WILLIAMSPORT — The Susquehanna Film Festival is making available for the first time sneak previews of over 30 domestic and international films screening over three days on Sept. 19, 20 and 21, at the District Cinema.

Founded by Williamsport native and Los Angeles-based independent film producer Tim Yasui, the festival aims to celebrate both international and regional cinema.

The festival will be held at the District Cinema at Lycoming Valley, located at the former Lycoming Mall in Williamsport.

Over the three-day event, attendees can look forward to viewing films from not only the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the continental United States, but stunning visual contributions from filmmakers from Japan, India, Iran, Spain, Canada and South America.

Amongst the fascinating international films making their U.S. theatrical premiers are:

— “Ali vs Ali,” a true story about a young man pursuing his childhood dream of meeting Muhammed Ali that comes from gifted Iranian director Alireza Rofougaran. Rofougaran is also a veteran of the silver screen, having acted in several critically acclaimed films including the Academy Award Winner “The Salesman.”

— Also from Iran is a contribution from Nadereh Sadat Serki, a Professor of Art from the University of Tehran, called “Claimant,” which tells the story of a father confronting a powerful lawyer who assaulted his teenaged daughter — with a surprise ending.

— India’s Shravan Pranesh, Karthick Mohan and Karthik Gopal deliver a heartwarming drama called “Children from Heaven,” where we learn about God’s answers through conflicts faced by four thought provoking children who are challenged by society.

— “Red Book Rituals: Gates of Hell” comes from an all-star cast of producers based in Spain and shot in South America in the “Tales from the Crypt”-style film compilation format, with short stories intertwined together. Horrific tales surround a group of young people who dare to perform an ancient game called “Red Book Ritual” that summons supernatural forces to awaken — much to the horror of the gamers.

— Also from Madrid, Spain comes “Tender Metalheads” a charming animated film based on a true story about two teens who bond in the 1990s over their mutual love for heavy metal music. Directed by Carlos Perez-Reche, the film has garnered international support and is rumored to be made into an all-English language production featuring guest appearances from some of America’s biggest names in the heavy metal music genre.

— Japan’s Taichiro Natsume delivers “The Beast Hand” which follows a criminal who has a deformed hand grafted onto his body after a Yakuza crime boss punishes him by sword, only for the transplanted hand to take on a monstrous will of its own.

Watch for the first time sneak previews of many films making their U.S. — and world — theatrical premiers only at the Susquehanna Film Festival with this screening link here: https://youtu.be/L6D8aPt4w_0

To Purchase tickets for a single movie for $6.50, an all day pass to view as many as films in a single day for only $25 or a special all weekend 3-day pass to attend to view movies showing all three days for only $40 visit https://thedistrict.dipsontheatres.com

Tim Yasui, a 1979 graduate of Williamsport Area High School, has built a distinguished career in the entertainment industry. He studied classical piano, violin, percussion and sang in his church choir during his youth in Williamsport. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 1987, Yasui has recorded and globally released nine studio albums as the co-founder/drummer/vocalist/keyboardist of the post-London band Spiders & Snakes, appeared on drums on numerous other artists’ releases and has produced/co-produced/associate produced dozens of feature films, documentary films and concert films. His on-screen debut as an actor was in the Roger Corman film “Hollywood Boulevard Part II” which earned him his SAG card for performing and singing in that film with the band London.

Several national and regional TV commercials, Music Videos (including performing on drums with William Shatner and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame) and appearances in feature films like “Lion Heart,” “Where The Day Takes You,” “Ford Fairlane,” “Shock ‘Em Dead,” “Hollywood Rocks,” “Vamps In The City” and “The Black Mass” followed. He currently resides in Beverly Hills, Calif., and continues to produce and distribute films and record and perform live in his new band Hollywood After Dark.

The District Cinema opened in the spring of 2024 and is owned and operated by Dipson Theatres. Established in 1939, the Dipson theater chain has emerged as a prominent player in the cinema industry, boasting a rich history spanning over eight decades. With a legacy rooted in providing top-notch cinematic experiences, Dipson Theatres has expanded to encompass 56 screens across various locations in the mid-Atlantic region.

For more information about the Susquehanna Film Festival, including submission guidelines and ticket details, please visit these websites:

Film Festival Website http://susquehannafilmfestival.com/

Filmmaker Submissions Website https://filmfreeway.com/TheSusquehannaFilmFestival

Festival Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/susquehannafilmfestival