Grab your popcorn and kick up your feet. We’re diving into summer with an epic online event to showcase powerful stories from filmmakers across the country. The PBS Short Film Festival begins July 11, and you can join us right from home as we celebrate the power of storytelling through this year’s films.

Interested in sharing the experience with your friends and family? We’ve got you covered with our Viewing Party Kit. Packed with mouthwatering recipes from PBS Food, discussion questions, and more, this kit will serve as a quick guide to help you host your own viewing party.

Make sure to tag @PBS and use #PBSFilmFest to share your viewing parties with us!

Download our PBS Short Film Festival invitation below to text, email or even share on social media with your guests. Download for use on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, print or email. To save to your desktop, right click the invitation below. Alternatively, hold down the invitation on your phone to save to your camera roll. 

How to Watch

What's on the Menu?

After your invitations have been sent, it’s time to plan your party setup. We encourage you to create a space where you can truly immerse yourself in the experience. Put up decorations, turn down the lights, and most importantly, stock up on the snacks. 

Since you don’t have to worry about the crinkling of candy wrappers or the smell of butter disturbing a seat neighbor during your personal viewing party (though, we personally don't mind the smell of butter), the food options are endless. For the sweet tooth among us or the savory food lover, we have hundreds of PBS Food recipes for you to feast on. Here are some of our favorite dishes and treats to help you get started on your party spread:

Featured Dish: Choriqueso with Homemade Flour Tortillas

A big hit with the kids, choriqueso is a popular Mexican snack made with spicy chorizo and melted cheese and served with flour or corn tortillas and salsa or guacamole. Fresh-made flour tortillas are irresistible, and this recipe explains how to make them at home. It’s easier than you think, and they go amazingly well with choriqueso.

This recipe from Silvia Martinez appears in Episode 2 of Season 1 of The Great American Recipe.

Plan a Post-Party Discussion

For your viewing party, consider the questions below to encourage conversation during or after watching the films. If needed, send the questions out with your invitations to let your guests prepare ahead of time and write down your thoughts as you go to refer to during post-film discussion. As the host, assist in moderating and introducing the questions below.

1. Which film left you feeling inspired?

2. What are your go-to film genres? Why?

3. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction stories? Why?

4. Which story impacted you the most?

5. If you could ask a question of any of the filmmakers, what would it be?

6. Do you share a similar story to those showcased in this year's film festival?

7. If any, which character resonated with you the most?

8. What did the film do well? Alternatively, what didn’t work for you?

9. What sets this apart from the other films?

10. What story are they trying to tell?

You can also head over to our PBS Short Film Festival Facebook page to engage with others beyond your viewing party.