Tickets are still available to purchase on ReadingfilmFEST.org
Reading, PA (The Hollywood Times) 10/6/26 – ReadingFilmFEST returns November 6–8, 2026, and excitement is already building as filmmakers prepare to share their work with audiences in Reading, Pennsylvania.
As a proud media partner of ReadingFilmFEST, The Hollywood Times is looking forward to highlighting several of the filmmakers and stories featured during this year’s festival.
Two filmmakers generating particular interest are Robert J. Morgalo, director and screenwriter of Children of a Fatherless Child, and Martin R. McGowan, writer and director of Left Unsaid. Both films bring personal and very different stories to the screen while also demonstrating the important role independent film festivals play in connecting filmmakers directly with their audiences.
Martin R. McGowan is the writer and director of Left Unsaid, a film about two siblings dealing with the sudden death of their mother.
At the heart of the film is a deeply human story about family, grief and what happens when people are forced to confront emotions and relationships following an unexpected loss.
The project also has strong Pennsylvania roots.
Left Unsaid was shot entirely in Berks County, approximately 20 minutes outside Reading, making its appearance at ReadingFilmFEST especially fitting. Even more significantly, the entire cast and crew are Pennsylvania natives.
That local connection gives the film another layer of meaning as it is presented to audiences in the Reading area. Independent filmmaking is often built on community, the people who step in front of the camera, those working behind it and the locations that help give a story its identity.
McGowan and his team created Left Unsaid within that Pennsylvania filmmaking community, and now the film has the opportunity to return home to an audience that understands those roots.
McGowan’s production materials also give audiences a closer look at the filmmaking process. The Left Unsaid press kit includes a teaser poster, film stills and behind-the-scenes photography, offering a glimpse at both the finished film and the people who helped bring it to life.
For McGowan, who also serves as Director/Creative Lead of MRM Film, Left Unsaid represents both a personal creative project and a showcase for filmmaking talent coming directly from Pennsylvania.
Also featured at this year’s festival is Robert J. Morgalo’s Children of a Fatherless Child, a faith-based feature film written and directed by Morgalo.
Morgalo serves as both director and screenwriter of the film, giving him a deeply personal creative role in shaping the story from the written page through production.
While the film has an important connection to Reading, its production reached far beyond Pennsylvania.
Children of a Fatherless Child was filmed in Reading, Pennsylvania; Miami, Florida; Havana, Cuba; and Asturias, Spain, giving the project an international scope while maintaining its ties to the Reading community.
That combination makes the film an interesting fit for ReadingFilmFEST, a story with roots in Reading that traveled across several locations and cultures during its production.
The film’s faith-based foundation also brings another distinct perspective to this year’s festival lineup, demonstrating the range of subjects, voices and filmmaking styles that independent festivals are able to bring together.
The stories behind these two projects also demonstrate why regional film festivals continue to matter.
They provide independent filmmakers with a place to introduce their work to audiences while giving moviegoers the opportunity to discover films they might not otherwise have the chance to experience on the big screen.
In the case of Left Unsaid, audiences will be seeing a film created entirely within Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania filmmakers.
With Children of a Fatherless Child, audiences will experience a faith-based feature conceived by Robert J. Morgalo and filmed across four very different locations — from Reading and Miami to Havana and Asturias.
Different stories. Different filmmaking journeys. But both reflect the personal commitment that goes into creating independent cinema.
ReadingFilmFEST continues to build that connection between filmmakers, audiences and the greater Reading community while also welcoming stories whose reach extends far beyond the region.
With so much enthusiasm already surrounding this year’s films and filmmakers, ReadingFilmFEST 2026 is shaping up to be another memorable weekend celebrating independent film and the people who make it possible.
ReadingFilmFEST takes place November 6–8, 2026.
The Hollywood Times is proud to serve as a media partner for ReadingFilmFEST and to help shine a spotlight on the filmmakers who make the festival possible.
By The Hollywood Times team
