-27 at Theatre N, 221 W. 10th St., Wilmington. It’s a partnership between Theatre N and DreaMedia.
“Beyond the screen, the festival comes alive with filmmaker panels, networking events, and high-energy social parties designed to connect creators, fans, and industry insiders,” it says on HorrorFestFilmFestival.com. “We’re still finalizing ticket pricing, but our current plan is for the VIP Festival Pass to be $150,” Shahan says.
Newark Independent Film Festival
The Newark Independent Film Festival began in 2024 at Chapel Street Players, 643 Creek View Road, Newark.
“We are here to show you content that you would not have been exposed to,” it says on NewarkIndependentFilmFestival.com.
In August, the annual festival screened more than 75 films, in eight themed blocks. DreaMedia co-founded the festival with Kazy Tauginas of New Lease Films. Visit NewarkIndependentFilmFestival.com.
Rehoboth Beach Black American Film Fest
The Rehoboth Beach Film Society and the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice present the Rehoboth Beach Black American Film Fest every February. “It aims to foster community dialogue and highlight the diverse, often untold stories of African Americans,” it says on the alliance’s website.
Rehoboth Beach Film Society
The Rehoboth Beach Film Society was founded in 1998 and programs the Cinema Art Theater at 17701 Dartmouth Drive, Lewes. One theater seats 104, in tiered and staggered seats with cupholders. The other seats 36.
On Wednesdays through Sundays, it screens first-run indies and documentaries as well as operas from New York’s Metropolitan Opera, plays from London’s West End, and Reel Art Appreciation (movies about artists, movements and exhibitions). In the spring, it schedules mini-festivals, and this year the themes included gay pride, Jewish films, and the “cinema of despair.”
A basic ticket is $12, with discounts for members and on Wednesdays and surcharges for special programming. Visit RehobothFilm.com.
Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival
“The largest film event in Delaware is the Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival, which is co-hosted by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society and DreaMedia Productions. Lisa G. Black serves as artistic director,” says Bill Shahan of DreaMedia Productions.
This year’s festival runs Nov. 1-8 at the Cinema Art Theater featuring premieres, filmmaker Q&As, red carpet evenings, and thoughtful industry conversations. Visit RehobothFilm.com.
Revival House Theater
“The Revival House is a platform to celebrate the experience of going to the movies,” it says on TheRevivalHouseTheater.com. It runs two festivals at the Milton Theatre, 110 Union St., Milton.
The Horror Trailer Challenge asks for filmmakers to make a trailer for a horror film that includes a specific line of dialogue and prop. The eighth annual screening is Oct. 17, with the audience voting on their favorites and the evening capped off with a Q&A with all the filmmakers. Tickets start at $8.20.
The Slower Lower Short Film Festival features short films from Delaware’s creative community, celebrating independent filmmaking. The 11th edition will be next May, according to John Paul Lacap, of the Milton Theatre. The festival also includes a Q&A session with filmmakers.
The Screening Room at 1313
The Screening Room at 1313 opened in 2023 with two theaters in the Hercules Building, 1313 N. Market St., Wilmington. “The west side has couches and armchairs and seats 68. The east side has movie theater seats that do not recline, but have cupholders, and seats 50,” says co-founder Bev Zimmerman. There’s a plan to create a state-of-the-art theater in the building.
The concession stand sells beer, wine, pre-made mixed drinks, nonalcoholic drinks, popcorn, and candy.
“We do allow people to bring in food from The Chancery Market, but most people choose to eat either before or after the film there since it’s tough to manage food like that without a tabletop,” she says.
Movies are shown Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays. Tickets are $12.50, with discounts for seniors, students, military, and matinees. Visit TheScreeningRoom.org. (On June 13, 2027, Delco Horror Haven will have its fourth annual film festival at the Screening Room.)
Theatre N
Theatre N screens independent, classic, and foreign films on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and occasionally on Fridays, says Executive Director Andrew Larason. “We also open our stage to live music and local comedians once a month.”
It opened in 2002 in a 213-seat theater in the Nemours Building, 221 W. 10th St., Wilmington.
Theatre N claims it was one of the first cinemas in the country to switch to digital in 2005, but still has its 35mm projector and “will always maintain the ability to run film prints.”
Tickets are $10, with discounts for seniors. The concession stand sells alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, popcorn and candy. Visit TheatreN.com.
Wilmington International Film Festival
The second annual Wilmington International Film Festival runs Oct. 8-11 at The Screening Room and Theatre N. The all-access pass is $150, with individual programs $15-$20, depending on the screening.
“We started something called The Film Champion, where a nonprofit is paired with a film, and they get 75% of the ticket sales,” says festival director Gordon DelGiorno.
The Arts Means Business Leadership Summit addresses how “Delaware is currently losing the race for the creative economy,” it says on Wilmington.film. “We rank 50th in [the] nation for arts-related GDP.”
The keynote speaker for Arts Means Business is Dewey Beach resident Alex Pires, whose companies have made and invested in films and theater. It’s 8-10:30am Oct. 9, and tickets are $25.
The 18th annual Festival of Shorts is set for Oct. 10 at 6pm with “views, news, and utter nonsense” from host DelGiorno.
— Other Festival features: Wilmington University giving a four-year scholarship to a high schooler for an eight- to 10-page screenplay; and a networking happy hour with filmmakers, actors, and other industry professionals hosted by entertainment lawyer, Aaron Harburg.
