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.
Paul Reiser, who also writes the screenplay with Wally Marzano-Lesnevich, plays Barry. A real estate mogul from NYC, he receives a call from his distant cousin in Ireland, requesting his presence to heal a wound from generations past. The caller is Ciáran, played by Colm Meaney. The two proud, established men momentarily connect for the sake of their family. When Barry finds himself inheriting half of the family land, shenanigans ensue, dividing this small town between old and new ways.
This breezy film is perfect for the festival circuit. Jane Levy grounds the film as Barry’s daughter. While 95% of her appearances occur as phone calls from NYC, her brightness keeps Barry grounded for the viewer. Reiser is as great as ever. His big-city energy is a delicious foil for Meaney’s homegrown pride. Ciáran wavers between forgiveness and fight, and Meaney is a pro.
The landscape of the film is breathtaking. The sets are inviting. The script is heartwarming and silly. Frankly, THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE is a film we all need right about now. While it doesn’t break the mold, it makes you smile from beginning to end. I would easily watch a sequel of these two men navigating whatever comes next.
The look of the film is dreamy. Moody indoor shots juxtaposed with lush Swiss landscapes create a visually sumptuous experience. 
Various animation styles change from scene to scene, from hand-drawn to greenscreen, live-action to stop motion layer and mesmerize, forcing the audience to sit up and pay attention. QUANTUM COWBOYS‘ narrative timeline loops and shifts to give our protagonists a chance at redemption. Butterfly effects cling to each of them as “Memory” plays the storyteller and provides second chances disguised as a mysterious stone arc. This clever device keeps the audience enthralled, wondering how this might end. 
The cast boasts faces familiar and iconic. Kiowa Gordon and John Way shine alongside David Arquette and Lily Gladstone ( a near-future Oscar winner IMHO). This one-of-a-kind film will undoubtedly delight with its wacky and meta climax. QUANTUM COWBOYS is an ambitious film that, while currently planned as a trilogy, could easily transition to a series at a major studio. Marslett gives audiences a choose-your-own-adventure-style story whose possibilities are endless.
Writer-director Nicholas Tomnay takes us on a journey of twisted morality. Down on his luck, chef Ryan steps into the life of his schoolmate and cooks for a small group of ultra-wealthy diners. The experience is nothing like he imagined.
Nick Stahl has been on my radar my entire life. We are the same age, and as a cinephile from the womb, I’ve followed his career from The Man Without a Face to Disturbing Behavior and, more recently, 
Riley Rose Critchlow gives a particularly entrancing performance. Their living vs. dead personalities are vastly different but equally grin-inducing. Critchlow captures a relatable sadness, leaving a lasting impression. 
The subtle creepiness is just enough to teeter on the edge, as the film is more drama than your typical horror. THE JESSICA CABIN is a spectacular entry into the LGBTQIA+ genre, perfectly melding comedy, culture, and complex storyline. The film looks at mental health in a stunningly nuanced way. It is crazy charming and superbly funny, pushing moral boundaries while asking existential questions. Seek it out.
The film directly follows 2022’s Death on the Nile and finds Detective Poirot enjoying retirement within the canals of Venice. His services are still in great demand (as evidenced by the constant line of hopeful clients) but he has lost his faith. When he is approached by his old friend and novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, in a thinly veiled nod to author Agatha Christie), we know it can’t be long before the body count begins to climb.
While the characters are thin, the atmosphere and cinematography of the film are incredibly lush – they are the real stars of the show. I would have bet you good money this film had a different cinematographer from the last two – the difference in style is night and day. But it is still Haris Zambarloukos at the helm, so all I can say is keep it up! Venice does a lot of the heavy lifting, of course, but there’s more to it than that. The first two films leveraged green-screen extensively, whereas Haunting is grounded and has a sense of place. The tone of the film is much more focused, and almost every scene contains rich imagery. I loved the way the suspense of the potential supernatural was implied in every scene – walls and windows of the palazzo creak and seem alive in a manner reminiscent of old Hollywood. No need for CGI thrills here. How great was the imagery? I could watch this movie with absolutely no dialogue and still enjoy myself immensely.
When I saw Bad Boys for Life in 2020, I would never in a thousand years have imagined the directors had a picture like Rebel in them. This is an ambitious, profound, and thoughtful film. Like Bad Boys, this is a film brimming with violence. But Rebel never uses violence to entertain, rather aiming to shock the audience or to underline or accentuate a point.
Rebel focuses on the Wasakis, a Belgian family with Moroccan roots. Kamal (Aboubakr Bensaihi) is the older brother, an idealistic drug dealer and rapper horrified by the atrocities he sees in the ongoing war in Syria. His younger brother Nassim is kind and impressionable. Devout matriarch Leila tries to watch over her boys. When Kamal travels to Syria as a volunteer, he believes he has found a non-violent way to make a difference. When he is captured by ISIS, he finds a different path forced upon him, one that will have also cause devastating effects back home.
Kamal’s passion for rapping also provides one of the film’s most interesting elements – at times, the characters will break into musical interludes. Given the serious tone of the film, these moments could easily appear forced or interrupt the flow of the narrative. Luckily, Bensaihi’s talented flow and consistently gorgeous choreography keep this from occurring. The first such interlude, set in a Brussels’ restaurant, is particularly powerful.
The cast is phenomenal. Focusing on our leading lady, Carmen Madonia, gives Renata an often aloof attitude, hiding a lost mindset. She’s soft-spoken, outwardly feeling othered by her sister’s personality. But little is said. Madonia’s face replaces any unneeded dialogue.
As dementia sets in, Yohji’s arc proves devastating to witness. The story also unravels the piles of notes strewn about Yohji’s home. Takashi must piece together this collection of garbled messages, love letters, and diary entries.
Yutaka Yamazaki‘s cinematography is memorable. There is something special about letting the camera be static and allowing the performances to speak for themselves. The script surprises with every scene, which is quite a feat for a two-and-a-half-hour runtime. GREAT ABSENCE is a nuanced look at memory, perception, regret, and the endless complexities within relationships. This film will bring you to your knees.
Judith/Margot’s curated existence managing two identities and two families begins to crumble, exposing her lies, motives, and underlying trauma. 
Virginie Efira wows audiences as a woman wearing all the hats. Effortlessly embodying each distinct persona, Efira proves, once again she is a star. It is a balancing act of power structures, dangerous satisfaction, and unusual sacrifice. 
Antoine Barraud gives audiences a film almost best viewed without prior knowledge of the plot. Enticing the audience and challenging their sense of morality, MADELEINE COLLINS hypnotizes with twists, turns, and deep complexity. Barraud and co-writer Héléna Klotz carefully weave an unmissable commentary about beauty, unrequited male infatuation, and childhood trauma into the narrative. The film overflows with nuance, and its final reveal changes everything. It is a wildly elaborate hurricane of grief.
Ben Kingsley stars as Milton Robinson, a melancholy widower going through the motions in a quiet Pennsylvania town. He attends town halls, watches tv, and tends to his garden. The only break in his routine seems to be occasional visits from his daughter, Denise (Zoë Winters). A son is mentioned, but only barely.
As compared to our current media environment, Jules’ vision of our interaction with aliens is refreshing delightful, if not a little far-fetched. Nobody seems particularly threatened by the alien, nor the alien by them. In fact, calm would be the best way to sum up reactions on both sides. While there are some darker themes that emerge throughout the film, they are brief. At its core, this is a sweet and thoughtful film.
Jules is a perfect film for today’s fascination with the idea of aliens. Everyone is looking at the news and asking “What’s out there?”. Jules’ introspective focus answers that big question, but also suggests that it is what’s going on inside us that continues to matter the most.
The narrative flips when Katya becomes entangled with the son of the laptop owner. Her online sleuthing would put the cops to shame. It is millennial cyberstalking at its best. Liza Zaitseva gives a heart-stopping performance as Katya. Her relentless emotional investment is a rollercoaster ride. She is simply magnificent. 
HEIGHTENED
Stand-out editing from Benjamin Murphy keeps viewers on their toes, while John Paesano‘s score takes you to another world. The costume design by Kimberly G. Grader completes the picture of upper-echelon existence and ethereal madness. 
BIBI is a compelling supernatural thriller that is reminiscent of Jennifer Kent’s The Babdook, possessing a shocking final act you will not see coming. The physical manifestation of grief and trauma swirls into a hypnotic storm of emotional chaos. BIBI should not be missed.
BUCKY F*CKING DENT
David Duchovny adapts his novel of the same name for the big screen at Tribeca’s 2023. If you grew up a Red Sox fan like I did, the name Buck Dent is akin to “He Who Shall Not Be Named” in Harry Potter. Being a Sox fan, I was constantly aware of the curse. You can spot the mix of joy and anguish on my face throughout the years in a series of photos of little Lizzie propped up against The Green Monster. Duchovny perfectly captures the masochistic nature of born and bread fans in his heartwarming and hilarious film BUCKY F*CKING DENT.
A bit of truth and fiction, the film combines Super 8 recreations of scenes from a novel Marty never intended for anyone to see and the masterminded shenanigans from Ted and Co. The dialogue is pure acerbic deliciousness. The chemistry between Duchovny and Logan Marshall-Green is divine. The back-and-forth between the two feels effortless. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard at the inevitability of death.
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