November 1st, 2025
Shirley Meeting House | 41 Brown Road, Shirley, M
Featuring
The Librarians
Director Kim A Snyder
THE LIBRARIANS, which made its world premiere at Sundance and continued on to SXSW and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, explores the urgent moment we find ourselves in. As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy, flanked by concerned community members and young readers. THE LIBRARIANS is a chilling cautionary tale and rallying cry for freedom – told through the personal experiences of librarians under siege and the everyday patriots who join their ranks in defense of the books.
Spacewoman
Director Hannah Berryman
Spacewoman traces the life and career of Eileen Collins, the first woman to both pilot and command a U.S. space shuttle, from her humble early years in upstate New York through her four space missions—including leading NASA’s “Return to Flight” mission after the Columbia disaster—while also exploring the emotional and personal challenges she faced as a mother, daughter, pilot, and pioneer in a male‐dominated field.
Safety Last! – Silent Film with Tag Vennard on piano
(1923) is Harold Lloyd’s classic silent comedy about an ambitious young man whose plan to impress his sweetheart leads to a thrilling and hilarious skyscraper climb, culminating in the iconic scene of him dangling from a giant clock.
Full Schedule
12:00 – 12:30 Student & Youth
Rooted – (Animated) Directed by Sangeeta Greenwald, Mikayla Kresco
A teenage girl, Leena, struggles to cope with her father’s unwillingness to listen to her. She takes her anguish out on the forest, but it is more alive than she thinks.
Chalk Weather – Directed by Owen John Glanville (14 years old)
Two siblings build a device with the ability to contact their dead father.
The Forest of Souls – Directed by Pierre Gaffie
Mathilde is a young accoustician. Fascinated by the power of sounds, she wants to invent a new way of travelling through time and find the souls of the departed
Where’s Tony – Directed by Tanner Duval
Capturing incriminating evidence for the FBI proves difficult for new mob member Eddie, as his boss Sal would rather talk about his anger management classes than admit to any crimes.
12:40 – 2:30 Feature Film
Spacewoman
A documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a U.S. space shuttle, highlighting her groundbreaking career and personal journey.
3:00 – 4:00 Independent Short Films
The Interns – Directed by Kathryn Kvas, Vignesh Seshadri, Dan Litzow, Phung Do
Two unpaid immigrant interns from Canada and India struggle to get hired at a soul-crushing ad agency so they can stay in America, but come to realize that they actually want to stay for each other.
Daydream – Directed by Gwenn Hope
A coastal, small town boy sets out to publish a novel based on his childhood best friend, but faces a moral dilemma when deciding whether to publish a comforting, fabricated version of their story or reveal the unsettling truth.
The Jeweler of Tada – Directed by Robert Mattson
Carine is a creative with ADHD. In this short documentary she shares the challenges she faces and the approaches she takes to be creative and productive in a world that’s not made for neurodiversity.
The Fear of Making It – Directed by Elizabeth Kapsa (Norway)
An intimate story of a filmmaker chasing her dream, only to discover that the greatest burden is not failure, but the fear of success – a fear that demands courage, responsibility, and stepping out of the shadows.
Steeped in Denial – Directed by Sue Farina
A documentarian follows a group of neighbors’ embrace of tea after a global coffee shortage, only to discover that one of them harbors a dark secret.
Looking For You – (Animated) Directed by Christian Scharfenberg, Music by Morgan Finlay
An intergalactic hero, on the search for their soulmate, is tasked with rescuing Cardboardia from distruction – and makes the discovery of a lifetime!
4:00 – 5:00 – Reception Join us in the Lady’s Parlor Tour
Enjoy a visit to Shirley’s first library upstair in the Shirley Meeting House (stair access only)
5:00 – 5:30 Short Films with intros by film makers
Keepers of the Flight – Directed by Nancy Beaudette
A glimpse inside the workings of a honey bee hive on Cape Cod.
Take Heart – A Cape Cod Love Story – Directed by Rachael Sokolowski
A non-traditional love story, told through a series of images captured during the pandemic by artists Rachael Sokolowski and Suz Karchmer on the outermost reaches of Cape Cod.
5:30 – 7:00 Feature Documentary
The Librarians
A critically acclaimed documentary that follows school and public librarians across the U.S. as they confront book bans, censorship, and political pressure while defending free access to ideas and democracy.
7:00 – 7:30 Q & A
Follow up discussion with local librarian’s Debra Roy (Directory of Hazen Memorial Library,Shirley) & Luke Kirkland (Directory of Ayer Library) about challenges facing our local libraries.
8:00 – 9:15 Feature Silent Movie with Tag Vennard on piano
Safety Last
This 1923 Harold Lloyd’s classic silent comedy follows an ambitious young man whose plan to impress his sweetheart leads to a thrilling and hilarious skyscraper climb, culminating in the iconic scene of him dangling from a giant clock.
About Us
This community film festival at the Shirley Center Meeting House in central Massachusetts is a celebration of creativity, storytelling, art and music. We are delighted that this unique venue now offers an opportunity to enjoy and support both local and international film making.
Festival Producer, Nancy Beaudette, perhaps best know as a songwriter and performing artist, is also an accredited TV show producer. “StudioX-Pose Arts and Music” a series created and produced by Nancy ran throughout Ontario, Canada for three years, winning the “Cogeco Star Award – Entertainment Show of the Year” in its inaugural season. She also co-hosted the nationally broadcast show, “In Good Faith” for two years in Ottawa, Canada, with A-Channel Media. Nancy’s background in media production and community engagement drives her mission to connect diverse voices and audiences. Her enthusiasm for showcasing innovative work has made the festival a beloved event in the region, celebrating both emerging talent and established artists in the film industry.
FREE ADMISSION
(Cash donations to the Meeting House encouraged and appreciated!)
(Children must be accompanied by a parent at all times)
Hot and cold food and beverages available for purchase from Fab 5
This historic building is best enjoyed with a cush for your tush
Shirley Film Fest is Sponsored by
