The Teleos Film Festival is a celebration of powerful storytelling and timeless values through film. Guests will have the opportunity to connect with filmmakers, enjoy conversation, and experience cinema that inspires reflection, imagination, and community. Opening Night sets the stage for a weekend of films that challenge, uplift, and bring people together.
5:30 PM: Doors open
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: SHORTS AND SCREENPLAY READINGS
Generational
A single father confronts past trauma and the weight of responsibility as he struggles to become the present, loving parent his son deserves.
Conference of the Moths
Inspired by a classic 12th-century tale, a community of moths abandons the dangerous pursuit of the flame in favor of self-preservation—until the wise Hoopoe challenges them to rediscover the deeper meaning of love and sacrifice.
Eighth Notes
By day a receptionist and by night a Latin dance band keyboardist, a determined Salvadoran immigrant risks everything to audition for an elite classical conservatory.
7:00 PM: INTERMISSION
7:15 PM – 8:30 PM: NARRATIVE SHORTS
Just For Now
A scientist celebrating a potentially world-changing discovery meets a charming stranger whose curiosity pushes her toward a decision that could alter reality itself.
The Brain Bucket
A woman revisits the reckless freedom and quiet heartbreak of her youth through memories of the skateboarding days that shaped her.
Donor
When a grieving mother meets the woman living with her child’s donated heart, her search for closure spirals into a dangerous obsession.
8:30 PM: INTERMISSION
8:45 PM – 9:45 PM: DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
Mercy at the Gates
In Philadelphia’s Kensington district—the largest open-air drug market in the world—one community offers addicts something radical: mercy. This documentary follows the work of Mother of Mercy House as it confronts addiction with compassion and faith.
Dear Mr. President
At a fragile moment in American history, an ordinary citizen’s letters challenge a corrupt president to dismantle the bureaucratic system that elevated him to power.
9:45 PM: Closing Toast & Filmmaker Meet-and-Greet