The Schedule & Format, from the organizer, Craig Mahaffy:

Beginning the first Sunday in November (Nov. 1, 2026), the events will alternate every month between a filmmaking party and a community screening night.

Odd Months (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM): "Community Filmmaking at The Hybrid"

A hands-on, collaborative workshop focused on creative play and experimenting.

Even Months (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM): "Community Film Night at The Hybrid"

A screening night to show what people came up with the month before, as well as other local indie films.

The Workshop Structure (Filmmaking Months)

The event might be a bit chaotic initially and take some time to find its voice, but at its foundation, I want to present it as CREATIVE PLAY. If people have fun and express themselves, it's a success—and I'm sure we'll get some real gems out of it.

Introduction: I will introduce the project and invite people to talk about their interest in film or any ideas they’ve been playing with. I really want to emphasize that this medium is way more accessible to novices than people assume. Often, the most creative films I see are by brand-new filmmakers.

Creative Sparks: I will have various props (fabrics, musical instruments, a screen set up to project shadows) to spark imagination. I'll also have three cameras available for people to use. Some folks might just want to be shown how to use a camera and take random images without making a full film, which is totally fine! 

Brainstorming & Pairing Up: I'll go around the room so people can share concepts. As facilitator, I’ll help draw out ideas and help people pair off to collaborate. I will also ask for volunteers to help with rotating facilitation at future events. 

Example A: Someone says, "I want to experiment by filming three people spontaneously interacting on the shadow screen." We'll brainstorm what that needs, and anyone interested can jump in and start working on it.

Example B (My Project): I'd love to set up a chair and backdrop to interview various people one at a time using preset questions. I'll splice the answers together and show the final short at the next month's Film Night.

Editing Demo: At the end, I'll have a computer set up to demonstrate a couple of easy, free editing programs (like iMovie and CapCut) for anyone interested in learning the basics.

Screening Guidelines (Film Night Months)

Time Limits: Submissions will be between 1-10 minutes to keep things moving and allow for more participation.

Longer Films: If someone has a longer project, they will be invited to show a selected snippet or trailer.

First meeting is November 1st

For questions: poeticlensfilmfest@gmail.com