State College native returns to Centre Film Festival with locally-shot short film

Staying true to its mission to honor Pennsylvania talent, Centre Film Festival will begin Sunday’s festivities in the Rowland Theatre with the screening of homegrown films, including a short film shot in Centre County.

“The Wayward” writer and director Phoebe Post is no stranger to the sites included in her film. The State College native said it was a “nostalgic admiration” for where she grew up that inspired her to write the film and travel cross-country (she now lives in California) to direct it.

“It comes from a place of kind of missing where I grew up, and central Pennsylvania, and sort of this uniqueness to Middle America in general, where people can live hard lives but they’re very resilient,” Post said.

Post is a returning filmmaker; her Western film “On a Narrow Range” was featured in last year’s festival. She has since shifted genres with “The Wayward,” and said it wasn’t a hard transition.

“I think I’m more committed to the essence of the story,” Post said. “I’m totally open to switching genres and places.”

“The Wayward” is about 18 minutes long and follows EmmyLou, a woman recently released from jail who embarks on a mission to right wrongs, and along the way discovers which relationships are worth fighting for.

Post said the commonality between “The Wayward” and “On a Narrow Range” is the way they comment on women’s role in society and female relationships.

“I’ve always been very interested in making films about women and telling stories about women,” Post said. “The complex relationships that women can have either with each other or other people felt like something that I had kind of seen ... growing up here. So it felt like it was most appropriate to come back to Centre County and make the film.”

Viewers will see locations such as Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg, State College and Boalsburg in the film, and Post hopes locals will be able to point them out. She made it a goal to hire locally, and she said that adds to the film’s “authentic” feel. Pennsylvania voices are both on and behind the camera.

“I think the most rewarding part was being on set with talent and crew who are mostly from Pennsylvania, and seeing their reactions and sort of like live feedback to what we were making,” Post said. “It was really just validating.”

Post and her crew received a grant from The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau to help fund the film. The nonprofit recently began heavily promoting Happy Valley as a prime destination for film production.

“We had a lot of meetings and I talked to them about what I was trying to make,” Post said. “Definitely had to tap into my business side and put all the numbers together. And I mean, 82% of the film’s budget stayed within the county, so that’s how much went back to business or people in the county ... which I’m really proud of.”

Post is both excited and nervous for the film’s premiere. But she’s settled by the fact that familiar faces will be in the audience. Following the film, there will be a Q&A session where viewers can pick Post’s brain about the short film.

“The genuine feedback of strangers can be so valuable,” Post said. “I love when people tell me what they think, even if they didn’t like it ... I don’t think it’s art if everybody likes it.”

Post is currently in the developmental process of expanding the short film into a feature, and is primarily looking for financing. She hopes the opportunity arises for her to return to Happy Valley with the feature film in the coming years.

“The Wayward” will be screened at 10:45 a.m. Sunday at the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg. Students tickets are free and festival all-access passes to the festival for non-students are $60. Free shuttle services will be offered from the White Building on Penn State’s campus to the Rowland Theatre.

Find the full transportation and events schedule at centrefilm.org.