Born and raised in Emmaus, Stephanie Gardner’s love of global cinema led to a career as a writer, director and filmmaker. In 2018, Gardner, then 33, set out to explore the world and meet with other 33-year-old filmmakers from more than 33 nations. Teaming up with Duprelon “Tizzz” Tizdale to record her adventures, Gardner questioned her 30-something colleagues about their careers in a series of indie films she titled “33 and Me.”

Several of these films were screened at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, SteelStacks, Bethlehem in 2023 and in spring of 2024.

Taking a break from her globe-trotting, Gardner brought her world, along with many of her international filmmaker friends, back to the Lehigh Valley for the “33 and Me Filmmakers Festival.”

From Sept. 22-30, the gathering of cinematic professionals and students shared stories, ideas, advice and experiences, along with attending screenings, workshops and panel discussions at several local public and private venues. The Emmaus Theatre, Civic Theatre 514 and Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, and Shankweiler’s Drive-In in Orefield hosted movies while classes and panel discussions were held at The Emmaus Public Library, Emmaus Moravian Church, Muhlenberg Seegers Union, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Sleepy Cat Urban Winery in Allentown.

Gardner explains the title of the series and fest, “33 and Me,” is a take off on 23andMe, the DNA testing service.

Participants traveled from Argentina, Guyana, Iceland, Jamaica, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Uganda, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe for the September 2024 event. Locals taking part included Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas committee member Lauren Tocci.

The nine-day “33 and Me Filmmakers Festival” finale was held at Shankweiler’s Drive-In where attendees viewed “Beside Me” and a pair of shorts titled, “Life Care” and “Ochio” followed by a Q&A with Romanian Director Tedy Necula.

These were preceded by a showing of “Reporting From Darkness” by Director Elvin Adigozel, depicting a chilling look at press censorship in Azerbaijan. The movie struck a chord with the cinematographers, many of whom face their own government and cultural censorship challenges.

Gardner is based in Lama, a mountain community near Taos, N.M. The 2004 Emmaus HS graduate wrote and directed the musical comedy, “The Not So Average Joe,” in 2002 while a student. Gardner received a bachelors degree in 2008 from George Washington University, where she wrote, directed and produced the musical, “The Point of No Return.”

For more information, visit 33andmefilms.com.