READING, Pa. — Friday night at GoggleWorks, the conversations started before the movies. Reading FilmFEST opened with a party and some familiar faces coming back.
“I love this festival. It’s a fantastic festival.
The programming is great. The parties are fantastic,” said Jim Thalman, an actor in “The Son’s Burden.”
For filmmaker Paul Moon, this is where an idea for his film “By George” began.
“And I found such a great community at this festival of tips, of insights about how to make the film,” Moon said.
But the visitors filling the room also bring business. Heather Zimmerman leads the Experience Reading and Berks County Visitors Bureau.
“I know that we’ve had film crews return to do some shooting in various locations,” Zimmerman said.
And when those crews come back, they need more than a location.
“They need a place to eat. They need a place to sleep and, you know, do all the things after they’re done with their filming,” she said.
The hope is that a weekend at the movies turns into another visit and another reason to spend time here.
The festival runs through Sunday.
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