“It sprouted from an interest and love for global cinema,” says writer, director and filmmaker Stephanie Gardner.

“I wanted to curate a film festival where I would screen the works of these 33 filmmakers,” says Gardner.

“Instead of the traditional route of having the submissions come to you, I wanted to actually go out and find the submissions, actually find the filmmakers who were making these films,” Gardner says.

Gardner was speaking during a question and answer session after a screening April 26 of two episodes of her “33 and Me” film project at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, SteelStacks, Bethlehem.

In 2018, Gardner, then 33, set out to explore the world and meet with other 33-year-old filmmakers from more than 33 nations.

She teamed up with Duprelon “Tizz” Tizdale to record her adventures as Gardner questioned her 30-something contemporaries about their careers.

“I write, direct and produce. I do all the research. I’m the one mostly interacting with the filmmakers,” says Gardner.

“Tizz does all the camera work, all the sound, all the lighting. He’s like a superhero of filmmaking,” Gardner says.

“We started out in Switzerland,” says Tizdale, explaining that Gardner traced her ancestry there.

The title, “33 and Me,” is a take-off of 23andMe, the DNA testing service.

Destinations included Turkey, Romania, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and Taiwan.

Gardner sought to find out how film-makers overcome obstacles such as government or societal censorship and lack of resources and why they persevere.

Her questions included: “What types of films are they making? What stories and themes are they exploring? What genres and visual styles are they drawn to in their filmmaking? How do they perceive themselves in their lives and careers? What are their hopes, dreams and desires?”

“Azerbaijan,” a 30-minute episode from Gardner’s journey, explores the nation’s oil-boom and mix of Persian, Turkish and Russian culture. She interviewed filmmakers about maintaining their voices through their films in the former Soviet Socialist Republic.

Providing perspectives in “Azerbaijan” are Oktay Namazov, Elvin Adigozel, Imam Hasanov and Jalaladdin Gasimov, 52, a retired police chief-turned filmmaker.

“Egypt,” a 52-minute part of the “33 and Me” series, looks at the nation’s transition from ancient to modern times, focusing on filmmakers Mina Nabil, Islam Kamal and Wael Omar. Gardner questioned each on how they navigate the post-“Arab Spring” atmosphere with their work.

Omar, 42, spoke about his activism during “Arab Spring.” Nabil and Kamal are part of Alexandria-based Fig Leaf Studios.

Gardner, a 2004 Emmaus High School graduate, wrote and directed the musical comedy, “The Not So Average Joe,” in 2002 while a student. Gardner received a Bachelors in Dramatic Literature, Music and Creative Writing in 2008 from George Washington University, where she wrote, directed and produced the musical, “The Point of No Return.”

Gardner studied in Singapore while attending Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting in 2010. Gardner returned to New York to pursue film work.

Gardner’s more than 30 films include narrative fiction shorts, “Para Todo Mal ... Para Todo Bien: A Mezcal Trilogy” (2021), “If I Had a Piano: I’d Play You the Blues” (2015), “And If I Stay” (2013) and “Okay, Joe” (2012), part of “Ten To One Films.”

Gardner is based in Lama, a mountain community near Taos, N.M.

Lauren Tocci, a Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas committee member who co-curates the “First Saturday Horror Series,” moderated the Q&A.

“33 and Me Filmmakers Festival,” Sept. 22 - 30, film screenings, cultural events, panel discussions and workshops at Lehigh Valley venues. Information: www.33andmefilms.com