Yellow Springs Film Fest returns to village this weekend
- Published: October 2, 2025
Lights! Cameras! Action! These and much more are on the four-day docket of the annual Yellow Springs Film Festival, which is set to return for its third year, Thursday–Sunday, Oct. 2–5.
With a lineup of live performances, film screenings, Q&As with Hollywood heroes, an educational seminar and panel discussions, this year’s festival is set to be the biggest since its founding in 2023.
As in the past, the film festival’s programming is split between Antioch College’s Foundry Theater and Little Art Theatre; a full schedule and tickets can be found at http://www.ysfilmfest.com.
“This is the strongest slate we’ve ever had,” festival founder Eric Mahoney told the News last week. “I think it’s a really well-crafted event that can engage people of all ages and all backgrounds.”
Rod Serling teaching at Antioch College during his stint as professor, 1962–63 (Photo by Axel Bahnsen; courtesy of Antiochiana)
Day one
The festival kicks off Thursday, Oct. 2 — a day earlier than past iterations — with an evening of activities that celebrate Rod Serling, who is best known as the creator and host of the midcentury fantasy anthology “The Twilight Zone.” Serling also attended Antioch College and later returned as a writing instructor.
The day-long tribute to Serling will begin with an afternoon ceremony dedicating an Ohio Historical Marker placed on Antioch’s campus in his honor. An auspicious date, Oct. 2 was the day “The Twilight Zone” premiered in 1959.
From 7:30 to 10 p.m., the Foundry Theater will host a Serling-based program featuring presentations from authors Anne Serling — Rod’s daughter — and Mark Dawidziak, who wrote “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from The Twilight Zone”; a live performance of “The Air is Free,” a radio play penned by Serling about two coal miners who go insane; a screening of the “Obsolete Man” episode of “The Twilight Zone,” about a librarian’s fate in a dystopian world; as well as a panel discussion.
Then, on Friday, Oct. 3, from 7:30–10:30 p.m., episodes of “The Twilight Zone” will be screened free of charge on Short Street in downtown Yellow Springs.
A lifelong “massive fan” of Serling and his work, Mahoney said he was all-too keen to expand the festival’s programming to include a tribute to the famed screenwriter and producer.
“His work continues to resonate with people on such a deep level,” he said. “Some of it is still, sadly, relevant today, and so it can be really poignant and meaningful to folks. That’ll definitely come up during the panel discussion.”
Kevin Nealon (Submitted photo)
Day two
On Friday, Oct. 3, also at the Foundry, Emmy and SAG-nominated comedian and actor Kevin Nealon will perform a set of stand-up comedy. Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member, with three years as “Weekend Update” anchor, of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Following Nealon’s performance will be a screening of “She Dances,” a 2025 “dramedy” about a struggling father who attempts to reconnect with his daughter while serving as her chaperone at a dance competition. The screening will be followed with a Q&A with actor Audrey Zahn.
Then, rounding out Friday night, there will be an “opening night after party” from 10:30 p.m.– 12:30 a.m., also at the Foundry.
Day three at the Foundry
On Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10:30 a.m., villager and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve Bognar will host an educational seminar on his craft.
At 12:15 p.m., young area musicians will perform “School of Rock”-inspired tunes, and a screening of the 2003 comedy of the same name will follow.
At 4 p.m., there will be a live recording of the comedy podcast “The Novelizers,” hosted by Dave Hill. The featured guest will be comedian and actor Michael Ian Black, known for his appearances in “The State,” “Wet Hot American Summer” and more.
The pièce de résistance of Saturday’s programming at the Foundry will be at 7:30 p.m., when a 25th-anniversary screening of fantasy/comedy “Dogma,” written and directed by Kevin Smith, who will follow the screening with a Q&A.
The Foundry’s day rounds out at 10:45 with another after party, this one hosted by 91.3 WYSO.
Kevin Smith (Submitted photo)
Day three at Little Art
The film fest’s day at the Little Art, in the heart of downtown Yellow Springs, begins at 10:30 a.m. with a screening of “Magic Hour,” a 2025 film about a couple that escapes to the desert to navigate an unexpected and challenging new phase of their relationship.
Then, at 1 p.m., a two-hour series of short films will screen, followed by Q&As with some of the films’ directors.
At 3:45 p.m., the Little Art will screen “Growing Up Female,” a 1971 documentary directed by Jim Klein and the late Julia Reichert, a lifelong Yellow Springs resident and Oscar-winning documentarian who died in 2022. Following that film’s screening, a $3,000 award will be given to a young woman filmmaker from the area in Reichert’s honor.
At 6 p.m., the 2025 documentary “Prime Minister” will screen. The film offers an intimate look at the tenure of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and covers Ardern’s political aspirations, the global crises she navigated and her experiences as both a mother and head of state.
The Little Art’s final event for Saturday, at 8:30 p.m., is a screening of the new “We Want the Funk!” documentary that explores the legacy of the titular musical genre. Afterwards, there will be a Q&A with directors Stanley Nelson and Nicole London.
Day four at the Foundry
The fest’s final day at the Foundry, Sunday, Oct. 5, begins at 10:45 a.m. with the screening of “Fantasy Life,” a 2025 comedy film about a paralegal who babysits his psychiatrist’s granddaughters, and falls in love with their mother.
At 1:15 a.m., Mahoney will moderate a conversation with Centerville, Ohio-based and Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler. A Wright State University graduate, Beachler won an Academy Award for her work on “Black Panther.” She’s also credited for work on the films “Creed,” “Fruitvale Station,” “Miles Ahead” and the recently released “Sinners,” as well as Beyonce’s “Lemonade” video.
The Foundry’s final event will be at 5:30 p.m. — a screening of the 2013 documentary “Mistaken for Strangers,” which features the indie rock outfit The National. Following the screening will be a Q&A with brothers Matt and Tom Berninger — the former of whom fronts The National, and the latter directed the film.
Hannah Beachler (Submitted photo)
Day four at the Little Art
The Little Art’s final day of the festival is a slate of film screenings that plumb the vast expanse of the human heart.
Kicking things off at 10:45 a.m. is “Agent of Happiness,” a 2024 documentary that follows Bhutanese government officials as they travel through the country to measure people’s happiness levels.
At 1 p.m. is a screening of “Are We Good?” a 2025 film about comic and podcast pioneer Marc Maron as he reflects on loss and growth following the sudden death of his partner.
At 3:45 p.m. is a screening of “Ravens,” a 2024 Japanese-language biographical drama that explores the life and work of photographer Masahisa Fukase. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s producer Orian Williams.
Last is a screening of “Andre is an Idiot,” a 2025 film about a man who embarks on a journey after receiving a terminal diagnosis, all the while maintaining his irreverent humor.
To “connect and be inspired”
Mahoney told the News that he believes there’s something for everyone in this year’s lineup.
“It’s all about connectivity through the arts, right?” he said. “This can really be an opportunity to connect and be inspired — a chance to see something you haven’t seen before, to potentially interact with one of your favorite artists or a moment to learn how something was made, and to maybe make something of your own.”
While this year’s YS Film Festival has grown markedly compared with the previous two, Mahoney said he’s following their blueprints, yet continuing to grow and scale the event for this and years to come.
“By all intents and purposes, this is a grassroots effort — a two-person operation, really,” he said. “We don’t have a huge budget and we try not to bite off more than we can chew. I try to be thoughtful about bringing exceptional programming to Yellow Springs.”
Adding to the local arts scene has been Mahoney’s modus operandi since launching the festival three years ago. He saw the town as an ideal setting — a “no brainer” — and the rightful recipient of what a small-town film festival can bring to the community.
“We have thousands of people who come to these — people from all over the country,” he said. “Not only is this for our small community, but also opening our doors for a community beyond Yellow Springs.”
He added: “I think we’ve made a safe, inclusive space for all those with a common interest in art, and with the divisiveness in the country right now, it’s more important than ever to lay down our differences and to exchange ideas and learn something from one another. That’s what film is about.”
To learn more, go to http://www.ysfilmfest.com.
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