As I said last year, which probably not so many people saw so I’ll say it again, the SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania isn’t the typical underground film festival that I like to write up, but I do anyway because I probably would have gone to it had it existed back when I lived semi-nearby in Abington. It covers a wide range of indie films from all over the world, including some underground-ish type stuff. Not that I’m any expert on film festivals or anything, but I don’t think you see such big and diverse festivals like this in small towns like Bethlehem. So, it seems sort of unique to me.

Anyway, they’re gearing up for their 2007 fest, which will run June 19-23. The deadline is May 1. While they will take a look at any and all films from any genre and are looking specifically for films with great stories, SouthSide also likes to curate special genres. Last year’s special focus was animation, but this year, they are looking for films that specialize in dance, films that come from South America, and student films. The festival will also host several filmmaking seminars, including an animation workshop for kids taught by Polish expatriate director Pawel Partyka.

For more info, please visit the official SouthSide Film Festival site or their Withoutabox submission page.