The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) will celebrate its eighth anniversary from July 31st through August 3rd on Long Island, and will screen an international slate of over 50 films, including feature-length narratives, documentaries, shorts and animated films that will compete for a series Festival Honors and Audience Awards.
This year’s feature-length film line-up is a unique combination of both narratives and documentaries by directors from all around the world. Highlights include:
Andy Irons: Kissed by God, Directed by Todd and Steve Jones: A film about bipolar disorder and opioid addiction as seen through the life of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons.
Bozkir Look at the Birds, Directed by Mehmet Tanrisever: Abdullah and Cripple Ziya, the gun dealers in the Bozkir district of Konya, Turkey, have to pay the price in honor and dignity exam. LBIFF will be the NY premiere for this film.
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, Directed by Alison Reid: Author, feminist, scientist and the world’s first giraffeologist, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg retraces her ground-breaking journey to Africa to study giraffes. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Feature-length films making their Long island Premiere include:
Dennis and Lois, Directed by Chris Cassidy: Dennis and Lois have devoted the last 40 years traveling the world pursuing the thrill of live music and supporting the rock bands they love. But as age and illness threaten to end their lifelong tour, they are relying on the friends they’ve collected along the way and the music that energizes them to keep it going. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Girl on Wave, Directed by Steven Esparza: “Girl on Wave” introduces professional windsurfer Sarah Hauser and documents her journey as a New-Caledonian athlete competing on the American stage of windsurfing. The film includes interviews with world-class athletes, windsurfing champions and others who have inspired Sarah on her path to winning the American Windsurfing Tour title. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Julia Blue, Directed by Roxy Toporowych: As a young woman comes into her own in war-torn Ukraine, she finds her path towards independence and a brighter future challenged by an unexpected love. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
In addition to the feature-length film lineup, LBIFF will showcase an array of short films divided into five programs throughout the festival: comedies, dramas, animation, documentaries, and foreign. Short films being screened include:
Bodega, Directed by Rebecca Halfon: A Syrian deli owner and two teen girls with a fake ID find common ground on one winter night in Brooklyn.
Suicide Files, Directed by Marc Brissett: This is an inspirational account of inner city youth and their passion to play the game of basketball. Most are searching for a way out of the environments that taught them the game they love. They learn that hard work and dedication are the keys to unlock the door to success but success is not always professional basketball.
Stumped, Directed by Christina Farman: An overweight corgi can’t bring his owner the morning newspaper so he turns to aerobics as a last ditch effort.
Las Del Diente (Spain),Directed by Ana Perez Lopez: Three women discuss the social pressure of having kids while celebrating the uniqueness of their bodies.
Cold Storage, Directed by Thomas Freundlich: On a desolate arctic shore, a lonely fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the ice, and thaws him out as his newfound soul brother.