A man who paints with fire. A grandson exploring his grandfather's life through animation. A horror comedy about a girl and her dog.

These are some of the short films in the line-up of this year's "Movies at the Mill" festival, which returns to Easton this weekend for its third year.

For several hours Saturday evening, the former Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street will be transformed into an outdoor theater, screening seven movies from artists from around the world.

There were about 100 submissions this year, said Gershon Hinkson, the festival's director. For a more established film festivals, that number wouldn't be all that impressive. But he said it represents how much Movies at the Mill has grown.

"Our first two festivals, we were out looking for submissions," Hinkson said at a news confernence Monday. This year, they got more than what they were prepared for.

Those movies include:

• Two animated shorts: Manni, by Vito Ferber, and David B. Levy's Grandpa Looked Like William Powell.
• Two dramas: Roles, by Erin Michelle Kruger, and Premature, by Rashad Ernesto Green. Green, noted Hinkson, just sold his first feature following the Sundance Film Festival.
• Two horror movies: Beast, by Norman Franklin, and Dark Ways, from William Q. Hartlin.
• The documentary Aglow follows the life of Paul Choinowksy, who makes art using fire.

In addition to the films, this year's Movies at the Mill will feature works by Easton artist Karl Stirner, Hinkson said.

While the festival only shows short films in a single location, Hinkson envisions a day where it's a longer event, showing longer movies.

Showing feature-length films now, however, wouldn't work. He said it would be akin to "seeing one long movie, sneaking out, and seeing another long movie. I'm not sure the audience we have is up for that."

Tickets for Movies at the Mill can be reserved by calling city hall at 610-250-6600, or purchased at locations around the city, including  Merchants Bank offices in Easton, Forks, Nazareth and Martins Creek. Merchants is the festival's sponsor this year. Tickets can also be found at:

• Tracy's Cafe, Cattell and Monroe streets
• Nature's Way, 143 Northampton St.
• Green Harvest Food Emporium, 140 Northampton St.
• MaDs and MeGs, 325 Cattell St.
• Black & Blue, 683 Walnut St.W Graphics, 18-20 N. Fourth St.
• Third Floor, City Hall, 1 South Third St.
• Connexions Gallery, 123 Northampton St.
• Mercantile Home, 140 Northampton St.
• Free Bridge Wine and Spirits in Phillipsburg.