Local films return to the big screen with “Port City Shorties” screening Friday at Jengo’s

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A collection of short films made by Wilmington-based filmmakers will be back on the big screen this week, as “Port City Shorties” returns to Jengo’s Playhouse for a special one-night screening.

The showcase, featuring seven locally produced short films, will be held Friday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here.

Among the films being shown is Brenda Gets Gaslit, directed by Wilmington filmmaker Jessica Vitkin. The film follows a woman named Brenda whose visit to a dismissive doctor sets off a surreal spiral into what Vitkin calls “the gaslit twilight zone.”

“Brenda Gets Gaslit is about a woman named Brenda who experiences some pain and discomfort and goes to her local doctor who is a bit dismissive, and that sends her into a tailspin into the gaslit twilight zone,” Vitkin said.

Vitkin says the story was inspired in part by her own experiences, as well as those of a close friend.

“I have a friend named Brenna who was diagnosed with stage four endometrial cancer, and the steps to getting her diagnosed was very gaslighty, for lack of a better term — very dismissive,” she said. “It took about a year for her to actually be diagnosed. She’s still alive, she’s okay, and she was very nice to let me narrativize her story to kind of highlight the issue.”

Vitkin says the film has sparked conversations at other festival screenings.

“Every single screening I will have women come up to me after and share their stories of gaslighting or when they’ve been dismissed by doctors,” she said. “So I think it’s been nice for me as the filmmaker, but then also for the audience to see their story reflected.”

The last time “Port City Shorties” screened was during the 30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival, where it played to sold-out audiences.

Audiences on Friday can expect a wide range of stories and genres, Vitkin said.

“They can expect everything — thrills, chills, spills, laughs, tears. Seven different films, many different genres. We have some really talented filmmakers in town, so it should be a good time,” she said.

A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the screening.

“It’s usually talking about the film, and then audience members get a chance to ask questions,” Vitkin said. “They can sometimes have very specific questions that make you, the filmmaker, think about things from the film that you hadn’t really thought of before. So it should be an enlightening experience.”

The screening is taking place Friday at Jengo’s Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. The other films screening are Jumping Bean, The Hermit of Cape Fear, Light, For Every Breath, Fidelity, and How to Build a Boat.

Details can be found here.