Category Archives: Dances With Films NYC

‘KAISHAKU’ (DWFNY 2026) Trauma, loyalty, and revenge.

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Harry Locke IV’s DWFNY 2026 film KAISHAKU follows Iris, a mother who, in financial dire straits, agrees to be a friend’s suicide “spotter.” A high school friend and school counselor to her son, Bridgette, offers to pay Iris handsomely to ensure her attempt is a success. When the money hits her account, a burden seems to be lifted, until she discovers she has failed Bridgette entirely.
 
Writer Mike Gerbino properly explains the title’s disturbing meaning, rooted in samurai honor, tradition, and guilt. This haunting theme attaches itself to Iris as more unsettling moments occur to her and her family. Anything connected to Bridgette’s payment backfires with a supernatural vengeance, but it’s not so cut and dry. The screenplay leans full force into the “You had one job” notion. Heightened by marital distress and putting a child in harm’s way, the tension moves like a freight train. Iris is trapped between guilt and a vengeful spirit. I definitely found my fingernails leaving imprints in my palm.

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‘INFIRMARY’ (DWFNY 2026) An epic found footage debut earns its scares.

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INFIRMARY

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Nicholas Pineda‘s DWFNY film INFIRMARY follows former Marine Edward on his first night shift as a security guard at an abandoned hospital.

DP Donald Nam mixes body cam and security footage. Huge high five to editor Noah Kistler. This filmmaking team sets the audience on edge from the very beginning. The shooting location is insane, no pun intended. The crumbling interiors, long corridors, and spooky-ass rooms look like a goddamn health hazard. It is chef’s kiss.

INFIRMARY_STILL_03Combined, the location and camerawork are extraordinarily immersive. Fans of the Silent Hill gaming franchise will be in heaven. Viewers will find their eyes darting to every point on the screen. The wide angles from the security cameras keep you on high alert. INFIRMARY delivers the goods.
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‘GLENDORA’ (DWF NY 2026) Small town history lesson for all.

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The DWF NY 2026 documentary delivers a portrait of a small village in the Mississippi Delta. GLENDORA follows the lives of a community steeped in the true identity of America. It shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hope of a population often forgotten about.
 
Glendora is the epitome of tight-knit. They honor the past and present every single day. They cherish relationships on a level that Gilmore Girls fans would envy. Their annual event on May 30th finds the community celebrating with food, bounce houses, balloons, and music. The day is called J Day, named after a 23-year-old killed by violence. A group of young creatives in town makes music with the understanding that they are the sole purveyors of their success. Prom is celebrated with the same enthusiasm as a bustling city, complete with balloons and parade floats, even if only a few. The adults involved with Partners In Development (PID), a nonprofit organization in town focused on kids, see how early intervention can change everything.
 
Children playing in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)The oldest generation speaks about the legacy of Emmett Till and the importance of passing on that history from one generation to the next. Glendora created the Emmett Till museum in 2005 as a way to apologize to the Till family for their lack of engagement. They recount the abhorrent entitlement of white people and the aggression and violence they brought to the doorsteps of the African American community members.
 
Tamiris Lourenço‘s intimate editing and filmmaker Isabelle Armand‘s camerawork, the sit-down interviews on a front porch, the static shots on the corner of a room at PID, in a field, or at a wedding, all create a sense of affection for the townfolk. You feel as if you know them all. That’s what makes the film’s final moment hit the hardest. Armand includes an in memoriam list of locals, and the names and images are a one-two punch to the heart that ignites a deep contemplation.
 
Florida B. Smith in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)Glendora is a snapshot of America’s authentic history of racial atrocities and economic disparity, but the strength of Black culture, excellence, empathy, and community shine brightest in Glendora. Their genuine pride is infectious. This country can learn from its relentless spirit to equally honor the past and change the future.
 

Isabelle Armand’s powerful documentary GLENDORA will have its World Premiere at Dances With Films: NY THIS WEEK



Feature Documentary Film
(World Premiere, 74 mins)
A film by: Isabelle Armand and Glendora Collaborative

DWF: NY 2026 OFFICIAL SCREENINGS

Friday, January 16 at 4:45 PM
Location: Regal Union Square (850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003)

In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the village of Glendora may seem quiet and remote. But beneath its stillness lies a vibrant, tightly knit African-American community whose strength, resilience, and creativity thrive despite chronic scarcity. GLENDORA is the result of five years of close collaboration between filmmaker and townspeople—an intimate portrait of life where economic fragility meets profound cultural wealth.

Told through the voices of multiple generations, the film weaves personal testimonies with daily rituals—birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals— capturing the rhythm of a town that continuously rises above its circumstances. As the Mississippi landscape shifts, so do the stories, revealing both the universality of human experience and the distinct textures of rural Southern life.

More than a place, GLENDORA reflects a larger American history shaped by racial injustice, economic neglect, and structural inequality. The film underscores the community’s efforts to stay connected and shape its future amid ongoing challenges.

GLENDORA is a film made with—and by—the people who live there. It amplifies voices too often unheard, offering a powerful story of culture, resilience, creativity, and collective memory from a town long overlooked—but not easily forgotten.

ISABELLE ARMAND (Filmmaker, Cinematographer, Writer)

Isabelle Armand is a New York–based documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work interweaves photography, film, and oral testimonies to explore the complex layers of people whose histories, lives, and potential have long been undervalued. Her acclaimed book Levon and Kennedy: Mississippi Innocence Project (powerHouse Books, 2018), which documents the wrongful convictions of two men, has received wide recognition. Her images are held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Akron Art Museum, and Portland Museum of Art. Armand’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Art in America, The Economist, The Daily Beast, and others. She recently completed her first feature documentary, Glendora, and is currently editing a photo book by the same title.

GLENDORA WEBSITE

Railroad Tracks in Isabelle Armand's GLENDORA (Credit_ Isabelle Armand)

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‘BLEEDING’ (2025) This new take on the vampire genre is addictive.

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BLEEDING

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In a world where infected blood has become the most dangerously addictive opioid, a teen must cross moral lines to save his spiraling cousin and a reluctant acquaintance.

The blood of the infected is harvested and dried into pill form. People are turning into vampires during an overdose and then using others as incubators to feed their needs or sell to the masses. Society has turned its back, deeming the cursed monsters, even airing reality television series in the vein of COPS, showing the brutal deaths of infected individuals.

Bleeding_Still_5Following the overdose death of his brother, Eric’s coping mechanism for his unresolved trauma is breaking and entering to avoid his home life. A visit to his junkie cousin Sean’s house leads to the accidental destruction of a bag of drugs. Now, the boys must devise a plan to find the funds to pay back Sean’s dealer.

After Eric and Sean break into what they assume to be a vacation home, they discover Marcus’s close friend, Sarah, zip-tied in a dark bedroom. Two scumbags are farming her. When Sean needs a fix, he can’t resist her vulnerable neck. Except he’s never had pure blood, and the lure puts him over the edge. Sarah prevents him from turning.

She and Eric strike a deal for survival- He will try to get her across the Canadian border for experimental treatment in exchange for a jar of her blood to pay off Sean’s debt. Sean makes his way to the dealer Dustin’s house alone. Little does he know who he’s dealing with. His ultimate selfishness may be everyone’s undoing.

Bleeding 1Jasper Jones is a pretty boy screw-up. His tough-guy persona leads to stupid decisions. Jones is incredibly watchable. He expertly leans into a character that feels deeply punchable but shows us we’re missing the root cause. Jones delivers the manic behavior of addiction like a pro. It is an impressive turn.

John R. Howley is dazzling as Eric. He takes a wounded bird, combines it with fearless desperation, and demands your attention. It’s unfathomable that this is his first film role. There is a bright and busy future ahead for this young man.

Cinematographer Daniel Cho takes advantage of the ever-changing natural light as the film plays out in relatively real time. BLEEDING will make a perfect companion watch with MY HEART WON’T BLEED UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO. Both films center on complex family relationships and bargaining with death. Filmmaker Andrew Bell creates an endlessly intriguing meditation on cyclical addiction. This new take on the vampire genre is undeniably refreshing. BLEEDING is so dark it may consume you whole.

BLEEDING Trailer:


BLEEDING is available on Screambox + VOD beginning Tuesday, June 10th. (Today!!)

Written & Directed by: Andrew Bell

Produced by: Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green

Starring: John R. Howley, Jasper Jones, and Tori Wong

www.bleedingfilm.com

 

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‘Screams from the Tower’ (DWF NY 2024) A gay, coming-of-age story of friendship, fearlessness, and the future.

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Filmmaker Cory Wexler Grant gave DWF NY 2024 audiences belly laughs with the East Coast debut of SCREAMS FROM THE TOWER. The film follows best friends Julien and Cary as they vie for a morning radio spot at their high school in the early 90s. Getting there is only the beginning. As the show evolved, so did its creators and fans.

The script is quirky, whippy, and bold. The dialogue settles into 90s jargon in such a natural way you might think it has been sitting on a shelf since. I mean that as a compliment. Each character has unique flaws and big feelings. The chemistry between every cast member is outstanding. Even the parents and teachers are memorable.

David Bloom gives Cary a solid best-friend connection and comic foil for Richie Fusco. Opposites attract in every sense. Other notable performances from Ryan Golf, Madison Tevlin, Amanda Bruton, and TJ Lee round out the hilarity.

Richie Fusco has genuine Ducky meets Ferris Bueller energy playing Julien. From his style to his humor, he effortlessly commands this ensemble. His journey of self-discovery drives SCREAMS from beginning to end. He oozes charm.

Knowing that the film is an homage to Grant’s teenage years makes every aspect more delicious. As a theatre kid from the class of ’99 growing up on John Hughes films, this film tapped into every bit of my coming-of-age individuality. Grant taps into the loneliness of secrets and the handling of creative kids. I felt this film in my bones.

Screams from the Tower Trailer:

WRITER/DIR: Cory Wexler Grant
PROD: Alexander Wenger
CAST: Richie Fusco, David Bloom, Madison Tevlin

“Screams from the Tower” Synopsis:
“Screams from the Tower” is a gay, coming of-age comedy that follows Julien, his best friend Cary, and their outcast friends through high school in the early 90’s. Julien and Carys dream of having their own show on the high school radio station is finally realized, bringing them popularity and infamy they never imagined.

“Screams from the Tower” Directors Note:
“Screams from the Tower” is broadly based on my teenage years, growing up in the 1990s in the Chicago suburbs. I wanted to write a gay, coming-of-age comedy in the style of the late great John Hughes who only ever hinted at the concept of being gay in his movies but was so very instrumental in highlighting the growing pains of the nerds, weirdos, and outliers. I didn’t want to focus on the trauma experienced by so many queer kids or even the passion surrounding unrequited teenage crushes. So many young adult gay movies have already illustrated these themes so well. Instead, I wanted to make a broader movie to which more people could relate. Focusing on the absurd, painful, and often laughable journey of self-discovery and identity exploration every teen goes through before graduating and leaving the lives they know.
I wanted to show the generation currently enduring high school the technological and cultural changes which have occurred since I was a kid – not out of nostalgia – but to highlight areas of cultural and social change and the areas which have not. Mostly, I hope they find it funny. I hope they can empathize. I hope they can identify in the same way those who lived it can. “Screams from the Tower” is a love story, but not a romantic one. This movie is a love letter to an old friend who forever changed my perception of the world. He taught me how to be proud, stranger and fearless. This movie i s in large part, for him and all the “weird” kids out there.

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‘B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)’ (DWF NY 2024) Jeskid’s new short film takes on the absurdity of the rat race.

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B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)


In under six minutes, DWF NY 2024 audience winner B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.) manages to be quintessentially New York and entirely universal in climbing the corporate ladder as a woman. This generational battle of two women, who are more alike than they realize, pit themselves against each other for an office promotion. Quite literally racing to the office only to discover someone unexpected in their way at every turn. Actresses Michelle Batista and Jesenia revel in their slapstick abilities, viscous tongues, and fearlessness. Violinist Elizabeth Tsung provides the score in real time, and it is magic. The fast-paced editing is to die for. Filmmaker Jesse “Jeskid” Cowell delivers the laughs and a climax that hilariously satisfies everyone.

B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.) Trailer:

“B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)” Synopsis:
In the corporate world, being FIRST is all that matters. Two women, a generation apart, find themselves locked in an absurd battle for a coveted promotion. Desperate to outshine each other, the ladies escalate their rivalry from petty arguments to an all-out race to the office. “B!tch I’m Early” delivers a masterclass in comedic timing and mounting tension with an eclectic, diverse cast to back it up. This six-minute gem manages to pack the punch of a full feature, hilariously skewering corporate culture while reminding us that in the rat race, we’re all running in circles.

“B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)” Director Bio:
Jesse “Jeskid” Cowell has been honing his filmmaking craft for over 30 years. Refusing to wait for his big break, Jeskid took to the web in 2003 and has since created over a thousand pieces of content. He has written and directed two independent features online, was one of the first vloggers (pre-YouTube), and has innovated at every stage.
A Webby Award winner with nearly a billion views for his directing and producing work, Jeskid’s impact is undeniable. His film is featured in a chapter of a USC textbook, and his comedy series garnered 10 million views in 2022. Jeskid’s journey proves that art thrives when a determined artist stays true to who they are. Stories must be told. Movies must be made. Creators, like Jeskid, must create.
“B!tch I’m Early” marks Jeskid’s latest foray into one of his favorite genres, the cinematic-comedy made popular by filmmakers such as Edgar Wright and Mike Judge. With an Office Space-like flair, Jeskid mixes a surreal comedy style with the pace of an action movie. Joined by a terrific, diverse cast, he has surrounded himself with talent and has had the time of his life bringing this new vision to fruition.

“B!tch I’m Early (B.I.E.)” Director Statement:
I love seeing talented people shine and doing everything in my power to create cinematic universes in which they can. Throw some social commentary, action and laughs in there and I am a happy filmmaker.

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‘CANCHAS’ (DWF NY 2024) A poignant short and snapshot of our collective trauma

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From the moment it begins, DWF NY 2024 short film CANCHAS perfectly captures the chaos, fear, and unresolved trauma of COVID-19. The story follows a dermatologist who has become a vital frontline worker. The intimate hand camera work immerses the audience in those new and meticulous routines we created in masking, social distancing, sanitizing, and disinfecting.

Watching brings back all the PTSD for this writer of having a three and four-year-old in Manhattan during those days. Unlike so many of our lifelong city dwellers, we did not flee. It was an experience entirely different from suburban living.

CANCHAS is a beautiful platform for leading lady Anuska Martínez. She is equal parts vulnerable, strong, stoic, and resilient. Like NYC, Madrid’s nightly applause from windows and balconies in support of frontline workers felt like a single moment in the day to live in the hope of survival as a human race.

In seventeen minutes, Paula Blanco Pérez delivers a raw and personal short film that hits every emotional note, returning us to the days that challenged the globe in ways I hope we never experience again. It deserves your applause and perhaps a feature-length version.

DWF NY 2024 selection

CANCHAS Trailer: https://vimeo.com/934664452

CANCHAS will have its world premiere at DANCES WITH FILMS NYC on Sunday, December 8. The film follows Bárbara, a dermatologist turned frontline worker in Madrid during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, who endures exhaustion and heartbreak as she fights for her patients against the virus. CANCHAS offers a poignant glimpse into her journey of quiet courage amid an overwhelming crisis.

The film is very personal to Paula, as Bárbara is based on her mother’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. She can discuss her creative process and insights on capturing the essence of a global crisis through the lens of an intimate, personal story.

 

PAULA BLANCO PÉREZ – Director / Writer / Co-Editor

Paula Blanco Pérez is an award-winning filmmaker from Madrid, Spain, who has been making movies in Arkansas for eight years. She has a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking and a master’s in film from the University of Central Arkansas. She was Director of Education at Fayetteville Public TV and won a Telly Award for the “Cinematic Rig FPTV Promo” she directed. She has also directed and produced several short films like “Dust,” “Mirona,” and “Dandelion,” which won Best Student Film at the Freedom Festival International 2022 and Best International Film at The Continental Film Festival-Tokyo Edition 2022. She has also directed music videos like “Mistakes & Dear Shadow,” which was nominated for Best Student Film at the California Music Video and Film Awards 2023, commercials, and much more! Her latest film, “Canchas,” was the first international production at the University of Central Arkansas, where she shot it in Spain. She is ambitious and motivated to continue making films that combine her Spanish and American culture!

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‘DOUBLE EXPOSURE’ (DWF NY 2024) Guilt, regret, time loss, and ghosts from the past.

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Filmmaker Howard Goldberg brings DWF NY 2024 audiences a tale of emotional torture. When Peter’s (Alexander Calvert) ex-girlfriend Sara (Caylee Cowan) shows up in his life unexpectedly, the past and present mysteriously collide. The struggling artist grapples with guilt over what happened to his first love. Opening with a Sondheim quote was undeniably clever, but this puzzle is missing at least half its pieces.

I’m not sure where to begin with DOUBLE EXPOSURE. The opening scene had such potential, but the film quickly goes off the rails into a nonsensical oblivion of unresolved trauma and supernatural bafflement. 

Caylee Cowan is… not great. She doesn’t respond to her castmates. She recites words. It’s naive to the point of mugging. Simon Kim delivers an over-the-top cliche of toxic masculinity. I’m blaming Goldberg here for the entirely gross and offensive dialogue. The rest of the cast is fantastic. Alexander Calvert and Kahyun Kim hold it together. Unfortunately, they are fighting an uphill battle with an incredibly confusing screenplay. 

The story is all over the place. It genuinely felt like there was no script supervisor on set. I could not keep overlapping timelines straight at all. The Wizard of Oz-esque finale is just as messy. DOUBLE EXPOSURE cannot decide what kind of film it wants to be. 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

North American Premiere

USA, 2024, 93 min.
FRI DEC 6 @ 8PM

WRITER/DIR: Howard Goldberg
PRODS: Julia Verdin, Howard Goldberg
CAST: Alexander Calvert, Caylee Cowan, Kahyun Kim

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‘PEAS AND CARROTS’ (DWF NY 2024) Evan Oppenheimer dishes out the laughs at the World Premiere of his latest film.

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PEAS AND CARROTS
***WORLD PREMIERE | DANCES WITH FILMS 2024 ***

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Evan Oppenheimer‘s hilarious DWF NY premiere PEAS AND CARROTS centers on 16-year-old Joey, the daughter of two one-hit wonder band members from the 90s. A glitch with the kids’ star projector opens a portal to an alternate universe where everybody only says three words: “Peas and Carrots.”

The Wethersbys, your typical New York family of quirky creatives, navigate their musical relevance and the children’s eclectic personalities. Joey longs to take the lead on a newly formed family band, but underlying feelings and said alternate universe has other plans.

The deliberate lens change between worlds is genius. There is a Nickelodeon quality about the entire production, and I do mean that in the highest regard. The score is authentically fun.

Playing the youngest Wethersby, Callum Vinson is adorable as Topper. Talia Oppenheimer has superb comic timing as middle child Mickey. Andrew Polk delivers acerbic wit as producer Woody.

PEAS-AND-CARROTSAmy Carlson and Jordan Bridges are a joy to watch as Laurie and Gordan. Their chemistry is spot on. Kirrilee Berger is a pure delight as Joey. She has a natural star quality akin to Jane Levy or Rachel Sennott. She brings an effervescent energy to the screen.

A clever device comes in the form of a bedtime routine. The dialogue is genuinely hilarious. When Joey enters her dream state, the cast’s commitment to the Peas and Carrots gag is laugh-out-loud funny. Each new scene provides more insight into this mysterious alternative universe. PEAS AND CARROTS manages to weave existentialism into a family film about confidence and identity. It’s a delicious treat, peas, carrots, rhubarb and all. Stick around for the musical credits and a sweet surprise. You’ll be begging for seconds.

DWF NY 2024 selectionDirected by: Evan Oppenheimer (Alchemy)
Produced by: Edward Schmidt, Jay Zellman
Starring: Kirrilee Berger (Unsung Hero), Amy Carlson (“Blue Bloods”), Jordan Bridges (“Rizzoli & Isles”), Andrew Polk (Armageddon Time), Kelly McAndrew (In the Family), Talia Oppenheimer (The Magnificent Meyerons), Callum Vinson (“Chucky”), Laurissa Romain (Top Five), Dan Thompson (A New York Story), Faith Gitchell, Krishna Doodnauth, Angel Desai (“NCIS: New Orleans”), Gabriel Rush (Moonrise Kingdom), Ajay Naidu (Office Space)

Joey Wethersby is a typical 16-year-old New York girl — if your typical New Yorker had parents who were in a one-hit wonder band in the 90’s. And if your typical New Yorker found themselves traveling every night to a bizarre alternate reality, where everybody only says three words: “Peas and Carrots”. Joey finds herself navigating this weird new world, while also dealing with her changing family dynamic, after she suggests that she and her parents (and, to her chagrin, her siblings) form a new band and start rocking out together.

About Evan Oppenheimer
Peas and Carrots is the eighth film written and directed by Evan Oppenheimer. His other films are The Magnificent Meyersons, Lost in Florence, A Little Game, The Speed of Thought, Alchemy, Justice, and The Auteur Theory.

The Magnificent Meyersons is currently on the Starz network, after being theatrically released twice, in 2020 and 2021. Lost in Florence, shot entirely in Italy, was released around the world in 2017 by MGM and Orion Pictures. A Little Game, Evan’s first family film, was called “a classic in its own right” upon its release in 2014, and won Best Feature and Best Actor at the International Family Film Festival. The Speed of Thought, a science fiction thriller, was released nationwide on-demand, as well as in numerous countries around the world, and is currently being adapted for a television series.

Alchemy, a romantic comedy, was subsequently a New York Times Highlight, the TV Guide Movie Pick of the Week, a Washington Post Best Bet, and an Us Weekly Pick. Justice was recognized as the first narrative film to deal with the after-effects of 9/11. It premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival, and was lauded in The New York Times (“A genuine surprise”), TV Guide (“Admirably subtle”), and The New York Daily News (“There’s no denying the film’s emotional core”).

Evan’s first film, The Auteur Theory, made on a shoestring budget of $70,000, screened in festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards. Reviewers have called it “ingenious”, “among the best first features I have ever seen”, “one of the best independent films of the year”, and “easily the funniest indie film since Clerks”.

After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in English, Evan was an editor for three years at Atheneum Publishers. He then moved on to NYU Film School, where his student film Cross Road Blues won first prize at the University Film & Video Association Student Film Festival.

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‘GASBAG’ (DWF: NY 2024) A hilarious pilot that breaks the niche space

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Lynn Rosen‘s Season 2 pilot for her web series GASBAG features some of NYC’s best theatre performers. Rosen’s dialogue is hilarious. The cast is outstanding. Lead Chad Kessler is an undeniable star with the unrelenting energy of a catnip-high feline. This genuine ensemble overflows with talent, wit, and comic timing. GASBAG deserves a proper budget. While the show is quintessential New York, it reaches far beyond a niche audience. This Friday, you can catch the pilot at this year’s DWF: NY. More details on production and tickets are below!


Gasbag follows George Nordstrom (Chad Kessler), a lovable over-talker who is discovering what he really wants and who he really is…at age 42. His overbearing mother, meddling neighbor, and dysfunctional coworkers at The Marcia Powell Travel Agency sure don’t make it easy, but thanks to his can-do spirit, some loving shoves from his brash cousin Jean, and the liberating realization that he’s gay, George is learning to love silence. He may even learn to love himself.

WHO: Lynn Rosen is a playwright and screenwriter who is currently co-writing a musical about feminist Flo Kennedy with Pia Wilson, featuring music by Rona Siddiqui. The project is commissioned by Theatreworks Silicon Valley and received a grant from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre in 2023 and residencies from The Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals in 2023 and 2024. Rosen previously co-created the award-winning comedy web series Darwin, directed by Carrie Preston (Elsbeth) and featuring Michael Emerson (Lost), and has sold two television pilots to major networks. She is a New Dramatists alumna and co-founder of the pop-up theater production company The Pool. “I’m thrilled to premiere GASBAG, our offbeat “series that could”, at DANCES WITH FILMS: New York,” says Rosen. “DWF: NY is the perfect fit for GASBAG because it features a spunky NYC vibe and notable NYC talent, and because GASBAG is the epitome of the scrappy “can do” spirit that Dances With Films celebrates.

Chad Kessler spent a decade creating a multitude of roles in the hit off-Broadway comedy “MyBig Gay Italian Wedding” franchise and its two sequels. On-screen, he can be seen on Amazon’s Emmy-nominated series Tainted Dreams, and is also a recurring voice on Pokemon! and Nickelodeon. He adds, “The story of a late-blooming gay fella trying to find his path in life while navigating a world he never felt he fit into resonated deeply with me. George is an endearing oddball whose hilarious-and often stymied-efforts to evolve is something everyone can relate to. Also, Lynn’s script and my co-stars are so beyond funny. We couldn’t stop laughing even after our director yelled ‘cut’.”Also featured in GASBAG’s principal cast are notable NYC theater performers such as DramaDesk winners Mia Katigbak and Mary Bacon, Lortel-nominated actress Danielle Skrasstad, and TV stars Deirdre Lovejoy (Rhonda Pearlman on THE WIRE, Cynthia Panabaker on THEBLACKLIST) and Jackie Tohn (Esther on NOBODY WANTS THIS, Melrose on GLOW).

George freaking out close up_ Sherri behindWHEN: Friday, December 6 at 12:45 PM EST

WHERE: Regal Union Square,850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

MORE: Gasbag started life as a pandemic-era web series, which inspired the creators to produce the TV pilot, which builds on the action and characters in the web series. They have also already started working on new episodes of Gasbag to distribute in the future. Tickets are available here.

Gasbag - Chad Kessler (L) and Mia Katigbak (R)Gasbag – Pilot

Running Time: 24 minutes

Directors: Christopher Gerson, Julie Kramer

Creator/Writer/Executive Producer: Lynn Rosen

Executive Producer: Chad Kessler

Producer/Director of Photography: Charles Grubbs

Producer/Music by: David James Boyd

Editor: Teresa Cicala

Cast: Chad Kessler, Danielle Straakstad, Tina Chilip, Trey Gerrald, Mia Katigbak, and Mary Bacon with Deirdre Lovejoy, and Jackie Tohn

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Year Two is a Go! Dances With Films NYC 2023 announces lineup with 64 world premieres

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2nd Annual Dances With Films – NYC 

announces films and events

(November 30-December 3)

 

The celebrated true indie-focused film festival returns to New York City
with three times as many films as last year’s debut. 
 
64 World Premiere Screenings Featured
  
Dylan K. Narang’s TAPAWINGO is the Opening Night 
selection, and Nicholas Gyeney’s THE ACTIVATED MAN 
will make its World Premiere as the Closing Night selection.

   

TAPAWINGO

 

New York, NY (November 9, 2023) – Dances With Films announced the film lineup for the return of what has become LA’s largest purely indie film-focused film festival over the past 26 years to New York City (November 30-December 3) for the second time featuring a film lineup nearly three times the size of last year’s NYC debut. DWF alum Dylan K. Narang’s Tapawingo is the Opening Night selection, and Nicholas Gyeney’s psychological thriller The Activated Man will make its world premiere in the Closing Night slot.

 

Among DWF NYC’s lineup of 136 films, including 20 narrative features, 9 documentary features, 19 television and streaming pilots, and 88 short films (73 narrative and 15 documentaries), are an impressive number of world premieres. All screenings will take place at Regal Union Square (850 Broadway).

THE ACTIVATED MAN

 

Among the 64 world premieres are Gyeney’s The Activated Man, Etana Jacobson’s Advanced Chemistry, Kevin Interdonato’s The Bastard Sons, Michael Groom’s Between The Lights, Isaac Hirotsu Woofter’s Bound, Sara Katarina Burke and Aaron Andrew Keene’s Can’t Seem to Make You Mine, Ryan Moore’s Influence, Michelle Bossy’s Nobody’s Home, Brendan Boogie’s Tallywacker, Micah Khan’s The Zombie Wedding, Justin Best’s Sheryl, and Wynette Yao’s District Of Second Chances. Hanna Vastinsalo’s Palimpsest will make its North American Premiere at Dances With Films NYC.

 After becoming the leading beacon for true indie films and filmmakers in Los Angeles over the past 26 years, this will mark Dances With Films’ return to New York City for the second year. Dances With Films’ Founders and Directors Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent, said, “This year’s theme is “the color of imagination” and that imagination, by its various definitions, exemplifies what Dances With Films will be highlighting this December. We could not be more excited to return to NYC and debut so many wonderful films and help provide a platform for all our indie filmmakers and their projects under the spotlight of this great city.”

 Thursday, November 30 will feature the Opening Night presentation of DWF alumni Dylan K. Narang’s Tapawingo. Previously at DWF with his feature All I Need (2016), Narang’s Tapawingo is a lighthearted coming-of-age comedy stars Jon Heder as an eccentric young man who lives with his mother and works in a mailroom. However, when he must pick up his boss’ son from school, he discovers the kid is the subject of relentless bullying. at school, Naturally, he assembles a team of misfits to ensure the boy’s safety, but the good deed takes an unexpected turn when they discover that the network of bullies they are guarding against wields more power and influence than they initially thought. The film also stars Gina Gershon, Billy Zane, John Ratzenberger, and Amanda Bearse.

 As part of DWF NYC’s dedicated programming of horror, thrillers, and genre films, the Closing Night selection also comes from the film festival’s Midnight section. Sunday, December 3, Nicholas Gyeney’s The Activated Man will make its world premiere as it officially closes the film festival. In the film, a man, struggling with the grief from losing his best friend and beloved dog to cancer, begins to have strange visions only he can see. While he questions whether his mind has fractured or if it’s real, a mysterious rise in murder-suicides takes hold of the city, and he becomes haunted by images of a shadowy figure known as ‘The Fedora Man’. To survive, he must face his fears and confront ‘The Fedora Man’ as he uncovers dark secrets from his past, while finally embracing who he really is, and what he is meant to do.

ADVANCED CHEMISTRY

Additional feature films making their world premieres are Etana Jacobson’s Advanced Chemistry about a scientist whose attempt in the lab to help his lesbian best friend stop cheating on her wife backfires when the wife falls for him. Kevin Interdonato’s The Bastard Sons is a story of revenge by a group of men, when the man who raised them – the family boss – is murdered. Michael Groom’s British romantic drama Between The Lights follows askeptical scientist who falls for a reluctant medium, leading them on an odyssey of love, loss and discovery that turns her world upside down. Isaac Hirotsu Woofter’s Bound focuses on a young introvert who flees with her pet pocket squirrel to New York in order to escape her drug-dealing controlling stepfather. Making its North American Premiere is Vardan Tozija’s M. A multi-national production including            

Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo, France, and Luxembourg, the film centers on a young boy who lives in the forest under the watchful eye of his overprotective and mysterious father. Their sheltered existence is all he knows until an encounter with a kind-hearted, helpless boy may open up a whole new world to him.

 Also making their world premieres at DWF NYC are Sara Katarina Burke and Aaron Andrew Keene’s Can’t Seem to Make You Mine about a recent parolee who tries to make amends with his ex and become a father to his little boy while staying with a stripper he met on a pen-pal website. Ryan Moore’s Influence focuses on a struggling female filmmaker who kidnaps a famous social media influencer to convince them to play the lead role in her latest project. Michelle Bossy’s Nobody’s Home follows the mind-bending journey of a young man after he is released from the psychiatric hospital with his girlfriend who may or may not be telling him the truth about what he is experiencing. Brendan Boogie’s buddy comedy Tallywacker takes us on a trip with 2 bandmates whose relationship gets tested when one of them gets a gig touring with a major rock star. Micah Khan’s outlandish comedy The Zombie Wedding illustrates the challenges one can have at a New Jersey wedding when the groom is a zombie, and the bride is not. Another film in the Midnight Features section making its world premiere is Justin Best’s Sheryl about a woman who goes on a bloody quest to create the perfect face after she’s dumped by her serial killer boyfriend for not being “hot enough”.

Highlights among the documentary section include one feature-length film making its world premiere, and a second making its U.S. Premiere. Making its world premiere is Wynette Yao’s District Of Second Chances, which follows the journeys of three men – all sentenced to life in prison during the 1990s – who have the possibility of being released and starting a new life thanks to sentencing reform. Making its U.S. premiere will be Emilio Di Stefano’s Denim Hunter. The road movie documentary follows a man whose obsession with really old jeans leads him through the deserts of California, Arizona, and Nevada as well as up the snowclad Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Marc Saltarelli’s Studio One Forever is the untold story of America’s iconic gay disco, a kaleidoscopic excursion into LGBTQ+ history through the lens of Studio One and its adjoining live music venue, The Backlot during the 70s and 80s. Hoag Kepner’s Torched – The Story of Austin Torch tells the story of the Austin Torch, a wild and fiery group of women/non-binary athletes in Austin who are trying to legitimize and professionalize their fringe sport of Ultimate Frisbee.

 The television, web series pilots, and episodics also have a healthy number of world premieres. Those include Federica Marchese and Vinusha Sundaresan’s Chinese series pilot The Blind Zone about a faceoff between two teenage sociopaths after they set their eyes on the same target, David Antonio Martin’s absurd comedy The Selectman where two men are trapped in a picturesque world where the forces of learned behavior, arrested adolescence, and the quest for power forever collide, and Henk Pretorius’ British animated series pilot Travel Foxwhich follows the inquisitive Travel Fox and Bogie the Tortoise as they race across the world, chasing rainbows in search of a legendary pot of gold.

 Additional world premieres include Jon Da’s Ülom: The Primary Experiment is centered on a desperate scientist who undertakes a labyrinthian experiment he believes will locate his missing daughter. Jonathan Chao’s Xander teams a lonely high school student with a Genie. However, the student might lose his new best friend if he makes his one wish. Making its North American premiere will be Aaron Lewis’ Moments, a gripping 9-episode digital series, offering intimate glimpses into characters on the brink. Clarissa De Los Reyes’ Hot Angry Mom about a people-pleasing mom who must face her rage, as a video of her epic meltdown goes viral, and Dana Marisa Schoenfeld’s East about a New York City Corporate attorney who suddenly loses her job and catches her boyfriend cheating, forcing her to reevaluate everything and pursue her childhood dream of being an actress.

Highlights among the short films showcased at DWF NYC include the world premiere of Luke Black’s I Keep Bumping Into Candy Maldonado in which a man keeps bumping into the famous baseball player who is his childhood ideal each day until he’s inspired to make some life changes.

Rj Collins’ thrilling Dropping follows a young woman going through the rigorous “dropping” training which may just turn into a fight for survival. Actor Cynthia Gibb takes a turn behind the camera, directing Lux Freer, about a non-binary teen whose humiliating job of delivering a pizza to bully and aspiring prom queen Arabella Astor’s mansion sets in motion a plot to upend the social stratosphere at her high school. Nazrin Choudhury’s Red, White And Bluestars Brittany Snow as a single parent forced to cross state lines in search of an urgent and necessary abortion. Eleanor Morrison’s You Need To Process This stars Mary Holland and Matt Peters as a married couple who must discuss a sexual assault.

 DWF NYC will also present a series of filmmaker panels focused on current real world issues faced by today’s indie filmmakers at The Stand (116 E. 16th Street) Panels will include “Distribution: Navigating the Marketplace as Well as Forecasting the Future”, which will be moderated by Scott Macauley (Filmmaker Magazine), and is slated to include executives from Magnolia Pictures, IFC, and STX Entertainment, “Making the Sale: The Producer/Sales Agent Dynamic” moderated by Kate Erbland (Indiewire), and includes Carylanna Taylor (Head of Sales Film Sales Corp), Josh Braun (Founder & President, Submarine), and Jason Ishikawa (Sr. Exec. & Co-head of Sales, Cinetic Media), and “The Casting Director/Producer Dynamic” moderated by Michael Sladik (SAGindie New York), and includes casting directors Shayna Markowitz, Bernie Telsey, and Paul Schnee.

 

For more information about the Dances With Films NYC film lineup, events, passes, and tickets, go to: https://danceswithfilms.com/.

 

The 2023 Dances With Films NYC official selections:

 

OPENING NIGHT SELECTION

Tapawingo

Director: Dylan K. Narang

Country: USA; Running Time: 109 min

An oddball becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager and finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.

 

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

The Activated Man World Premiere

Director: Nicholas Gyeney

Country: USA; Running Time: 115 min

As Ors Gabriel struggles with the grief from losing his best friend and beloved dog to cancer, the trauma brings on strange visions only Ors can see. While he questions whether his mind has fractured or if it’s real, a mysterious rise in murder-suicides takes hold of the city, and Ors becomes haunted by images of a shadowy figure known as ‘The Fedora Man’. Through torments and terror, Ors must face his fears and confront ‘The Fedora Man’ as he uncovers dark secrets from his past, while finally embracing who he really is, and what he is meant to do.

 

 ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

 

Advanced Chemistry                                                            World Premiere

Director: Etana Jacobson

Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min

A scientist injects his lesbian best friend with a compound he’s created to make her stop cheating on her wife (who is bi), but when the wife finds her new monogamous fixation suffocating, he injects the wife too, which backfires when she falls for him.

 

BASTARD SONS

The Bastard Sons World Premiere

Director: Kevin Interdonato

Country: USA; Running Time: 90 min

Life for a crew of organized criminals is disrupted when Vincent Damiano’s father, the family’s boss, is murdered. Vincent’s ‘bastard’ brothers (UFC legend Frank Edgar, Chicago Med star Malik Whitfield), a group of orphaned souls he raised together, have an idea of who killed their father…his partner Rome (TV/Film veteran Al Sapienza). In a valiant and calculated attempt to regain the business and enact vengeance on Rome over the course of one day, the Bastards wage an all-out war to get their pound of flesh.

 

Between The Lights                                                             World Premiere

Director: Michael Groom

Country: UK; Running Time: 104 min

When skeptical scientist Alice falls for reluctant medium Jay, she’s taken on an odyssey of love, loss and discovery that will turn her world upside down. Between the Lights is a romantic drama with a liberal dose of the supernatural, in which we visit our characters over three consecutive Christmases. It is set within the ancient walls of York and the stunning natural beauty of the Lake District.

 

Bound                                                                                    World Premiere

Director: Isaac Hirotsu Woofter

Country: USA; Running Time: 101 min

To escape her drug-dealing controlling stepfather, a young introvert flees to NYC with only her pet pocket squirrel. After successfully reinventing herself, she realizes she must confront her dark past, to truly be free.

 

Can’t Seem to Make You Mine                                            World Premiere

Directors: Sara Katarina Burke, Aaron Andrew Keene

Country: USA; Running Time: 102 min

A man who was just released from prison tries to make amends with his ex and become a father to his 6-year-old son while staying with a stripper he met on a pen-pal website.

 

Daruma

Director: Alexander Yellen

Country: USA; Running Time: 104 min

Patrick (bitter wheelchair user) must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor (double amputee veteran) to transport the daughter he never knew he had to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country. 

 

Grounded

Director: Justin Chan

Country: USA; Running Time: 84 min

William Lee, a 30-something Chinese-Filipino American, introduces his Caucasian girlfriend to his overbearing, immigrant parents when a mysterious cosmic force takes hold of their day.

 

Home Free

Director: Aaron Brown

Country: USA; Running Time: 98 min

In 1997, a group of college misfits invite an unhoused professor to crash on their porch.

Home Free is a Trojan horse, a bold coming-of-age comedy aimed at reaching a mass audience, but also intended to be a catalyst for serious social change sharply focused on one of the most pervasive problems across America—the homelessness epidemic. Humor is our spoonful of sugar. 

 

Influence World Premiere

Director: Ryan Moore

Country: USA; Running Time: 83 min

A female filmmaker struggling with her career and her mental health reaches a breaking point and decides to kidnap a famous social media influencer in an attempt to coerce them into playing the lead role in her latest project.

 

Katie’s Mom

Director: Tyrrell Shaffner

Country: USA; Running Time: 111 min

A heartfelt comedy influenced by The Graduate but told from the perspective of a protagonist inspired by Mrs. Robinson. Set in modern-day Pasadena, California. Nancy Rosenfeld (Dina Meyer), a nurturing mom and recent divorcée, whose beloved Jewish/Christmas mashup holiday celebration with her adult children is derailed when she falls for Alex Rojas (Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), her daughter’s charming new boyfriend. Their electrifying affair upends her status quo and sets her on a path to becoming who she was meant to be.

 

M                                                                                             North American Premiere

Director: Vardan Tozija

Countries: Macedonia/Croatia/Kosovo/France/Luxembourg, Running Time: 99 min

In a secluded forest, young Marko lives under the watchful eye of his overprotective and mysterious father. Their sheltered existence is all he knows. Marko seeks solace in his cherished picture book, finding comfort and answers within its pages. One day, an encounter with a kind-hearted, helpless boy named Miko, brings a glimmer of warmth and connection into Marko’s isolated world. As his curiosity grows, Marko yearns to uncover the secrets that lie beyond the confines of the wilderness. But, a cruel turn of events grants him his wish sooner than he expects…

 

Nobody’s Home World Premiere

Director: Michelle Bossy

Country: USA; Running Time: 83 min

When Luca is released from the psychiatric hospital where he and his girlfriend Theodora live, she escapes with him. To remain in control, she takes him to his childhood home, the root of his trauma. Time lapses. Consciousness is distorted. A dead body is discovered. Theodora insists Luca committed the murder in his sleep. Is she telling the truth? A knock on the door suddenly diverts them. Angelica and Jeremy show up, high on acid. Theodora invites them in to test Luca’s loyalty. Her jealousy increases to the point of danger. In the end, nothing is what it seems. Everyone has darkness inside.

 

Palimpsest North American Premiere

Director: Hanna Vastinsalo

Country: Finland; Running Time: 109 min

Two elderly roommates are selected for a medical trial that makes them younger. Given a second chance at life, with the memories of their past life intact, they realize that growing young is not just fun.

 

Space Baby

Director: Rex Dean

Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min

Three friends fight fascist Nurse Nancy to rebuild the holy grail and get a new soul for the earth. Each friend is different. 8-year-old Sam (“Mental Man”) is a mad scientist and inventor; 6-year-old Sophia (“Nature Girl”) is a caretaker of the earth; 300-year-old Blue (a great ballplayer like Satchel Paige) was the keeper of the holy grail in Africa before he and his siblings were captured as slaves. With help from a squadron of ladybugs, they fight the “greed, intolerance, and just plain cruelty” that Nurse Nancy and her demonic crow inhabit. A story of courage, friendship, and love.

 

Tallywacker World Premiere

Director: Brendan Boogie

Country: USA; Running Time: 90 min

A rock and roll buddy comedy about 2 bandmates whose relationship gets tested when one of them gets a gig touring with a major rock star.

 

The Zombie Wedding World Premiere

Director: Micah Khan

Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min

A young Cumberland County, NJ couple decides to go through with their wedding – during the Zombie Apocalypse. Unfortunately, he’s a zombie and she’s not. Both families are fearful, but the humans’ behavior is brutish. When the Zombies begin feeling brain-deprived, the ceremony takes a turn for the weird. Weekly World News reporters are there to cover this wild wedding – while trying to get out alive!

 

 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

 

44 Lights: Music from Ground Zero                                   

Director: Barbara Blackburn Tuttle

Country: USA; Running Time: 68 min

A musical journey to healing in the aftermath of 9/11. A story of pain, loss, and ultimately rebirth through music.

 

American Pot Story: Oaksterdam

Directors: Dan Katzir and Ravit Markus

Country: USA; Running Time: 97 min

This award-winning documentary is a decade-long follow-up of the underdogs who put their blood, sweat, and tears to overturn a 100-year-old policy, proving in the process that “a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world,” to quote Margaret Mead).

 

Brothers Broken

Directors: Geoff Levin, Lily Richards

Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min

This is the story of brothers Geoff and Robbie Levin, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the 60’s music scene including Jerry Garcia, the Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin. The brother’s band PEOPLE! had the hit record “I Love You” in 1968 and toured with The Who; then Scientology entered their lives destroyed their band and split up the brothers. After 46 years Geoff despite losing his children and friends to the cult, left the church and reunited with his brother and band. It’s a tale of breaking free from a modern-day prison of belief.

 

Denim Hunter                                                                        U.S. Premiere

Director: Emilio Di Stefano

Country: Sweden; Running Time: 87 min

In the road movie documentary Denim Hunter, we meet Viktor – a regular guy from Sweden but with a burning passion for really old jeans. The film follows Viktor on his wild journey through the deserts of California, Arizona, and Nevada as well as up the snowclad Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where he hunts for denim treasures in hazardous run-down gold mines from the 1880s. On his journey, Viktor comes across an array of unlikely desert characters, like Indiana Jeans, Dynamite Dan, and Redneck-Mike. In various ways, they all lead Viktor from one failure to the next.

 

The Depths of My Despair

Director: Elizabeth Lawrence

Country: USA; Running Time: 68 min

The Depths of My Despair is a visceral rabbit hole toward the authentic self. Filmmaker Elizabeth Lawrence takes an emotional, first-person detour inward. Oscillating through saneness and psychosis; debris and lucidity, the film stares at depression dead-on.

 

District Of Second Chances                                                World Premiere

Director: Wynette Yao

Country: USA; Running Time: 76 min

District of Second Chances follows the journeys of three men from Washington, D.C., all sentenced to life in prison during the 1990s. Now, because of sentencing reform, they have a rare chance at release and new lives.

 

Meet Me Where I Am

Director: Grant Garry

Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min

Meet Me Where I Am explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope. The film aims to normalize grief in our culture and explores how we can actively participate in helping others through grief. By accepting grief and its impact, we hope to help individuals find new meaning as they move forward with their grief.

 

Studio One Forever

Director: Marc Saltarelli

Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min

The untold story of America’s iconic gay disco, a kaleidoscopic excursion into LGBTQ+ history through the lens of this groundbreaking club. From 1974-1994, Studio One and its adjoining live music venue, The Backlot, became symbols of hope and community for gay men during tumultuous times. Amidst the rise of gay rights, disco’s heyday, and the devastating AIDS crisis, the club offered sanctuary from rampant homophobia and police oppression.

 

Torched – The Story of Austin Torch

Director: Hoag Kepner

Country: USA; Running Time: 66 min

Torched tells the story of the Austin Torch, a wild and fiery group of women/non-binary athletes in Austin who are trying to legitimize and professionalize their fringe sport of Ultimate Frisbee in a historically male-dominated sports industry. As we follow the Torch on the road and at home during their 2022 season, we realize that though the Torch might not always win, they never really lose, because it’s more than a team: it’s a movement.

 

 MIDNIGHT FEATURES

 

Sheryl                                                                                     World Premiere

Director: Justin Best

Country: USA; Running Time: 72 min

After she’s dumped by her serial killer boyfriend for not being “hot enough”, a beauty-obsessed woman goes on a bloody quest to create the perfect face, all while navigating her new relationship with the cop investigating the murders.

 

Wild Eyed and Wicked

Director: G.S. Foxwood

Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min

Lily Pierce is sick of being haunted. She decides to reconnect with her estranged father, a disgraced history professor, and learn how to draw upon a time of steel and blade when armor-clad knights rode out and dueled their monsters to the death.

 

 TELEVISION AND WEB SERIES PILOTS

A Killer Service

Director: Gio Randazzo

Country: USA; Running Time: 25 min

The hapless daughter of an incarcerated con-artist finds she has inherited a substantial debt to a dangerous crime boss. Forced into a corner, Elliott discovers how to take control of her life while helping empower other women. 

Awesome

Director: Paul Munger

Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

Every night, 20-year-old Joy gets a glimpse of the future. But with a dad on parole, a pill-popping boyfriend, and a recent lay-off, that doesn’t mean she can stop it from being shitty. That is until she foresees an event that will ruin the lives of her loved ones forever. She’ll have to figure out how to change her future–or live with the consequences.

The Blind Zone                                     World Premiere 

Directors: Federica Marchese, Vinushu Sundaresan

Country: China; Running Time: 32 min

Battle of wits and violence ensues when the separate worlds of two teenage sociopaths collide after they set their eyes on the same target.

 

East

Director: Dana Marisa Schoenfeld

Country: USA; Running Time: 32 min

When Ella Goldman, a New York City Corporate attorney, gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Josh, she is ecstatic to embark on the next stage of her life. With a wedding to plan and a blossoming career, Ella thinks she has it all. But when she suddenly loses her job and catches her boyfriend cheating, her world comes crashing down. This devastating turn of events forces her to confront the truth about her life – and what it is she really wants. Convinced that this is a “wake-up call,” Ella pursues her childhood dream of being an actress. 

Events At Hemlock Manor

Director: Katie North

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

At its core, this is a series about underdogs: a ragtag group of spooky weirdos with nowhere else to go. Hemlock Manor is not only a year-round haunted house with a terrible business model; it’s also a home. But what do you do when the thing you love is in trouble? You fight for it. Even when that means throwing a baby shower for a group of rich ladies who thought “the historic Hemlock Manor” was a charming country villa, not a haunted house open in July.

 

For Years to Come

Director: Micah Stuart

Country: USA; Running Time: 27 min

An irreverent and heartfelt romantic dramedy about a gay man who falls in love with his dead mother’s hospice nurse, while struggling to reconnect with his elderly father…who’s secretly a porn director.

Hit Man: Secrets Of Lies

Director: Elias Plagianos

Country: UK; Running Time: 19 min

A reflective hitman from New York City travels to small towns around the country trying to find meaning in his seemingly inconsequential life as he fulfills his contracts and eliminates his targets. 

Hot Angry Mom                                   

Director: Clarissa De Los Reyes

Country: USA; Running Time: 34 min

A people-pleasing mom must face her rage, as a video of her epic meltdown goes viral.

I Could Eat

Director: Rick Bedrosian

Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min

A new TV/Web Series showcasing the cuisine & music that unites diverse cultures. Host, Rick Bedrosian (“George” in a Beatlemania stage show for 7 years, leader of Celtic music powerhouse, Hair Of The Dog, since 1993 and an international tour guide) spans the globe seeking out the finest food and the most interesting music makers.

L.I.F.E.: It’s Wonderful

Director: Dathan Smith

Country: USA; Running Time: 22 min

L.I.F.E. is an anthology series set in the near future where citizens receive a hand-delivered card notifying them the day they will die. Rose feels trapped in her new “home”. Emilia feels trapped by her daughter’s recent news. Bob is forced to deliver a card he has been dreading since joining L.I.F.E. Corp. as Diane adjusts to her new job.

Moments                                         North American Premiere 

Director: Aaron Lewis

Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min

Moments is a gripping 9-episode digital series, each under 13 minutes, offering intimate glimpses into characters on the brink. Driven by black trauma and mysticism, it unravels mind-reading and hidden truths through therapist Dr. Winston. An enigmatic narrator, Rutina Wesley, introduces time travel, adding layers of self-discovery. Momentshints at an expanded episodic journey, diving deeper into characters’ histories and relationships, while authentically addressing themes of healing and transformation within the mystical. Boasting a stellar ensemble cast and profound storytelling.

 

Morse Code

Director: Travis Nicholson

Country: USA; Running Time: 37 min

In the eccentric community of modern-day East Nashville, Simon, a talented but flawed thirty-something indie folk singer finds himself at a crossroads as he struggles to strike a balance between family and career.

Off The Menu

Director: Daniele Sestito

Country: USA; Running Time: 37 min

“Chef” is a perfectionist, Italian cook who works for an unordinary institution. Typically stern and grandiose, a new side of Chef is revealed when he is forced to make a meal that’s beyond his grasp. 

Q Train

Directors: Dionne Van Den Berg, Samantha Tran

Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

A Brooklyn based DJ explores the queer dating scene.

Roboto

Directors: Mari Madrid, Keone Madrid

Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min

Ky loses his entire career as a highly successful choreographer when AI takes over the dance industry and the world by storm. This throws Ky into suicidal ideations until Mikah, a bright and optimistic 12-year-old boy, decides to disregard the latest craze of dancing with Roboto and instead asks Ky to choreograph for his school performance. While at first Ky reluctantly decides to help the kid, he begins to find a bit of light in his life again. And when it’s revealed that Mikah had a battle with cancer Ky’s perspective is completely shifted.

The Selectman                                       World Premiere 

Director: David Antonio Martin

Country: USA; Running Time: 26 min

In the wake of Selectman Joseph Allenby’s untimely death, this absurd comedy begins amid a memorial service in the small town of Picasquiddy, Maine. Subverting the idyllic nature of small-town New England, our protagonists are trapped in a picturesque world where the forces of learned behavior, arrested adolescence, and the quest for power forever collide. As two unlikely successors emerge as candidates for the Board of Selectmen, the town’s fate hangs in the balance. Does anybody have what it takes?

Travel Fox                                         World Premiere 

Director: Henk Pretorius

Country: UK; Running Time: 5 min

Get ready for a wild adventure in Travel Fox, the pilot episode of an animated series tailor-made for curious kids. Follow the inquisitive Travel Fox and Bogie the Tortoise as they race across the world, chasing rainbows in search of a legendary pot of gold. But here’s the twist – instead of gold, our friends discover something even more precious: a treasure trove of unique characters and unforgettable experiences.

 

Ülom: The Primary Experiment                        World Premiere 

Director: Jon Da

Country: USA; Running Time: 25 min

In Ülom, one can find anything, even meaning. A desperate scientist undertakes a labyrinthian experiment he believes will locate his missing daughter. Journeying ever deeper into the labyrinth, he must confront an invasive, fictional reality. Remember: what feels real, is real. Ülom is here.

Xander                                           World Premiere 

Director: Jonathan Chao

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

When lonely high school student Luke befriends Xander the Genie, he’s forced to consider if making his one wish is worth losing his new genie best friend.

 

 NARRATIVE SHORTS

 

(In)Convenience

Director: Alexandra Greenspan

Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min

 

#Pizzagate World Premiere

Director: Danny Piñeros

Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min

 

The 1971 Kitchen Grand Brie

Director: Ian Beckman

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

Bisected                                                                                 World Premiere

Director: Danny Piñeros

Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min

 

Black Silk                                                                               World Premiere

Director: Patrick Michael

Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

 

Blight                                                                                      World Premiere

Director: Markus Hoeckner

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Bloodworm                                                                            World Premiere

Director: Kai Wen

Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min

 

Bounce House

Directors: Callie Bloem, Christopher Ewing

Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

 

Burraco                                                                                  World Premiere

Director: Isabella Tagliati

Country: Italy; Running Time: 14 min

 

Candice

Director: Tyler Martin

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Career Day

Directors: Jason Robinson, Chris Hooper

Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

 

Chauncey                                                                               World Premiere

Director: Reilly Anspaugh & Daniel Rashid

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

Cheol                                                                                      World Premiere

Director: Yeajoon Cho

Country: USA; Running Time: 19 min

 

Church Camp

Director: Andrew Bourne

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

The Chat                                                                                World Premiere

Writer/Dir/Prod: Artie Brennan

Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min

 

Clownfish

Director: Clayton Henderson

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

Dear Owner

Director: Jing Ai Ng

Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min

 

Delta World Premiere

Director: Jonathan Coleman

Country: USA; Running Time: 9 min

 

Detox

Director: Alex Hanno

Country: USA; Running Time: 19 min

 

Dropping

Director: Rj Collins

Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

 

Echoes Of My Father                                                            World Premiere

Directors: Junko Kajino, Ed M Koziarski

Country: USA, Japan; Running Time: 18 min

 

The Electro-Rocker

Director: Chris Edgar

Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min

 

Entrainment

Director: Bill Prokopow

Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min

 

Esperance To Fremantle                                                     World Premiere

Director: William Sebastian Turner

Country: Australia; Running Time: 18 min

 

Everything Goes Dark                                                          International Premiere

Director: Alex Casimir

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Fate Vs. Elena                                                                       World Premiere

Director: Laura Sedlak

Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min

 

From The Dark                                                                      North American Premiere

Director: Erika Sanz

Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min

 

Hot Soda

Director: Nello Digiandomenico

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

How To Disappear                                                                World Premiere

Director: Milton Woods

Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min

 

I Keep Bumping into Candy Maldonado                            World Premiere

Director: Luke Black

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

In The Quiet                                                                           World Premiere

Director: Merle Dandridge

Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min

 

Interracial Couple In A Cheerios Ad

Director: Christine Lakin

Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

 

The Invaders

Director: Erin Doyle Cooper

Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

 

Itch                                                                                         World Premiere

Director: Mohammad Anwerzada

Countries: Pakistan/Canada; Running Time: 9 min

 

Letters To the Wind                                                              World Premiere

Director: Terrence Shu

Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min

 

Lux Freer

Director: Cynthia Gibb

Country: USA; Running Time: 21 min

 

Man Baby                                                                               World Premiere

Director: Aaron Murtagh

Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

 

Music For A While                                                                World Premiere

Director: Kelvin Z. Phillips

Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min

 

Nearly Never                                                                          North American Premiere

Director: Peter Franklyn Banks

Country: UK; Running Time: 15 min

 

Newbie

Director: James Skinner

Country: UK; Running Time: 8 min

 

Portrait Of a Cowboy

Director: Devon Wycoff

Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min

 

Pretty As a Picture                                                               World Premiere

Director: Ryan Nielsen

Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min

 

The Pros And Cons Of Killing Yourself                             World Premiere

Director: Ravi Steve Khajuria

Country: Canada; Running Time: 21 min

 

Piano Man                                                                              

Director: Jay Zaretsky

Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min

 

Purgy’s

Director: Robbie Bryan

Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

 

Rattled                                                                                    World Premiere

Director: Adam Linkenhelt

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

Red, White And Blue

Director: Nazrin Choudhury

Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min

 

Revelation                                                                             World Premiere

Director: Libe Barer

Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

 

Room 107                                                                              World Premiere

Directors: Steve Anderson, Leandro Imaz

Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min

 

Sane Men

Director: Jess Fritz

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Skateboard                                                                            World Premiere

Director: Peyton Michelle Edwards

Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min

 

Sonshine                                                                                International Premiere

Director: Corey Podell

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Speak Up Brotha!

Director: Wes Andre Goodrich

Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

 

Sugar                                                                                      World Premiere

Director: Alyssa Brayboy

Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min

 

Three Ways Out                                                                    World Premiere

Director: Lizzie Morgan

Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min

 

Tips Up!                                                                                 World Premiere

Director: Leah Claire Borrie

Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min

 

Tossou                                                                                   World Premiere

Directors: Melisande Mclaughlin, Sika Stanton

Country: USA; Running Time: 3 min

 

Used Chairs For Sale                                                           World Premiere

Director: Dylan Paffe

Countries: USA/Canada; Running Time: 14 min

 

We Love You Ray                                                                 World Premiere

Director: John Hays

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

You Need To Process This

Director: Eleanor Morrison

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

 DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

 

13 Driver’s Licenses

Director: Ryoya Terao

Countries: USA/Germany; Running Time: 27 min

 

Brothers For Life World Premiere

Director: Alon Juwal

Country: Israel; Running Time: 17 min

 

The Dancer: The Beautiful and Tragic Life Of Gerard Alexander

Directors: Ryon Horne, Tyson Horne

Country: USA; Running Time: 35 min

 

Family Trip                                                                            World Premiere

Director: Sean Dunne

Country: USA; Running Time: 26 min

 

Finding Fate

Director: Beth Toni Kruvant

Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min

 

How I Roll                                                                              World Premiere

Directors: Brianne Berkson, Miguel Gluckstern, BriGuel

Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min

 

I Can’t Give You Anything But Love World Premiere

Director: Susan Morgan Cooper

Country: USA; Running Time: 34 min

 

Kristin Dan Kuching Kuchingnya

Director: Michael Kam

Country: Singapore; Running Time: 6 min

 

Living Loud                                                                           World Premiere

Directors: Carin van der Donk, Isabella Vega, Sarah Teale

Country: USA; Running Time: 40 min

 

Paper Boats

Director: Jessica Pons

Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min

 

Rebirth                                                                                   World Premiere

Director: Olivia Burgess

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

Revealing The Impossible World Premiere

Directors: Tony Chong and Marlene Millar

Country: Canada; Running Time: 29 min

 

 

This Is Why We Train: The Sea Girt Beach Patrol            World Premiere

Director: Kevin Nulty

Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min

 

Tracing Imperfection World Premiere

Director: Chehade Boulos

Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min

 

Where Is America the Beautiful?

Director: Fr3der1ck

Country: USA; Running Time: 30 min

 

 MIDNIGHT SHORTS

 

Bastard                                                                                  World Premiere

Directors: Haley Elise Pehrson, Gretta Wilson

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

The Custodian

Director: Colin J. Mason

Country: USA; Running Time: 9 min

 

D.O.D.

Director: Paul Davis

Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min

 

Dedly Wagons                                                                       World Premiere

Director: Martin Balaguer

Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

 

Good Girls Get Fed

Director: Kelly Lou Dennis

Country: USA; Running Time: 21 min

 

Hevel                                                                                      World Premiere

Director: David Grace

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

Inner Demons                                                                        World Premiere

Director: Jasmine J, Johnson

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

The Mantis

Director: Wylie Rush

Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

 

Mattress Express

Director: Noah Morse

Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min

 

Night Shift

Director: Karlee Boon

Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min

 

Pee Pee Platter

Director: Jon Conklin

Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

 

The Spirit Became Flesh                                                     World Premiere

Writer/Director: Jesse Aultman

Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min

 

The Worm                                                                              World Premiere

Director: Cameron A. Tubbs

Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

 

 

 ABOUT DANCES WITH FILMS

Now in its 26th year, Dances With Films champions the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. With most film festivals relying heavily on celebrity, we have relied on innovation, talent, creativity, and sweat equity that revolutionized the entertainment industry. And that reliance continues to prove successful with alumni moving on to write, direct, and produce celebrity-studded vehicles, star in blockbuster movies, and television series, produce multi-million-dollar film and create hot TV shows.