Melissa Joan Hart, Paula Hart to accept Legacy Award at first Sayville Film Festival

Television star Melissa Joan Hart and her mother, Paula Hart, will support their hometown by appearing at the first-ever Sayville International Film Festival later this month, according to founder Maria Capp.

“We’re going to celebrate them because they’re Sayville natives,” Capp said. Melissa, the star of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” was raised in Sayville by her mother, Paula, who produced the show. They’ll accept the festival’s Legacy Vanguard Award.

The festival, which runs Aug. 13-16 at the Sayville Theater on Railroad Avenue, features a mix of short films and features. Shorts will be grouped into blocks with such themes as student productions, stories about people with disabilities and local films. There will also be industry panels to help attendees with pitching ideas, film directing and securing distribution.

Capp describes herself as an actor and filmmaker who spent several years in Los Angeles before returning to her home base of Sayville. Her credits include writing and directing “Lady of the Lake,” a 2024 horror film inspired by an urban legend about Lake Ronkonkoma, where she grew up. She also teaches in the film department of Five Towns College in Dix Hills.

Capp said she hopes the festival will inspire filmmakers of all ages, “whether it’s the emerging student or a mid-career professional who has content to share.”

Individual tickets for the festival are $15; passes are $125. To purchase tickets or for more information go to sayvilleinternationalfilmfestival.com.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com