GREENFIELD — From hobbyists to professionals, filmmakers from across Massachusetts will have the opportunity to share their work on the big screen as part of the third annual LAVA Center Film Festival.

The festival, welcoming all ages and skill levels, features work by filmmakers as young as 5 years old, college students and older professionals. The 26 short films cover a wide range of genres, from comedy and horror to documentary.

“There’s always been a big range … so that’s been really cool,” said festival co-director Vanessa Query.

Following a filmmakers’ reception at The LAVA Center, 324 Main St. in Greenfield, on Friday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m., the first “block” of films will be screened from 7 to 9 p.m. These films include experimental, drama, documentary and animated, some of which may contain themes not suitable for younger audiences. Screenings will continue Saturday afternoon from 1 to 2:30 p.m., 3 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Film blocks are organized by content matter, Query explained.

In addition to the screenings, the festival will host a panel discussion after each block with local filmmakers, who will share their insights into making films in this region, hosted by filmmaker and festival co-director Wally Marzano-Lesnevich.

“[Submissions] were really great,” Query said. “We got a few more submissions than we got last year. … We wanted to accept all of them, as we did last year, but … it would have been too much.”

Query, who organized the first film festival in 2021 with a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said the goal in accepting films was not necessarily about finding the “most polished or the best technically,” but creating an accessible film festival.

“You can really see the excitement that filmmakers have and the ability now that everybody has to shoot a film on their phone,” she said. “Anyone can make a film. We really look for people who are being creative and are really excited about telling stories in this way.”

In an effort to make the festival accessible to anyone interested in attending the whole event, it will be shorter than last year’s inaugural in-person event, Query said.

“If you’re going to drive from Boston, it’s hard for them to stay in town for three nights,” she reasoned. “They can come to all the different events. We want to encourage that.”

The festival will feature films by Massachusetts filmmakers: Ryan Arnold and Ezra Prior; Jason Beckett, Matt Demko and Paige McIntosh; Jared Britt; Oliver Dooley Brubaker; Allison Chaves; Anne Ciecko; Jaina Cipriano; Ethan Harrison Garstka; Susan Gray; Samarah Hasan-Kepes and family; Viktor Herrmann; Spencer DePaolo Horgan; Alix Kaplan; Althea Keaton; Gabe Liftman; Melissa E. McClung; Michael Mitchell; Elias Neijens; Vanessa Query; Dylan Rhys Roy; Yonah Sadeh; Abigail Rose Sullivan; Benjamin Z. Tobin; Dien Vo; Nikita Vyshinskiy; and Juniper and Cole Whitaker.

For more information on the films and schedule of events, visit thelavacenter.org/lava-film-festival.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.