CECIL COUNTY INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

PLEASE NOTE: FILMS ARE NOT RATED, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

Welcome to the 2025 Cecil County Independent Film Festival!

Since launching in 2019, the Cecil County Independent Film Festival has proudly showcased more than 400 films from around the world. We’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone year with a special festival featuring audience favorites from the past five seasons—over a dozen standout selections, including four remarkable feature films and nearly twenty unforgettable shorts.

For the first time, the festival is completely free to attend. This is our thank-you to the community that has supported us from the beginning, and a bridge to our new festival season as we prepare to move to a late-spring schedule in 2026. With the support of Cecil College, the Milburn Stone Theatre, and our incredible filmmakers, we’re making this year’s festival as accessible as possible for all.

We’re also continuing our work to expand accessibility even further for 2026 and beyond.

Take a look at the schedule below to discover this year’s films and showtimes—we can’t wait to share these stories with you.

Enjoy the festival!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH

Cowgirls and Indians: 11 am - 12:30 pm

Director: Kate Davis | Genre: Western, Drama | Run Time: 1 hour, 17 minutes | United States (2020)

Retired cowgirl Callie attends the funeral of a former lover on an Indian reservation. She meets his family and goes on a crazy adventure to learn what happened to her friend and their relationship.

Eden: 1 - 2:30 pm

Director: Robbie Walsh | Genre: Drama | Run Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Ireland (2015)

Eden; an Irish film about a day in the life of Adam, a man left homeless in the wake of the recent Irish financial crisis and the people he encounters in one day.

Scumbag: 4 - 5:30 pm

Director: Mars Roberge | Genre: Black Comedy, Musical, Action | Run Time: 1 hour 54 minutes 30 seconds | United States (2017)

A young wannabe-superstar dj, Phil, takes on a day job at a telemarketing company, working with crazy people, ex-prisoners, drug addicts and murderers. The time on his life begins to tick as he battles addiction, fights the law and tries to maintain the only sane thing left in his life, his girlfriend, Christine.

SafeWords: 8 - 9:40 pm

Director: Samuel White | Genre: Comedy, Romance | Run Time: 1 hour 39 minutes 31 seconds | United States (2023)

A failed actress with pre-wedding jitters discovers the world of BDSM and finds herself torn between her loving but vanilla fiancé and her exciting but dysfunctional dominant.

JUST ADDED - ANIMATED SHORTS FROM THE FIRST FIVE SEASONS: 6 - 7:30 PM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH

SHORTS BLOCK #1: 12 NOON - 2PM

Films in this block Include:

BLACK HOLE

Director: Nicholas Ovcharov | Run Time: 7 minutes 44 seconds | Ukraine (2019)

An astrophysics professor leads a lecture about a black hole that absorbs everything around it. He doesn’t know yet that he will also be enveloped by this black hole. Because each of us is born to interact with each other, mutually absorb each other for the sake of our common development.

APPLES, ORANGES, LEMONS, LIMES

Director: Pat Mitchell | Run Time: 44 minutes 55 seconds | Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy | United States (2022)

A timid young man chronically suffers from social anxiety. At a party, an unlikely encounter inspires a night of drinking, joy and romance.

MONEY TALKS

Director: Marshall Logan Gibbs | Run Time: 6 minutes 24 seconds | Genre: Surrealist, Comedy | United States (2022)

After many days alone in a safe-house guarding a large sum of money, one Man starts to question his sanity.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Director: Brian C Smith | Run Time: 12 minutes | United States (2022)

In a cabin trying to put the fire back into their relationship, a couples plans for some alone time is interrupted when Wes brings a man back to the cabin and who just happens to be a werewolf who’s being pursued by his own angry wife hell bent on revenge for turning her into a werewolf herself.

COOPER & WOOL

Director: Tyler C. Peterson | Run Time: 12 minutes 24 seconds | United States (2021)

The week before her Orthodox Jewish wedding, Elisheva escapes to a rented room in the hills outside of Los Angeles to clear her head. While dodging calls from her mother and fiancé, Elisheva begins to form a life-changing bond with Meredith, the eccentric divorcee who owns the house she’s staying in.

VINCENT BEFORE NOON

Director: Guillaume Mainguet | Run Time: 15 minutes | France (2021)

A father pays his son a visit after years of conflict and turns up in the middle of his house move. The son Vincent reacts violently to that intrusion. Emotionally weakened, the father involuntarily reveals the true reason of his visit, which revives the tension between them. Within a few minutes, the anger, the memories and the crossed looks move the two men deeply.

CHASING SWIPES

Director: Namo Safideen | Run Time: 8 minutes 28 seconds | Sweden (2020)

In an attempt to get over her ex-boyfriend, Vera starts using a dating app for the first time and tries to find herself in this newly discovered world.

PLUS - TWO ADDITIONAL SHORTS T.B.A.

SHORTS BLOCK #2: 3 - 5PM

Films in this block Include:

SONIA LOVES, SONIA DOESN'T

Director: Natalia Beliaeva | Run Time: 15 minutes | Genre: Drama | Slovakia (2020)

As her sixth birthday approaches, a girl is choosing some presents - not for herself, but for her favorite doll Sonia, who is waiting for her at the store.

SMILE

Director: Geoff Harmer | Run Time: 11 minutes 21 seconds | United Kingdom (2019)

Lisa suffers from day dreams, very violent day dreams.

IT'S TIME FOR TEA

Director: Matthew J. Kaplan | Run Time: 9 minutes 42 seconds | Ukraine (2019)

After the death of their young daughter, all that remains in Rebecca and Allen’s home is an extensive toy collection and profound grief. Both are attempting to process their loss: Rebecca chooses to repress her pain, while Allen regresses to their child's age in order to replace her. When an unconventional therapist visits with them, he assures Rebecca he can bring her husband back. But first, she must enter into Allen’s land of make-believe.

TAKE 18

Director: Marie-Louise Elia | Run Time: 20 minutes | Genre: Drama, Crime | Lebanon (2019)

On the set of an independent film shot in Lebanon, a young American Star is killed. The gun - used as a prop - is a real weapon and everyone is a suspect.The Producer and The Director meet to watch the rushes hoping to find some clues.

TRUE LOVE'S KISS

Director: Samuel White | Run Time: 5 minutes 30 seconds | United States (2024)

A woman begins to wonder how her boyfriend would hold up in the face of temptation.

ALEXA

Director: Alexa Range | Run Time: 5 minutes 25 seconds | United States (2020)

A comedic and reflective documentary expressing the struggles of being named Alexa in a society where the Amazon Echo has come into existence.

"HOLLY HILL"

Director: Jack Foley | Run Time: 14 minutes 39 seconds | United States (2023)

The lives of three couples intertwine one evening at the Holly Hill Motel.

STRAY

Director: John D Lofton IV | Run Time: 10 minutes 57 seconds | United States (2022)

Mourning wife and Mother Gina struggles to cope with the loss of her husband who died in a tragic accident 2 years ago. One day while continuing to drown her sorrows with alcohol; a stray dog appears and seems to be trying to show her something important.

PLUS - TWO ADDITIONAL SHORTS T.B.A.

Join the 2026 Cecil County Independent Film Festival Team!

The Cecil County Independent Film Festival is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make the 2026 festival our best yet!

There are many exciting ways to get involved — whether you’re local or supporting from afar:

Ways to Volunteer

🎬 Review Films
Watch and review submissions online through FilmFreeway.
💡 Share Your Ideas
Join our Zoom planning sessions beginning in February 2026 to brainstorm creative ways to enhance the festival experience.
📣 Support Marketing Efforts
Help promote the festival through social media and other outreach. Local volunteers can also distribute posters, brochures, and materials throughout the community.
🎤 On-Site Festival Assistance
For local volunteers: help introduce films, assist with Q&As, and support roundtable discussions during the festival weekend.