Dayton Independent Film Festival returns for sixth year

Roger Glass Center for the Arts hosts annual showcase of Midwest filmmakers

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The sixth annual Dayton Independent Film Festival took place on Sunday at the Roger Glass Center for the Arts, featuring 14 films from Midwest filmmakers. The festival, founded by a University of Dayton professor, is heavily reliant on film students who help select, program, and execute the event as part of their curriculum.

Why it matters

The Dayton Independent Film Festival provides a platform for Midwest filmmakers to showcase their work and share stories about the region. It also gives University of Dayton film students hands-on experience in all aspects of running a film festival, from curation to production.

The details

The festival featured three blocks of films - feel-good stories, love and loss, and documentaries. A short film called "A Thousand Years" about the Wright Brothers was also shown. Festival organizer Pat Enright said the event is a "labor of love" that allows Midwest storytellers to have their voices heard.

  • The sixth annual Dayton Independent Film Festival took place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.
  • The festival was founded 6 years ago by a University of Dayton professor.

The players

Jesseca Ynez Simmons

The assistant professor at the University of Dayton who founded the Dayton Independent Film Festival 6 years ago.

Pat Enright

A festival organizer who spoke about the event's mission to provide meaningful artistic and cultural programming to the Dayton community.

University of Dayton students

Film students who are critical to the planning and execution of the Dayton Independent Film Festival as part of their curriculum.

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What they’re saying

“We had a woman who worked here who was a documentarian, and she wanted to develop a way to showcase Midwestern filmmakers and films about the Midwest. So she started it six years ago.”

— Pat Enright, Festival organizer (Dayton 24/7 Now)

“It gives our students who are interested in filmmaking and media a way to learn. You know, we bring a lot of the filmmakers here, and they come to watch the films so the students get to watch those films, but also interact with those filmmakers and learn about the business.”

— Pat Enright, Festival organizer (Dayton 24/7 Now)

The takeaway

The Dayton Independent Film Festival has become an important annual event that not only showcases the work of Midwest filmmakers, but also provides valuable hands-on experience for University of Dayton film students to learn about all aspects of running a film festival.