(Tribeca 2024 shorts) ‘A ROSE FOR KATRINA, ‘ ‘LICE,’ ‘MY BEST FRIEND,’ & ‘WHEN EVERYTHING BURNS’ – Exemplary work from across the globe

tribeca 2024 logoTribeca 2024 Shorts


A ROSE FOR KATRINA Tribeca 2024 Shorts

https://tribecafilm.com/films/rose-for-katrina-2024

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Short | Australia | 9 MINUTES | English

Harry Quinlan‘s short film A ROSE FOR KATRINA is technically dizzying. Augmented and overlapping sound editing combined with its one continuous take filmed from outside the busy household immediately throws you into a subconscious panic.

An unknowing Michael shows up for a first date, rose in hand for a girl named Katrina. Accosted at the front door by her twin and surrounded by the chaos inside, his frustrations get the better of him. When Katrina tracks him down outside, the questions don’t end there.

The dialogue barrels ahead like a freight train, weaving in and out of innocuous and aggressive. A ROSE FOR KATRINA leaves you buzzing. It would be impossible to move on without debating what you witnessed.


LICE Tribeca 2024 Shorts

https://tribecafilm.com/films/lice-2024

LICE-Clean-16x9-02 Tribeca 2024 shorts

Short | India, United States | 14 MINUTES | English, Hindi | English subtitles

Filmmaker Vindhya Gupta‘s Tribeca 2024 short LICE tackles the challenges of childhood cruelty and power dynamics. The subject had me itching and cringing as a former teacher and mother of two elementary-aged children. In the film, we find two girls, one a popular bully and the other a quiet loner. When Roshni tries to blame her lice infestation on Chakor, an unusual friendship begins, but are her intentions pure?

Guilt and redemption flow through the lines. DP Maria Belen Poncio captures eye-catching natural light in India’s architecture. The final scene puts you through the emotional wringer. Each viewer may take away a different ending. Either way, the film serves attention for its tangible dialogue, compelling performances, and universal messaging.


MY BEST FRIEND Tribeca 2024 Shorts

https://tribecafilm.com/films/my-best-friend-2024

MY_BEST_FRIEND-Clean-16x9-0Short | United States, France | 18 MINUTES | English, French | English subtitles

A post-breakup Clara (Marie Zabukovec) meets up with her best friend Léa (Lana Boy) for a staycation in NYC. Léa divulges she has convinced her boyfriend to have an open relationship. Will a night alone bring friends closer together or push them apart?

The natural lighting in each scene is a visual gift. Watching the credits shows you the predominantly female crew, making a difference in storytelling and environment as this dynamic spills into the project in all the right ways.

My Best Friend encompasses female friendship to a tea. It expresses the beauty and purity of everything and nothing all at once. Marie Zabukovec and Lana Boy are spectacular. Their chemistry feels palpably authentic. It’s movie magic. Filmmaker Elina Street has a dazzling gem in MY BEST FRIEND.


WHEN EVERYTHING BURNS Tribeca 2024 Shorts

https://tribecafilm.com/films/mazda-presents-moving-the-spotlight-2024

cuando_todo_arde-- when everything burns poster

Maria Belen Poncio‘s Tribeca 2024 short begins with a bang and an ominous visual. Isabel is a fire brigade volunteer with no official authority besides her moral compass. As the flames swiftly approach a neighborhood, she shares a stubborn fortitude with a local man, each standing their ground to survive.

Juan Pablo Toch‘s poignant score says it all. Lead actors Annabella Bacigalupo and Ruben Gattino speak volumes in their silence and circumstances, with each generation silently resigned to the world’s fate by the time the screen goes black. In 12 minutes, WHEN EVERYTHING BURNS is powerful.

Tribeca 2024 Shorts

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘CATHARSIS’ (Tribeca 2024 short) Explosive and unique

tribeca 2024 logoCATHARSIS

https://tribecafilm.com/films/catharsis-2024

CATHARSIS POSTER

Brian Logvinsky brings his electric short film CATHARSIS to Tribeca 2024. Alex is a dancer and the face of his company, whose inner turmoil gets him mandated therapy sessions with an unorthodox doctor.

Max Basch‘s hypnotic visual and sound editing personify Alex’s rage. The score is infectious, and, oh, the choreography! Marc Gellar, Jemima Kirke, Deborah Harry, and lead Harrison Ball interact like fireworks.

CATHARSISThe overall aesthetic reminds me of Darren Lynn Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera, thanks to costumes by Zac Posen and Catherine Gubernick‘s production design.

CATHARSIS tackles mental health, unresolved trauma, and grief. It is a wild, genre-obliterating film ripe for expansion. Bold and explosive, it is a magnificent stand-out. It is like riding someone else’s high.

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A directorial debut by Brian Logvinsky, a dancer savant with serious anger issues is about to sabotage his life when a strange psychotherapist brings him to face the shadows of his subconscious mind in CATHARSIS, a 17-minute avant-garde, neo-noir film. Weaving surrealism, performance art and horror, this psychological story is a lifelong passion project for Logvinsky, drawing from his own Soviet-American heritage. 

Alex (Harrison Ball) is a dancer, a once in a generation talent, who is spiraling out of control after the recent and tragic passing of his mother in CATHARSIS. He now lives with his aunt Anya (Deborah Harry), who was born in the Soviet Union and maintains several superstitions from her upbringing. She believes her family is cursed, and it is Alex’s inner demons that are causing the impulsive outbursts of anger and destruction that threaten to destroy his promising future.

At Anya’s urging, Alex attends a late night appointment with the mysterious psychotherapist Dr Leechny (Marc Geller). Using his own brand of pseudo–scientific hypnosis, Dr. Leechny and his enigmatic assistants, Chakra & Harmony (Jemima Kirke), guide Alex into hypnosis.

Within the void of hypnosis, Alex faces his worst fears and darkest truths. However, strengthened by a vision of his dead mother he is finally able to face the beast within himself. Leaving his appointment the following morning, Alex experiences catharsis while dancing through the streets of NYC as the sun finally rises.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD’ (Tribeca 2024) Shouting from the rooftops for their loved ones

tribeca 2024 logoMISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD 

World Premiere: Spotlight Documentary Section

Sabrina Van Tassel‘s TRIBECA 2024 documentary MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD speaks for those without a voice. Indigenous women are in crisis. Why aren’t we talking about the statistics of missing native women? The number is vastly higher than any other group in the United States.

The film focuses on the story of Mary Ellen Johnson Davis, missing since 2020, as her family tries to piece together all the information they can, while also showing up for those in their community with similar circumstances. There are far too many unexplained disappearances and deaths for one community not to call it an epidemic.

MISSING_FROM_FIRE_TRAIL_ROAD 2The reservation has its own justice system, under which not a single white man has been prosecuted in connection to a disappearance. Families must rely on the Feds to intervene. They never do. It is endless, lawless mayhem.

Story after story, family after family, one thread connects them all. That is abuse from white outsiders. You can’t tell this story without delving into the trauma of native children stolen from their families and physically and emotionally tormented in boarding schools. MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD delivers the horrific truth through the words of survivors.

MISSING_FROM_FIRE_TRAIL_ROAD 1A quote from a manual given to households when children the government was ripping from their homes reads, “The goal is not to make scientists, or doctors or lawyers out of these citizens. The goal is to make domestic housewives and farmers and laborers.” Keeping the population suppressed remains the goal. It’s cyclical genocide. It is the continuation of colonization, plain and simple.

The question remains. How many of these documentaries need to be made to get the message across? Tribeca 2024 audiences can share the native plight and, perhaps, move the dial toward justice. Do something.

Remaining Screenings of MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD:

Saturday, June 15 – 11:00 AM:  AMC 19th St. East 6


Mary Ellen Johnson Davis has been missing since the eve of Thanksgiving 2020 from the Tulalip Reservation. She is only one of hundreds of Native American women who continue to go missing in the U.S. As director Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs Melissa”) investigates Mary Ellen’s case, dozens of Native women speak up about the violence suffered and observed by them. 

 

Executive Produced and featuring Deborah Parker, activist and indigenous leader, Deb Haaland, US Secretary of the Interior, to many of Mary Ellen’s friends and family, the film threads a haunting but important report about these underlooked cases and the urgency for attention and action in these investigations. 

MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD 

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘THIS REALLY HAPPENED’ (Tribeca 2024) The delirious dating dilemma is REALLY that good

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THIS REALLY HAPPENED

This Really Happened

NOW PROGRAM 
WORLD PREMIERE

This hilariously relatable and immersive short captures the nightmare that dating has become with an added element of surprise. In the Tribeca 2024 short film, THIS REALLY HAPPENED, Kate and Zoe break the 4th wall in one giant fantasy retelling of their unfortunately shared experience.

Abubakr Ali is effortlessly charming as Boy. His authentic interest and quirky, but completely believable, delivery of the dialogue make him a star. His chemistry with AbiAssi and Prosterman is magnetic.

Speaking of our leading ladies, Kallen Prosterman‘s portrayal of Kate fits every characteristic of an actor in NYC. I should know. I too attended a “fancy theatre school.” Olivia AbiAssi plays her brilliant foil in Zoe. Her self-deprecating stand-up routine perfectly captures her personality. It only makes sense that they write the script and play themselves. It is entirely lived-in viewing.

THIS REALLY HAPPENED has all the potential for a spectacular series. It begs for your attention. Director Emily Cohn deserves notice for helming their hilarity. This team of women earns your eyes and time in a slew of great Tribeca 2024 shorts programming. I’m looking at you Tribeca Creators Market. You’ve got potential gold in this one.

27 MINUTES | English | 2024 | NOT RATED

Cast & Credits:
Director: Emily Cohn
Project Creator: Olivia AbiAssi & Kallen Prosterman
Producer: Olivia AbiAssi, Kallen Prosterman, Emily Cohn & Allison Joy Gale
Screenwriter: Olivia AbiAssi & Kallen Prosterman
Cinematographer: Alexander Roque Petersen
Editor: Kate Pedatella

Based on a true story, Kate and Zoe, two young creatives in the throes of new love, have discovered they’ve been dating the same person: “BOY.” Determined to produce some kind of brilliant revenge project, they recount their experiences in filmed interviews and fantastical flashbacks full of (literal) red flags. But will this process turn out to be more cathartic or soul-crushing?

Remaining Screenings of THIS REALLY HAPPENED:

‘THE DEVIL’S BATH’ (Tribeca 2024) Horrifying History

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THE DEVIL’S BATH

A FILM BY VERONIKA FRANZ & SEVERIN FIALA
(GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE)

STARRING ANJA PLASCHG (Soap&Skin)

*Winner, Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear 2024*

the devil's bath still 2Goodnight Mommy filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz‘s latest film, The Devil’s Bath, opens with a positively gruesome scene. Based on historical research, it is a story that begins with infanticide, tackles mental health and religion, and is a haunting narrative you won’t see coming. Tribeca 2024 audiences are not ready. Anja Plaschg delivers a flawless performance. Her descent into despair is heartbreaking, but it is the eventual madness that devastates the audience. The Devil’s Bath is a deliberately paced, push and pull between tradition and ignorance, cultural expectations, and desperation. It is a deep dive into female depression and the historic gaslighting through our cries for help. Boasting a cyclical finale that will appall you, Shudder has another deeply dark notch in its belt. 

*COMING TO SHUDDER ON FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH FOLLOWING
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ON JUNE 8TH AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL 2024*
2024 / Austria, Germany / In German with English Subtitles / 121 mins


Remaining Tribeca Screenings of The Devil’s Bath:
Public Screening 3: Thursday, June 13th at 9:15pm – AMC 19th St. East 6
The DEVIL_S_BATHSYNOPSIS – In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL’S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.

Filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin FialaVERONICA FRANZ (Writer & Director) studied German and philosophy and worked as a journalist. She has also worked as an artistic collab-orator with Ulrich Seidl since 1997 and co-wrote the screenplays for all of his films including DOG DAYS (2001), IMPORT EXPORT (2007), the PARADISE trilogy (2012/13) and WICKED GAMES – RIMINI SPARTA (2023). In 2003 she also founded the Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH with him.

SEVERIN FIALA (Writer & Director) studied at the Vienna Film Academy. He worked at the Red Cross and celebrated his first success with the award-winning short film ELEPHANT SKIN (2009, co-directed with Ulrike Putzer).

The first collaboration between Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala was the international award-winning documentary KERN (premiere: Locarno Film Festival 2012). This was followed by their first joint feature film GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2014), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won several awards and was shown at the Oscars as Austria’s entry for Best International Feature Film. A US remake of the film was released internationally by Amazon in 2022 under the same name, starring Naomi Watts. THE LODGE, the directing duo’s first English-language feature film, has a prominent cast including US stars Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell. It celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The premiere of their period feature film THE DEVIL’S BATH followed in 2024 – an Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, in coproduction with Heimatfilm and Coop99 Filmproduktion.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer’ (Tribeca 2024) Killer comedy in every sense

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The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer

The SHALLOW TALE

World Premiere – Spotlight Narrative Section

A hapless writer gets pulled into a scheme involving his wife, his impending divorce, and a serial killer yearning to be the subject of his next book. Tolga Karaçelik‘s first English-language film, The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer, makes its debut for Tribeca 2024 audiences.

After Suzie asks Keane for a divorce, Kollmick poses as a marriage counselor to throw her off the scent of their agreement. Suzie becomes suspicious with the discovery of each book Kollmick suggests Keane study. Convinced she is the target of Keane’s strange new behavior, the three become entangled in a complicated plot for individual satisfaction.

Britt Lower plays Suzie, Keane’s fed-up wife. Suzie has a type A personality and a pristine appearance. Her fashionably buttoned-up look, whether donning silk pajamas or a salmon-colored suit, is perfection. Her morose delivery is flawless.

John Magaro nails the role of Keane. He swings from overly nonchalant to manic as the film progresses. A celebration of childish floundering, this performance is hysterical.
The SHALLOW TALE 2Steve Buscemi is a legend. In pretending to be Keane and Suzie’s marriage counselor, he brings his murder advice into the sessions, equally confusing and intriguing his faux clients. Buscemi’s calm and confident nature is captivating.

The cast’s chemistry is spectacular. Buscemi and Magaro have a fun banter, but the most surprising firecracker moments happen between him and Lower. The way they both lean into Suzie’s macabre aura is a hoot. Karaçelik’s dialogue is witty. The cinematography from Natalie Kingston is beautiful, utilizing noir lighting.

THE SHALLOW TALE is weird, but the good kind of weird. It’s simultaneously so strange and dark you find yourself smirking and scratching your head, needing to know where it goes next. The film boasts a knee-slapping climax akin to a high-stakes ping-pong match. THE SHALLOW TALE is a dark oddball comedy that celebrates leaning into our authentic selves and the essence of communication, no matter the fallout.

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer


Written and Directed by: Tolga Karaçelik

Produced by: Scott Aharoni, Sinan Eczacibasi, Alihan Yalçındağ, Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Alex Peace Power, Mustafa Kaymak, and Tolga Karaçelik

Executive Producer: John Magaro, Britt Lower, Aykut Sanver, Kanat Dogramaci, Eppie Ozen, Daniel John Goldberg, Julien Levesque, Ahmet Kenan Bilgic, Can Gursoy, Tara Khorti, Irmak Pakdemir, Peter Veverka, Ali Yurerer, Aret Tasciyan

Starring: Steve Buscemi, John Magaro, and Britt Lower

A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.

RT: 102 Minutes

 

Public Screenings for The Shallow Tale:

Saturday, June 8th at 5:00 PM at SVA Theater – 1 Silas

Sunday, June 9th at 2:15 PM at Village East Cinema – 02

Wednesday, June 12th at 8:00 PM at Village East Cinema – 07

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘EXHUMA’ (2024) Let the dead stay buried.

well go usa logoEXHUMA

Exhuma-Poster-WellGoUSA-1382x2048 An ancient evil affects the firstborn children of a wealthy family with uncontrollable wailing in their dreams. Eager to cash in, a team of macabre experts takes on this new client. As they dig deeper into this unique case, the usually confident group discovers they are in over their heads. In EXHUMA, that’s only the beginning of this horrifying tale.

Exhuma-KHorror-WellGoUSA-1340x754-5Performances are magnificent across the board. This spectacular multi-generational ensemble cast delivers engrossing mystery and terror. The script unfolds in chapters, like a how-to guide dealing with the underworld. Descriptions of rituals and occupational titles come in narration from the team. This creative storytelling immerses the audience in what feels like an inevitable tragedy. Complicating things further are the secrets our wealthy family hides. Genre fans will have a field day with horror canon balanced with the slightest touch of humor and serious gore. It is beyond compelling.

Exhuma Well Go UsaMixing tradition and superstition combined with an ominous score makes the hairs on your arms stick straight up. It’s a multi-sensory watch. EXHUMA deserves your full attention from the very first frame. There is so much meat on the bone. Expanding this world almost certainly feels possible and welcome. At its current runtime of two-plus hours, viewers would eat up more stories from this team. Their chemistry is magic, and a franchise would delight fans. The twists and turns keep coming. EXHUMA is undeniably one of the most intriguing cinematic experiences of the year.


EXHUMA 

Opening in Los Angeles March 15 | In Theaters Across North America March 22

For more reviews of Well Go USA films, click here!

 

All things Horror, we’ve got you covered!


Exhuma-KHorror-WellGoUSA-1340x754-2 Visit the official film page: https://wellgousa.com/films/exhuma

When a renowned shaman (KIM Go-Eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by a wealthy, enigmatic family, they begin investigating the cause of a disturbing supernatural illness that affects only the first-born children of each generation. With the help of a knowledgeable mortician (YOO Hai-jin) and the country’s most revered geomancer (CHOI Min-sik), they soon trace the affliction’s origin to a long-hidden family grave located on sacred ground. Sensing an ominous aura surrounding the burial site, the team opts to exhume and relocate the ancestral remains immediately. But as something much darker emerges, they soon discover what befalls those who dare to mess with the wrong grave.

Directed by: Jang Jae-Hyun

Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Kim Go-Eun, Yoo Hai-Jin, and Lee Do-Hyun


Watch more Well Go USA films online: https://bit.ly/WellGoFilmsOnline

ABOUT WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT:

Well Go USA, the studio behind TRIPLE THREAT, TRAIN TO BUSAN, and the IP MAN franchise, brings the best in martial arts, action, genre, and independent films from the U.S. and around the world to North America.

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DOC NYC 2023 review: Henya Brodeker’s ‘THE THREE OF US’ perfectly captures the complexities of advocating for a special needs child

THE THREE OF US

In a society governed by tradition, a young Orthodox couple defies norms to integrate their autistic son. As they risk everything, their journey explores the delicate balance between love, faith, and self-discovery. Through their struggle, they challenge preconceived notions, embracing parenthood and searching for their place in the world.


Filmmaker Henya Brodbeker turns the camera on her, her husband, and their young autistic son, Ari. Through years of filming, we witness the evolution of relationships in her Orthodox community, her marriage, and with herself. This is one family’s story about belonging. 

THE THREE OF US is one of the most authentic depictions of what it feels like to parent an autistic child. Your unconditional love exists simultaneously with anger, despair, hope, and fear. Henya pulls no punches. Her unfiltered conversations with her husband hit hard. Their raw emotions and vulnerability allow us to sit in their shoes from the beginning. The insulting treatment Henya and Arale receive from their ultra-Orthodox community is infuriating. Arale and Henya invite us to their exhaustive fight for Ari’s integration into a neurotypical classroom setting. The often dismissive responses from community school administrations are outrageous. 

Anyone who follows my career as a film journalist knows I’m a Mom of a young autistic son. I talk about his diagnosis and navigating the complexities of existing in a primarily neurotypical environment. We are lucky in the grand scheme of ASD possibilities. Our son’s cognitive abilities are off the charts. He is loving, funny, friendly, and would not hurt a fly. Dealing with public meltdowns, particularly if those around you do not know or understand, can be a crushing, demoralizing, tear-filled experience. Nothing is easy. It’s undeniably isolating. It’s the outside world we fear most. THE THREE OF US is irrefutable proof of how equal opportunity changes the lives of families. 

The reality exposed in the film may take some viewers off guard. Arale and Henya’s bravery deserves applause and respect. To turn a camera on your lived-in chaos? Wow. I only write about it. THE THREE OF US triumphs in its unfettered honesty and in challenging any preconceived notions of raising a child on the spectrum. Disability representation in film is vital. As an advocate for my child, I thank Henya for making this film. I hope it changes some hearts and minds.


International Premiere of
‘The Three of Us’ at DOC NYC

Thursday, November 9 at 6:45 pm
Village East by Angelika
Director Henya Brodbeker in-person for premiere!
Plus online dates: November 10-26
https://www.docnyc.net/film/the-three-of-us/


 

About the Filmmakers

Henya Brodbeker, Director & Cinematographer
Israeli writer-director and pioneering filmmaker from the ultra-Orthodox community. Her first short film OUR SON (2022) screened at the Cinequest film festival, won the best film award at the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival, and participate in other festivals around the world. Her documentary THE THREE OF US (2023) won the Diamond Award for Best Documentary, Best Director & Best Editing at the Jerusalem Film Festival. The film will be broadcasted by IPBC in 2023. She is currently working on BODILY ENCOUNTERS, a feature film in development with the support of the Israel Film Fund.

Avigail Sperber Producer
Avigail Sperber is a documentary director, producer, and cinematographer originally from Jerusalem. After graduating from Ma’aleh Film School, Avigail has gone on to create award-winning films that have screened at prestigious festivals around the world. Her 2010 film THE HANGMAN received Special Mention at IDFA and went on to screen at Full Frame, Visions du Reel, and more. PROBATION TIME (2014) won the Best Israeli Film Award at Docaviv and screened afterwards at True/False and Krakow Film Festival, among others. In recent years, through her production company Pardes Productions, she has produced and shot several documentary films and series, including THE THREE OF US (Jerusalem FF 2023), Wedding Night (Docaviv 2023), IT’S A WRAP (Haifa FF 2022), COVERED UP (Docaviv 2018), and more.


 

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

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 ManEtana Jacobson’s Advanced Chemistry, Kevin Interdonato’s The Bastard SonsMichael 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. 

Big Apple Film Festival 2023 review: ‘STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST’ is tangible and timely

STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST

Poignant and timely, Christopher Wells‘ documentary feature at BAFF 2023 delivers audiences an eye-opening deep dive into the history of one family’s journey through the Holocaust.

STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST is an intimate and accessible retelling of the lives of Sarah Putter Rolnick’s parents during and after the Nazi invasion of Poland. A collection of photographs, rare documents, and letters, alongside Rolnick’s often raw emotions, propel this film forward. For most of the runtime, her measured demeanor invites us to sit back and listen, though the years of shared generational trauma are palpable.

The score possesses a moving, almost visceral effect on the viewer. The information Rolnick discovers through her years of research will shock you. Their stories remain ever-evolving living entities. The film reinforces the tried and true Churchill adage, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST is a tangible lesson. For younger generations, perhaps akin to The Diary of Anne Frank. This is the story of The Putters. BAFF 2023 has a built-in audience for this doc. 

STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST

Story told by Sarah Putter Rolnick

“I have chosen to tell these stories for my children and future generations so we can take the past horrors that happened to our ancestors, learn from it, and prevent it from happening again.” -Sarah Rolnick

Feature Documentary (62 Minutes)

Directed and Produced by:  Christopher Wells

Executive Producer: Daniel Rolnick

For more information about THE BIG APPLE FF Click Here!


 

Fantasia 2023 review: ‘PIAFFE’ is a surprising tale of obsession, sexual awakening, and otherness.

Fantasia Festival 2023 logo

PIAFFE

Piaffe posterEva takes over as a Foley artist for her hospitalized sibling Zara. With no knowledge or self-esteem for the task, Eva endures shockingly abusive behavior from every angle; Zara, her boss, and the hospital nurse. When threatened with dismissal from Zara’s position, she becomes obsessed with the assigned commercial clip.

The video features a horse. Upon visiting a stable for research, Eva’s determination to perfect the audio ignites an immersive approach. Her relentless work ethic causes Eva to grow a horsetail. As she embraces her newfound appendage, Eva becomes entangled with a Botonist who opens her eyes to different forms of pleasure, increasing her confidence and sparking her sexual awakening.

PIAFFE gives audiences a fever dream of imagery and sound. Music is an eclectic Giallo-inspired mix of ominous cello and techno. The color Red features symbolically in lipstick, a telephone, tinsel, roses, and lighting. Simone Bucio is fearless as Eva. Her palpable anxiety and social awkwardness pour off the screen, making her relatable in the most unexpected ways.

The real star of PIAFFE is Robert Hefter and Jonas Vincent‘s jarring augmented sound mixing. As a viewer with Sensory Processing Disorder, PIAFFE is equal parts hair-raising nightmare and auditory orgasm. The sparse dialogue contributes to the focus on the heightened sound. Writer-director Ann Oren celebrates otherness in all its forms. Fantasia 2023 audiences experienced a sensory explosion with an unpredictable complexity.

Oscilloscope Labs will release PIAFFE on August 25th


Shot on lush 16mm, PIAFFE is a visceral journey into control, gender, and artifice.

The film will open in New York on August 25th at The Quad Cinema and in Los Angeles on September 15th at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre.

DIRECTED BY ANN OREN

STARRING SIMONE BUCIO, SIMON(E) JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU,

and SEBASTIAN RUDOLPH

SCREENINGS:
Mon August 07, 2023
2:15 PM

Salle J.A. De Sève

Tribeca 2023 Unseen Films review: Disney+ documentary ‘STAN LEE’

STAN LEE

This is a Disney+ documentary look at the one and only Stan Lee, largely told in his own words which were recorded during his almost century-long life.
For those who don’t know Stan Lee is the guy who got a job with Timely comics in the late 1930s and ended up staying with the company for decades, eventually rechristening it as Marvel. Along the way, he helped create the Fantastic Four, The X Men, The Hulk, Spiderman, and dozens of other characters.

This is a loving tribute to a man who altered the world with the things he wrote. If you hate the Marvel superhero movies blame Lee for creating the source material. It’s a film that while firmly focused on Lee and the Marvel years (Marvel is owned by Disney after all) clearly gets across how important Lee was to the art form of comics.

While far from complete, his work for anyone other than Marvel is completely ignored, the film does do some things I didn’t expect to see, particularly putting Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko front and center in the creation of many well-known characters. Yes, the film has Lee argue that he created say Spiderman because he came up with the idea, but the film is framed in such a way to make it clear that artists like Kirby and Ditko were as, or if not more important than Lee. It shows that they left Marvel because of Lee’s ego which made him insist he was the guy. I suspect that some people will argue the film doesn’t do enough in this regard and they are probably right, but those battles need a whole film unto themselves, and besides this film’s breezy celebration in Lee’s own words and as such you are not going to find enough material to fight that battle.

Say what you will about comics, this film makes the case that part of the reason comics are what they are today was because of Stan Lee. Lee and Marvel forced the medium to grow up and deal with real people (minorities were represented) and real problems (drugs). Additionally, because Lee was such a good spokesman he ended up altering how people saw comics just by speaking on TV talk shows. While I know many artists hated that Lee was the face of comics, the reality is that he was a good face of the industry and his friendly outgoing nature clicked with the public.

Despite knowing much of this I was moved. For better or worse Stan Lee was a crazy guy you couldn’t help but like.

I truly loved this film.


DIRECTOR
David Gelb
PRODUCER
Jason Sterman, David Gelb, Brian McGinn
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Ernesto Lomeli
COMPOSER
Scott Michael Smith, Michael Dean Parsons
EDITOR
Andrew McAllister, Jamie Garland, James Long
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Jeff Redmond, Andy Heyward, Gill Champion, Jamie McBriety, Sarah Regan
CO-PRODUCER
Lauren Goralski, Andrew McAllister
STORY PRODUCER
Emily Van Bergan
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
T. Hunter McCann
ASSISTANT EDITORS
JJ Degen, Emily Fuller
ARCHIVE PRODUCER
Danny Hirsch
CAST
Stan Lee

You can read more of Steve’s vast film coverage at Unseen Films!




Tribeca 2023 review: ‘CATCHING DUST’ is an artsy, melancholic neo-noir

CATCHING DUST


Sunset in the desert. A modern mobile home splashed with paint, the bold hues almost glowing in the half-light. A man with a rifle. A shrill scream. Stuart Gatt’s Catching Dust announces itself by beginning with these enthralling moments. A film centering on a painter, it is interested in the motivations of its character, but also in placing them as figures within beautiful tableaus. The cinematography is gorgeous – there are shots in this film that could be framed and hung on your living room wall.


Erin Moriarty (The Boys) stars as Geena, an artistic outcast marooned in the Texas desert with a domineering lover, Clyde (Jai Courtney) Their run-down mobile home is the only shelter for miles. Suddenly one day, a shiny new mobile home is parked across the road. It signals the arrival of two strangers from New York, and this change throws Geena and Clyde’s stagnant lives into total turmoil.


Moriarty brings a believable and balanced complexity to Geena – like many couples, we believe she is capable of alternatively loving and hating her partner within the space of a few seconds. I also loved the way the film showcases Geena’s double desperation – a desire to escape her circumstances, and a desire to express herself artistically. Courtney has to navigate a tougher road as Clyde – he appears nearly mute at times, with most of his communication coming in over-the-top grunts and glares. But he also is prone to moments of deep sincerity.


Catching Dust is an art-film packaged as a noir thriller. It’s rare that a film starts with a gunshot, but spends a significant amount of time focused on the principles of abstract art. It is a beautiful, if not totally fulfilling, watch.


Sun June 11 – 6:15 PM
PASSED
Closed Captions available

 

Wed June 14 – 6:30 PM
PASSED
Closed Captions available

 

Thu June 15 – 9:00 PM
Closed Captions available
DIRECTOR
Stuart Gatt
PRODUCER
Mark David, Jon Katz, Edward R. Pressman, Stuart Gatt
SCREENWRITER
Stuart Gatt
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Aurélien Marra
EDITOR
Nicolas Gaster
COMPOSER
Danny Mulhern
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
James David, Samantha David, Francesco Goedhuis, Lydia Baylis, Dara Sepehri, James Berylson, Giannis Kairis, Ioanna Procopiou, Sebastián Álvarez, Nitin Saigal, Vedika Bhaskar, George Mangos, Christos Mangos,
CO-PRODUCER
Angelica Huéte
COSTUME DESIGNER
Lily Faith Knight
CAST
Erin Moriarty, Jai Courtney, Dina Shihabi, Ryan Corr

Tribeca 2023 review: Luke Evans and Billy Porter shine in ‘OUR SON,’ a very personal modern-day family drama.

OUR SON



Billy Porter and Luke Evans return to Tribeca playing partners of thirteen years. Billy stars as Gabriel, an aspiring artist struggling to find creative and personal spark while caring for the young son he shares with his ambitious partner, Nicky (Luke Evans). Stress and anxiety flare as their relationship gets to an unrepairable place, forcing the couple to head for a divorce. Now the two must navigate the unenviable position of revealing the news to shared friends and family. Thus begins the journey to find themselves and support their son.


Luke Evans plays Nicky with a workhorse attitude that comes off as dismissive and arrogant against Billy Porter’s caregiver grace. This dynamic rings authentic for me as the default parent in my marriage. Porter nails every aspect, from his sing-songy tone of voice with Owen to the hesitancy to speak up for his emotional needs. Seeing myself on screen hit hard. While I’ve not had to go through divorce and custody dynamics, I have had these “come to Jesus” moments with my husband. I’ve been lucky.

Both Evans and Porter give us their all in these roles. Watching them navigate the complexities of an evolving relationship is heartbreaking but universally relatable, regardless of your romantic circumstance. Love is complicated and messy. Christopher Woodley as Owen is outstanding. He captures the boundless curiosity and impressionable innocence of a child his age. Writer-director Bill Oliver and co-writer Peter Nickowitz‘s dialogue could be taken directly from my world as a wife, parent, and friend.

OUR SON greatly benefits from two standout supporting performances. Andrew Rannells‘s sarcastic yet caring presence grounds the relationship between Nicky and Gabriel. He is spectacular in every role he tackles. Phylicia Rashad plays Gabriel’s mother, and the pairing is pure magic.

OUR SON is a story of a family trying to figure out what’s best for their child and each other. The characters are fully fleshed-out flawed humans working their way through ever-changing feelings of emotional security. You cannot help but connect with them through the good, the bad, and the ugly.


DIRECTOR
Bill Oliver
PRODUCER
Fernando Loureiro, Eric Binns, Guilherme Coelho, Jennifer 8. Lee, Christopher Lin
SCREENWRITER
Peter Nickowitz, Bill Oliver
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Luca Fantini
EDITOR
Zach Clark, Tyler Jensen
CAST
Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Robin Weigert, Andrew Rannells, Isaac Powell, Phylicia Rashad

In Person

Sat June 10 – 2:00 PM
PASSED
Closed Captions available

 

Sun June 11 – 3:30 PM
PASSED
Closed Captions available

 

Wed June 14 – 8:30 PM
Closed Captions available

 

Tribeca 2023 documentary review: ‘SONGS ABOUT F*CKING’ is a musical celebration of inclusion, creativity, life, and love.

SONGS ABOUT F*CKING

In the fall of 2021, filmmaker James Gallagher rode across the country with Marc Rebillet on his sold-out Third Dose Tour to capture what it was about the artist, showman, and robe-clad musical alchemist that brought thousands of people out of their homes for the first time.


Part hitmaker, part internet personality, Marc Rebillet is the epitome of the word artist. James Gallagher’s Tribeca 2023 doc dives into the whirlwind life and career of an unexpected creator and free-spirited entertainer. Meet the best side of the internet age.

Rebillet’s ability to improvise is infectious. The live concert footage is hypnotic. His wildly positive messages are both tongue-in-cheek and celebratory. He brings light to his followers, giving them small things to smile about in their darkest days. He is so comfortable in his weirdness that he compels you to watch and listen.

The film cuts between live concert footage, childhood home videos, and behind-the-scenes tour bus clips in 2022. While the doc feels like a party, it is also quietly an homage to Marc’s family, biological and chosen. SONGS ABOUT FUCKING has found its home at Tribeca 2023. It deserves this audience, and it deserves the largest theater possible. It is a celebration of inclusion, creativity, life, and love.



Directed and Written by James Gallagher (feature film directorial debut)

Produced by: Gus Deardoff (Sorry to Bother You), Lizzie Shapiro (Shiva Baby), and Andrew Swett


In Person

Sat June 10 – 8:00 PM
RUSH

 

Sun June 11 – 9:15 PM
RUSH

 

Fri June 16 – 9:15 PM
RUSH


ABOUT MARC REBILLET:
Marc “Loop Daddy” Rebillet is an enigmatic, robe-clad performer who’s raucous, sold-out shows are almost completely improvised. Known for his unique combination of soul, R&B, and house beats blended with jokes about life’s everyday experiences. Inspired by artists like Reggie Watts and using his background in acting and piano, Rebillet brings audiences into every part of his performances and remains true to his independent roots. Rebillet’s superpower is musical improvisation and deeply connecting with his audience in an absurd and often vulgar yet touching way.

Rebillet continues to tour globally and perform at festivals (including his recent Coachella debut on the iconic Main Stage). Check out some of Rebillet’s work on his YouTube.


 

Tribeca 2023 short film review: ‘CORVINE’ soars.

CORVINE

An eccentric boy has trouble fitting in at school due to his obsession with crows.

Writer-director Sean McCarron‘s Tribeca animated short CORVINE immediately enchanted me, from the delightful score by Suad Bushnaq to the beautiful animation to the sweet storytelling. The film celebrates imagination and individuality while also creatively tackling bullying. As a parent of a child on the Autism Spectrum who has been bullied throughout his first-grade experience this year, this short film pierced my heart. The story honors passion and finding one’s niche. CORVINE soars in originality and its universal messaging. It is a joy.

 

Corvine Trailer from Sean McCarron on Vimeo.

 

In Person

Sat June 10 – 5:15 PM
RUSH

 

Sun June 11 – 2:15 PM
RUSH

 

Sat June 17 – 12:15 PM
RUSH
 
*Rush Tickets available at venue except for Beacon Theatre

Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre. The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.

Tribeca Online

All Online Films >>

Online Pass
Stream June 19 – July 2

After screening at numerous prestigious international film festivals including the Academy-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival and Foyle Film Festival, CORVINE will receive its New York premiere at  Tribeca.  The film was picked from over 8000 entries. 

Sean is an animator and storyboard artist with over twenty years of industry experience. He has worked on numerous television and feature film productions in Europe and North America, including roles at Oscar-nominated Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and Oscar-winning Norwegian studio Mikrofilm. CORVINE is Sean’s first film and was created by his company, McCarron Productions, based in Vancouver, BC.

The beautiful, hand drawn animation is brought to life by Suad Bushnaq’s rich orchestral score. There is no dialogue in the film, but Suad’s music provides a gorgeous interpretation of the main character’s emotional journey. Bushnaq is a multi-award-winning film music composer whose versatile style spans several genres. 

CORVINE premiered at Calgary International Film Festival in September 2022, where it won the Audience Choice Award for Animated Short. It has screened at a number of film festivals around the world since then, including Chicago International Film Festival, Foyle Film Festival, Animation Dingle, Lebu International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Athens International Film and Video Festival. It was awarded the Children’s Jury Prize for Best Short at the inaugural Jordan Children’s Film Festival, the Professional Jury Prize for Best Short Film at Festival International du Film pour Enfants de Montreal (FIFEM), and the award for Outstanding Animation at Canadian Film Festival.

CORVINE will screen at Tribeca on Saturday June 10th, Sunday June 11th and Saturday June 15th.



Tribeca 2023 review: ‘CHASING CHASING AMY’ is an eye-opening story of self-discovery wrapped inside an ode to fandom.

CHASING CHASING AMY

12-year-old Sav Rodgers watched the film Chasing Amy, and his life was forever changed. Developing a kinship — and maybe a slight obsession — with it as he grew into his queerness, he decides to fund and direct a documentary that examines its role in LGBTQ+ film culture. He makes significant progress, even garnering the support and collaboration of its director, Kevin Smith. However, as the production of the documentary continues, Rodgers realizes that the legacy of the film and his relationship with it might be changing. So where does that leave him?


Sav Rodgers brings Tribeca audiences a personal story of self-discovery, being othered, and catharsis. Kevin Smith‘s 1997 film CHASING AMY is a snapshot in time. While younger generations might perceive it as problematic, for those who saw the movie during its theatrical run, it represented a sexual awakening, a different point of view, and an “oh shit” moment. A complicated love letter to a controversial LGBTQIA+ film CHASING CHASING AMY is one of the best docs at this year’s fest.

The moment Sav Rodgers meets Kevin, it’s fireworks. Kevin gives Sav access to everything the rest of us have always wanted to know. Smith confesses that Holden is him. The film plays through his lens, and much of the story comes from real people in his life. Some conversations are word for word. Just ask a close friend of Kevin and GO FISH screenwriter Guinevere Turner, who put much of herself into Amy when collaborating on the script.

The film includes interviews with critics from all generations. Each has a different perspective on the characters and the dialogue. This aspect is fascinating, filled equally with smirks and head nodding for a Gen Xer such as myself. Jason Lee talks about his hesitancy in some of Banky’s dialogue. Everyone involved understands that the film would in no way fly today.

Joey Lauren Adams, who gives us the iconic performance as Alyssa, explains her power in the role through archival interviews and a sense from the film. Kevin was, perhaps, ahead of their time in featuring a strong bisexual woman. But, the biggest irony may be Joey’s truth about CHASING AMY. This pivotal interview changes everything for everyone. Both Kevin and Joey get into their complicated past with Harvey Weinstein. Their experiences are vastly different. I am so grateful for their honesty. It means so much to so many survivors. *Waves hands in the air*

Intertwined with everything else in this glorious doc, Sav lets us into their relationship with his girlfriend, Riley. Delving into deeply personal issues, he may or may not realize how universal they are until now. One part fanboy film, another part film history, all self-discovery story, and a love letter to Riley, CHASING CHASING AMY is tailor-made for Smith fans and indie fans, the queer community, and allies.



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Review: The mysterious and heart-wrenching ‘PILGIMS’ comes to U.S. cinemas this Friday!

PILGRIMS

Paulius and Indre seek answers to a mystery that plagues them. PILGRIMS draws you in from the get-go as we follow our two leads down a path of emotional self-destruction and healing. They share a bond no one wants.

Giedrius Kiela and Gabija Bargailaite play Paulius and Indre, respectively. Each brings qualities of pain. Kiela’s aggression has the audience in a death grip. His volatility is frightening. Bargailaite is more subtle. Her unraveling happens in a finale that breaks you. They are hypnotizing.

Slick editing and long takes on a stationary camera make the audience an unwilling witness to Paulius and Indre’s plans. The script’s structure leaves much to the imagination as clues come slowly. My mind swirled as I watched Paulius walk Indre through the crime’s timeline. You feel compelled to keep watching. As someone whose close friend died under mysterious circumstances years ago, the unresolved pain and trauma are palpable. The need to understand and reason with the devil never fades, no matter how many years go by. PILGRIMS captures the very messy essence of grief.


PILGRIMS Arrives
in Cinemas this Friday!

 

Lithuania’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards Lands in U.S. Cinemas on 4/7!


 

Review: ‘THE WORST ONES (Les Pires)’- art imitates life in this beautifully moving film.

Set in the suburbs of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, The Worst Ones captures a film within a film as it follows the production of a feature whose director turns to the local Cité Picasso housing project for casting. Eager to capture performances of gritty authenticity, the director selects four working class teenagers to act in the film to the surprise and consternation of the local community, who question the director’s choice of “the worst ones.” As the director and crew audition, rehearse, film, and interact with their hand-picked cast, jealousies are stoked, lines are crossed, and ethical questions arise, with thought-provoking and at times darkly funny results. Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, The Worst Ones announces directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret as exciting new voices in French cinema.


THE WORST ONES is a meta-narrative that succeeds in conveying hope through hardship. Not only does the film shine in its storytelling, embracing heartbreak and socioeconomic trauma, but the performances also by our four young actors will hypnotize the viewer. Check out the clip below for a taste:

Timéo Mahaut and Mallory Wanecque play the theatrical brother and sister duo, Lily and Ryan. Each pulling from the script an element of abandonment and aggression. This recurring theme is “permission to feel,” The screenplay skillfully taps into the idea that these children struggle to experience a traditional childhood when food, parents, stability, and peace seem out of reach. Their casting becomes the ultimate healing outlet. THE WORST ONES boasts a compelling film-within-a-film structure with an ending that leaves an impression on your soul.

 


Cannes award-winning feature THE WORST ONES (Les Pires), will open theatrically today in New York on March 24 (The Quad) and in Los Angeles on April 7 (Laemmle Monica) with additional cities including Chicago, Denver, and more to follow.

NYJFF 2023 capsule review: ‘SHTTL’ is already one of the year’s best films.

SHTTL

Written and directed by Ady Walter, SHTTL takes place in a secluded imaginary Yiddish Ukrainian village on June 21st, 1941. The audience thinks they are watching a film about small-town politics. In actuality, SHTTL highlights a real moment in history. New York Jewish Film Festival 2023 is lucky to have such an extraordinary piece of cinema to share with audiences.

Cinematographer Vladimir Ivanov captures the film in one single take. A technical wonder, SHTTL pulls a visual bait and switch made famous in The Wizard of Oz. In this instance, the use of color distinguishes the past and present. This device is emotionally consuming and undeniably dazzling.

This enormous cast gives us some of the most gut-wrenching performances of the year. Keep in my the film is entirely in Yiddish. Do not let this scare you aware! Star Moshe Lobel starred in the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway Yiddish version of “Fiddler On The Roof.” As Mendele, Lobel carries you in his pocket in this captivating tale of religious ideology, family, love, and loss. Boasting an ending that will have your heart in your throat, SHTTL is a gem. It is a film that deserves a viewing on the loftiest screen available. This film left me breathless.


SHTTL
Ady Walter
Ukraine/France, 2022, 114 min.
Yiddish and Ukrainian with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere

Monday, January 16, 5:30pm
Tuesday, January 17, 1pm


NYJFF 2023

THE 32nd ANNUAL 
NEW YORK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL,
 PRESENTED 
JANUARY 12-23, 2023