READING, Pa. \u2014 Friday night at GoggleWorks, the conversations started before the movies. Reading FilmFEST opened with a party and some familiar faces coming back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love this festival. It’s a fantastic festival.<\/p>\n
The programming is great. The parties are fantastic,\u201d said Jim Thalman, an actor in \u201cThe Son\u2019s Burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
For filmmaker Paul Moon, this is where an idea for his film \u201cBy George\u201d began.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I found such a great community at this festival of tips, of insights about how to make the film,\u201d Moon said.<\/p>\n
But the visitors filling the room also bring business. Heather Zimmerman leads the Experience Reading and Berks County Visitors Bureau.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that we’ve had film crews return to do some shooting in various locations,\u201d Zimmerman said.<\/p>\n
And when those crews come back, they need more than a location.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The hope is that a weekend at the movies turns into another visit and another reason to spend time here.<\/p>\n
The festival runs through Sunday.<\/p>\n
\nCopyright 2026 Maranatha Broadcasting Co., Inc.. All Rights Reserved.\n<\/p>\n
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