Chesapeake Film Festival

19th Annual Chesapeake Film Festival October 8th – 10th, 2026 | Easton, Maryland Get ready for an unforgettable cinematic experience! The Chesapeake Film Festival returns to Easton, Maryland showcasing as many as 47 of the finest independent films at the beautifully historic Ebenezer Theater, the Academy Art Museum, and the Talbot County Free Library from October 8 – 10, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting celebration of film and creativity — Early Bird Tickets are just $150 that includes an All Access Pass + the VIP Reception through September 15 when tickets will again be $175. Reserve your seats now at this special price and be among the first to experience the magic! Early purchase prices end September 15th. 19th Annual Chesapeake Film Festival LIVE screenings and Events Thursday, October 8th – Saturday, October 10th Get ready for an unforgettable cinematic experience! The Chesapeake Film Festival returns to Easton, Maryland showcasing as many as 47 of the finest independent films at the beautifully historic Ebenezer Theater, the Academy Art Museum, and the Talbot County Free Library from October 8 – 10, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting celebration of film and creativity — Early Bird Tickets are just $150 that includes an All Access Pass + the VIP Reception through September 15 when tickets will again be $175. Reserve your seats now at this special price and be among the first to experience the magic! All Venues Friday or Saturday All Venues Friday or Saturday (Valid student ID required.) SCULPTING A LEGACY - 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026 Location: Ebenezer Theater 17 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD Dream, Touch, Believe – Maryland Premiere – Documentary Feature – TRT: 85 min – USA – Directed by Jenna Naranjo Winters – The Festival opens with the inspiring story of Native American sculptor Michael Naranjo, who lost his eyesight as a young Vietnam War soldier. Despite his blindness, Naranjo became an internationally acclaimed artist whose sculptures are displayed in museums, the White House, the Vatican, and private collections worldwide. Q&A, with Director Jenna Naranjo Winters and Michael Naranjo, approximately 25 minutes. Spotlight on Maryland - 10:00 am to 11:45 am Date: Friday, October 9, 2026 Location: Ebenezer Theater 17 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD Loving John – Documentary Feature – TRT: 76 min – USA – Directed by Robert Rooy – John Godinet is an irrepressible Pacific Islander and ultra-runner living 1 with his husband Peter in rural Maryland. He’s outrun abuse as a teenager and discrimination as an adult, but now has a new adversary: ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Loving John invites us to deeply inhale the fullness of our shared human experience, made all the more precious because of its transience. Land, Sea, and Sky - 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm Date: Friday, October 9, 2026 Location: Ebenezer Theater 17 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD A Black Rail’s Tale – Maryland Premiere – Environmental Short – TRT: 6 min – USA – Directed by Lynn Tomlinson – A tiny Black Rail guides us through South Carolina’s former rice plantations, revealing how landscapes engineered by enslaved people have become a refuge for one of North America’s rarest birds. Choptank Swallows – Maryland Premiere – Environmental Short – TRT: 5 min – USA – Directed by Dave Harp – Through poetry and impeccable environmental cinematography, this film explores the Choptank River and its native swallow. Bison Hero – Environmental Short – TRT: 4 min – USA – Directed by Zac Shamah and the World Wildlife Foundation – The plains bison is a matriarchal led species, relying on the wisdom of experienced females to guide the herd. Traditional Lakota culture follows the bison's social structure, placing great value in the women-led leadership. In this video, members of WWF's Native Nations team and partners talk about what the return of the bison means to the grasslands and Indigenous communities in the Great Plains. The River’s Gift – Environmental Short – TRT: 18 min – USA – Directed by Patrick Kirby – The Tallapoosa River brings a community of veterans together to find peace, connection and of course, red eye bass. Wind through Alabama’s pines, meet Rowell and his friends, and cast a line or two with them while hearing about their healing connection to this community and this special place. The Right Whale – Environmental Feature – TRT: 54 min – USA – Directed by Nick Dean and Cheryl Holmen Dean – The Right Whale is an intimate and visually stunning documentary that follows the lives of right whales across the globe, from the icy waters of New Zealand and Argentina to the busy coastlines of North America. Through groundbreaking science and emotional storytelling, we meet individual whales like Bill, who swims from New Zealand to Antarctica and back, and Ruffian, rescued from deadly fishing gear. Q&A, with Shea Springer and Dave Harp, moderated by Irene Magafan, approximately