08/23/2025
Join us TONIGHT under the stars to watch the next generation of film stars!
8th Annual OC Film Challenge Premiere & Awards Night
Saturday, August 23
FREE!
94TH ST Tennis Courts Next to the Arts Center
GATES OPEN AT 7 PM
FILMS BEGIN AT 7:30 PM
The Ocean City Film Festival invites you to premiere night of the 8th Annual Ocean City Film Challenge. Be among the first to view original short films about Ocean City created by a group of very talented filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers.
We challenged filmmakers to produce a short film between July 1-31, 2025 shot in Ocean City or about Ocean City. The winners will be revealed during our Film Night and prizes will be awarded. Watch the films and awards and meet the filmmakers. You may be meeting the next Steven Spielberg!
Bring a chair. If it rains, films will move inside the Arts Center. Free, but all donations are welcome and happily accepted.
Day Off
Directed by Angeline Timmons
A girl desperate for an ocean city card to go on the rides, spots one. But it’s not hers, and attempts to steal it, but fails miserably each time. The victim is unaware of the situation, but thankfully her little sister stops the sneaky girl time after time. 6 minutes.
Changing Tides
Directed by Blake Dasher, Ciara Gustin, Dominic Breitenbach, Kiara Davis, Mckinley Stokley, Piper Drace
Phoebe and Wes meet on a summer day in a less than normal way on the beach, what’s to come of the two young lovers when the summer ends? After a day on the beach with the life guard, Phoebe, saving the smitten Wes we see their story start. Through a series of dates showing a growing interest between to two, but also a growing tension when it comes to the official titles of their relationship. With distance growing between them because of their opposite futures they wonder how to continue or end. Is it a flourishing love or a heartbreak leading them into a cold fall? 9 minutes.
The Worst Gift in Ocean City
Directed by Holden Connor
A group of young girls seek out the worst gift in Ocean City. 14 minutes.
Jolly and Gerald
Directed by Fiona O'Brien & Zoe Couloumbis
This silent film style piece describes the tale of Jolly and Gerald Roger, a brother duo who have vastly different roles in society. Jolly is beloved by the community and known for opening the Jolly Roger Amusement Park at the Pier, but Gerald is the one who really makes things happen behind the scenes. 6 minutes.
Ocean City Vacation Daze: A Ken Burns Film
Directed by Thomas Taylor, Chris Demone, Xavier Geraldes, Steve Myers
Join legendary documentarian Ken Burns as he vacations with his family in Ocean City, Maryland… Ken Burns style. 9 minutes.
Empty Bottles
Directed by Joseph Robinette
Based in Ocean City, MD, a drunk from Ocean City, NJ, finds himself accidentally transported to Ocean City, MD via a bus. Here, he finds what he believes to be a thing of miracle, a liquor store. But he still believes he is in New Jersey, and this must be a hallucination of sorts. The drunk takes advantage of his full day in Ocean City, MD. To his disbelief and delight, he perused the boardwalk and enjoyed the many rides and entertainment. Still thinking it's the Jersey Ocean City, he ends his day meeting the reality of his setting through an officer's questioning. This reveal opens his eyes to how much Ocean City, MD truly has to offer to any and everyone.
Ocean vs. Bay 2
Directed by Marlon Wallace
A year ago, two young men battled over which side of Ocean City was better, the oceanside or the bayside. Now, they face an even greater threat. A man with a mysterious past has arrived and is causing crime and chaos in town, but can the two rivals put aside their differences to stop this new villain? 26 minutes.
Tomorrow’s Dujour
Directed by B.L. Strang-Moya
An unfortunate line cook must pick up a last minute delivery from a mysterious new vendor. 5 minutes.
