“Happy Sadurday” is a short film with a contradiction in its title.

In a time that should be a celebration before a young woman’s 22nd birthday, she confronts memories of her recently-deceased brother.

Hannah Mittermeier lost her older brother Christian in 2015, when he was almost 22-years-old.

In the 18-minute film, “Happy Sadurday,” she imagines what it would be like to see and talk again with her brother.

The film explores loss, grief and regrets about things that might have been.

“Happy Sadurday” will be shown 7 p.m. July 21, Roxy Theatre, 2004 Main St., Northampton (doors open at 6 p.m.); 3:30 p.m. July 22, Blue Cinema, Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem (doors open at 3 p.m.), and at approximately 9 p.m. July 23, Shankweiler’s Drive-In, 4540 Shankweiler Road, Orefield (prior to the feature movie; gates open at 7 p.m.).

There will be an introduction before and a question and answer session after the Roxy and Banko screenings with Mittermeier, associate producer Ryan Farrell, assistant director Daniel Sotelo-Reiner and Luke Richert, who plays the Brother.

“It was a labor of love. The most important thing for me about this project was an immortalization of Chris, as a reminder of who he was,” says Mittermeier.

“The first people to see it will be the people from home,” says Mittermeier in a phone interview from her home in Burbank, Calif. Mittermeier grew up in Coplay.

Mittermeier wrote, directed and co-produced “Happy Sadurday.” In the film, she plays the unnamed Sister, and her parents Georg and Mary Mittermeier play the Mother and Father.

“I was not going to use them originally, but after conversations with them I saw that they wanted to be a part of it. They were very on board and supportive, and got to talk about their son with the full cast and crew.”

The film, shot in Los Angeles, opens with the Sister talking about her brother to a therapist. Memories and absurdist visuals are interspersed. Early on, there is a cutaway shot that reveals the film set, reminding viewers that they are seeing a movie.

“Not everything happened in real life the way it is presented. I remembered as accurately as I can, but things are not always as they were. There might have been something that I remembered that never happened that way. It is my own head orchestrating it,”

For many scenes with the Brother, played by Luke Richert, she says, “It is like a conversation I am having with myself. I didn’t know if he would say this. It is just a wish for the way it might go. It gives us a chance to do things a little differently this time around.”

Mittermeier hopes “Happy Sadurday” can help others deal with similar losses:

“It can help people to see what this is like. I hope people don’t have to go through this, but if they do, they can recognize themselves. It can help encourage empathy, so people might not be quick to judge people, but to try to understand them.”

Mittermeier attended Steckel Elementary School and graduated from Whitehall High School, Class of 2017. She received a BFA in Comedic Arts, a new degree, from Emerson College, Boston, in 2020. “It includes all facets of comedy, with writing, performance and production.”

She started writing the screenplay for “Happy Sadurday,” her first film, in April 2022. She finished the four days of filming on May 21, 2023. The film was financed through crowdfunding.

“It was very daunting. You have to do your homework and connect with people. Fortunately, people out here are very supportive,” she says.

Mittermeier’s next film ill be a comedy-horror short, “Skin Deep.”

“Happy Sadurday” Information: https://www.instagram.com/happysadshortfilm