The Haven Theater in downtown Brookhaven will serve as the venue for the first Film Haven Festival on Sept. 10.

Not only will the indie film fest serve as a second showing for the locally-shot “Porches and Private Eyes,” it’s also providing a venue for several independent short films shot in Mississippi.

“Independent film is not only the alternative to the mainstream Hollywood cinema,” Porches director Travis Mills said. “It’s the only avenue for growth in the medium, where moviemaking is still adventurous.”

While Mills’ production company, Running Wild Films, is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Mills himself is the grandson of local retired judge Donald Patterson, and James Minter said Mills approached BLT about a possible venue for playing his movies in Brookhaven.

Since that first showing of Mills’ films last year, BLT has been experimenting with making the building a venue for movies. Last Halloween, they showed “Harry Potter” and “The Twilight Zone.” For Christmas they played “Polar Express,” which was a huge success among the kids, according to Minter. For Valentine’s Day, they showed “Casablanca.”

But the Film Haven Festival is something of a different beast. While fan favorites are guaranteed to draw a crowd, Minter said the Film Haven’s focus on independent films from Mississippi is an opportunity to promote Brookhaven’s growing art scene.

“We’ve got some really talented people that are showing their work,” Minter said. “It’s exciting. I’m on pins and needles.”

The doors open at the Haven Theater at noon and following an introduction, a Mississippi short film series will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.

After a break, a panel discussion with some of the cast and crew of “Porches and Private Eyes” will take place at 2:30 p.m., followed by a Mark Twain competition at 3 p.m. where competitors show a short film made from one of Mark Twain’s works.

Local musician Shaw Furlow’s Brookstock documentary will be shown at 4 p.m.

Finally, Running Wild Films will be showing some of their Mississippi-based shorts at 6 p.m., and “Porches and Private Eyes” will be shown at 7 p.m.

While it’s an eight-hour event, Minter said there are plenty of breaks and attendees are free to come and go to the events that interest them. Tickets for the event are $25, and they can be purchased online at http://bit.ly/1VRtG0z or through the Brookhaven Little Theatre at 601-669-1878.