Friday is the start of the inaugural Centre County film festival in Philipsburg.

The Penn State professor who’s bringing the film festival to Philipsburg says the historic Rowland theatre, inspired her to have a film festival.

Pearl Gluck teaches film and video at Penn State. More than a year ago she came to the Rowland Theatre and was amazed how this small town kept has kept the century-old theatre alive.

She thought it would be the perfect place to bring a film festival to Centre County.

“We have a place that’s been almost in a way waiting for this,” Gluck, said. This idea that we can actually bring intergenerational life to this place.”

Hollywood director, April Wright is showing her documentary “Going Attractions” at the film festival.

It’s about the history of cinema and shows older theaters, like the Rowland Theatre.

“Anytime I get to play at a place like this, one of the places that my documentary is about, it makes it extra special, because you can watch the film you can see all the things that people are talking about, you can look around the room and see the examples of it right here in this Rowland Theater,” Wright, said.

16 accomplished film directors from around the country and 12 local high school filmmakers will show their films this weekend, spanning documentaries to animation to horrors.

“Even though Penn State is just one town over, we weren’t really equipped here to help these young, teenage filmmakers, as future filmmakers, to help them tell their story.,” Gluck, said.