The four-day event will feature the screening of 35 films, each less than 30 minutes in duration and selected from the 50+ entries in this year’s competition. The festival pairs cinema with wine by offering each adult ticket holder tastings from an assortment of wines. Additional refreshments available include wine by the glass, beer, soft drinks, popcorn and other light fare.

On Wednesday the Film & Wine Festival kicks off with a screening of “My Tale of Two Cities”, billed by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association as “a funny and heartfelt ‘comeback’ story about coming home and cities and people reinventing themselves for a new age.” A special treat will be the presence of Carol Lee Espy (a Johnstown native) and her husband Jim Dispirito. The pair is responsible for the film’s music score and will hold an informal discussion on the film at its conclusion.

Thursday’s showing features 13 films from the horror genre. Ranging in duration from 2 to 27 minutes, this collection is sure to appeal to short-story, thriller fanatics.

The 10 films on Friday’s schedule cover a variety of socially relevant topics, as well as themes of personal tragedy, mystery and more.

The Johnstown Film & Wine Festival culminates on Saturday, with the showing of 11 films, including the top three as selected by a private panel of cinema experts. The evening’s movies include a dark comedy about the travels of a dead dog, a mockumentary about the fourth annual Gay Frisbee Tournament, several stop-motion projects and much more.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday screenings will be held at the Johnstown Flood Museum, located at 304 Washington Street, Johnstown, PA (click here for a map).

Saturday, the event moves to the Johnstown Area Heritage Discovery Center, located at 201 6th Avenue, Johnstown, PA (click here for a map).

For additional details, including schedules and synopses, visit the Film & Wine Festival area of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association’s Web site, www.johnstownfilmfest.org.

Of course, Johnstowners know that another way to get all of that and more is to visit the Westwood Plaza Theatre & Café.

Long-known as one of the area’s best movie-going experiences, this theater is unique in that they have replaced every other row of seats with a table suitable for propping you feet during the film, or holding your selection from their diverse menu. And the menu? Well, that’s a story in its own right. Standard movie staples are readily available, but this concession area (a full café, actually) holds its own when it comes to area eateries.

Hollywood-themed menu selections range from the “Last Action Gyro” (a delicious take on the Greek classic), to the heart-stopping “John Belushi” (a hefty chilli burger), to the lovely “Marilyn Monroe” (a thinly sliced grilled chicken sandwich), to so much more.

Sound delicious, but you don’t have time for dinner and a movie? The Westwood Plaza Theatre and Café offers carry-out during their operating hours, making it a great option for lunch or dinner.

With long-standing specials like “The Great Cheap Date”, the Westwood Plaza Theatre and Café has a reputation for being a great place to go on a first date. Word has it that it’s a pretty good choice for date 500, too.

The Westwood Plaza Theatre and Café is located at 1910 Minno Drive, Johnstown (click here for a map). You can learn more by calling (814) 255-2116 or by visiting their Web site, www.westwoodplazatheatre.com.