The high-intensity conspiracy thriller Killbird, the debut film from director Joe Zanetti, has being officially selected for competition at the Dances With Films Festival, and will screen on June 23rd, at 12:30pm at the iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Last Call, a real-time split-screen feature film shot in two true single takes with an original musical score also recorded live to picture, will have its West Coast premiere at Dances with Films at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday, June 18th at 7:15pm. The film is directed by Gavin Michael Booth (The Scarehouse), written by Gavin Michael Booth and Daved Wilkins (“The Mindy Project”), and starring Sarah Booth (“Law & Order: SVU”) and Daved Wilkins.
The “vibrantly” independent film festival Dances With Films announced its 2019 lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films for its 22nd annual edition.
Mark Wilson released the trailer for his new film Wade in the Water, starring I Am The Night’s Danika Golombek, premiering at Dances with Films in L.A. Wade in the Water, a semi-finalist for the prestigious Nicholl Fellowships in 2018, will premiere at the prestigious Dances with Films Film Festival on Wednesday, June 19th, 2019 at 7:15 PM.
Nathan’s Kingdom, a dramatic motion picture about one young man’s battle with autism and the fantasy world to which he and his sister escape, premieres on the West Coast at this year’s acclaimed Dances With Films Festival on Wednesday, June 13, 7:15 PM at TCL Chinese Theatres, Auditorium 1, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. Actors from the film, including writer-director Olicer Muñoz, will be in attendance.
Jacob Lince, 24, takes away any preconceived notion of what an actor on the spectrum should “act” like, as his character, Nathan, leads the audience into a dark fantasy while he struggles with his teenage opiate-addict sister, Laura, (played by Madison Ford), his sole and loving caregiver.
Rather than surrender to social services, Nathan and Laura risk it all to find “Nathan’s Kingdom” — as they battle monsters, endure mythical wars, and confront an underground civilization of ghouls — in hope of finding a fictitious kingdom with the potential to transform their lives forever.
”I was adamant that the title role of Nathan be played by an actor on the autism spectrum,” says the film’s writer-director-producer Olicer J. Muñoz, 38, who contacted the Performing Arts Studio West (PASW), a one of a kind non-profit and state-funded training facility for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the organization, Muñoz auditioned dozens of actors and discovered his lead actor, Lince.
Muñoz began writing the script upon graduating with an M.F.A. from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI). Earlier in his career, the bi-lingual (Spanish) filmmaker worked with Academy Award winner (“Scared Straight”), Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer Arnold Shapiro who instilled in Muñoz the golden rules of filmmaking. “Shapiro taught me how to master a story and allow the narrative to take on a life of its own. It was under his watch that I began writing and developing Nathan’s Kingdom,” says Muñoz, whose family hails from Mexico. Muñoz counts Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as his directing role models.
Nathan’s Kingdom was co-produced by Michelle Opitz who received her B.F.A. from Chapman University where she met Muñoz and later studied at the American Film Institute (AFI). Emily Beach (Brown Eyed Girls Productions) is also co-producer under Opitz’s and Beach’s banner. Visual effects, CGI animation, combined with live action and unique sound design enhance the highly stylized fantasy film sequences that reflect the inner workings of Nathan’s imagination.
Nathan’s Kingdom had its world premiere in March 2018 at the Sedona International Film Festival where it won its prestigious “Director’s Choice – Heart of The Film Festival Award.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuDbF42I5l8
Writer/Producer/Actress Allison Volk’s new dark romantic-comedy feature film, Deany Bean is Dead will make its World Premiere at the 2018 Dances With Films festival at the famed TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood on June 16th.
DEANY BEAN IN DEAD follows Deany (Volk), a 30-something hopelessly hung-up on her ex-boyfriend who accidentally ends up at his house during his engagement party. Out to sabotage everything and win him back, Deany’s plan is hampered by the fact that she has the dead body of her abusive boss hidden in her car out front. Just as her strategy starts to work, the evening unravels and forces Deany to confront her own self-worth.
The 84-minute film evolved from Volk working on a series of short film projects with Mikael Kreuzriegler, a Director/Cinematographer, current Chair of Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television and previous Dances With Films festival winner. Armed with an idea, Volk penned the script for Kreuzriegler to direct; and together they produced the picture along with Associate Producer Christiana Santos (Executive Director of Distribution at Orion Pictures at MGM). To help bring the characters to life alongside Volk, the team cast several rising actors, including Sarah Siadat (Veep, Grimm), Paul Tigue (20th Century Women) and Paulina Bugembe (Scandal).
Since starting the creative project nearly 2 years ago, Volk is excited to now share the film with audiences at Dances With Films and beyond. Volk adds, “It is such a thrill to watch a project evolve from script to screen; every individual contribution is important and makes the project better. We’re really honored to be part of Dances with Film and looking forward to celebrating the success with everyone involved.”
Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Volk has been building a solid reputation in Hollywood as an award-winning writer, film producer and actress. Most recently, Volk won ‘Best Screenplay’ at the 2018 Utah Film Awards for her dark action comedy feature script, Tiger Woman. She wrote, produced and starred in her First feature film, Innocent Sleep, earning ‘Best Lead Actress’ at the 2017 Utah Film Awards for this modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In addition, Volk has written and produced two award-winning shorts and written several plays which have enjoyed production in Los Angeles and New York, one of which took the Denise Regan Wisenmeyer Award. She co-founded The City Shakespeare Company in Santa Monica, serving as co-artistic director for three years. She proudly made her feature ?lm debut as ‘Jane’ in Disney’s 2013 western-action film, The Lone Ranger.
Currently, Volk is in pre-production on the short fantasy/drama film, What Katie Did, which is slated to shoot in Colorado this August.
https://vimeo.com/247749747
Director and cinematographer Jeremy Guy presents his feature documentary directorial debut with “Purdah” (“Veil”) – the inspiring story of a young Indian woman who trades her burka for dreams of playing on the Mumbai Senior Women’s Cricket Team and how the harsh realities for women in her country creates an unexpected outcome for her own family, ultimately shattering and fueling aspirations. The film is an Official Selection in competition at the internationally renowned Dances With Films festival, featuring its Los Angeles Premiere Screening at the world famous TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood on Sunday, June 17, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. The film recently held its World Premiere at Cinequest Film Festival where it was called a “a real life Bend It Like Beckham” by KQED-FM (NPR).
Director Jeremy Guy says, “I was working on another film in India when I met Kaikasha Mirza. Her pursuit of a career in cricket as a woman, which is frowned upon by her Muslim community, was a fascinating story in itself. And then, as I began shooting, the story took a surprising turn, and an even bigger story began to unravel about the challenges that Kaikasha, her two sisters and their mother faced amidst societal oppression.”
The three independent-minded Mirza sisters have ambitious dreams for their lives and careers. Despite their earnestness, they face an uphill battle coming from a conservative Muslim family in Mumbai, India.
Kaikasha Mirza became enamored with cricket as a young woman, yet she was forbidden to play and forced to be a spectator in her burka, but she eventually persuades her father to allow her to remove her burka to become one of only a few Muslim women cricketers in all of Mumbai. She chases her dream of playing for the prestigious Mumbai Senior Women’s Cricket Team, but her parents give her the ultimatum that she will have two years to become a professional cricketer—or they will arrange her marriage.
Kaikasha’s eldest sister, Saba, has her own dreams for her career and yearns to become a model, and Heena, the youngest sister, wants to be a fashion designer or a singer, but poverty may impede their pursuits. All three girls and their mother must contend with the wishes of their father who does not believe women should work, but rather, stay home to cook, clean and raise a family.
As the women pursue their dreams, a series of shocking and tragic circumstances befall the Mirza family, and the film continues to follow each of them as they battle through family crises, poverty, and intense societal pressures.
This cinematic journey highlights how dreaming the impossible dream and having a passionate purpose can potentially save us. This story of perseverance lands on the message that even if things don’t turn out as we had hoped or planned, it’s about how we react to overcome life’s biggest challenges that makes all the difference.
NO ALTERNATIVE[/caption]
The fiercely independent film festival Dances With Films (DWF) returns for its 21st edition from June 7 to 17 at TCL Chinese Theaters with a lineup of more than 100 world premieres and nearly 40 west coast premieres. Opening the festival on June 7 is the DWF alumni driven drama directed by William Dickerson, NO ALTERNATIVE, in its World Premiere starring Kathryn Erbe, Michaela Cavazos, Conor Proft, Chloe Levine and Harry Hamlin. THE BEST PEOPLE, a comedy written and produced by Selina Ringel and directed by Dan Levy Dagerman, closes the festival with its DWF premiere on June 17.
“We consider ourselves a true festival of discovery,” said festival co-founders Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent. “We have always been progressive and have always looked to the future for our inspiration. Turning 21 is a milestone to us. In every other culture there is a ‘rites of passage’, but in the U.S., it’s turning 21. We have thrived, transitioned and evolved along the way. DWF is unique in the fact that we are not a celebrity-driven festival. Everyone in the festival has to bring their A-game.”
The final lineup will feature more than 200 titles, chosen from a record 2,200 submissions from all over the globe. The juried narrative competition section includes 16 features and more than three-dozen shorts. DWF also has a category for groundbreaking short and feature documentaries, provocative genre fare in the Midnight section, and the most exciting music videos and dance-themed films from the indie scene in the Downbeats section. The Fusion section brings together a multitude of additional features and shorts.
Notable Dances With Films alumni who first gained notice at the festival include: Gina Rodriguez, Bryan Cranston, Will Scheffer, Mark V. Olsen, Jesse Eisenberg, Mike Flanagan, and John Hawkes, among many others.
Landing Up[/caption]
“Landing Up” directed by Dani Tenenbaum is a story about a girl with nothing to lose and everything to hide. The film stars Maltin (“Working On It,” “Lipstick Jungle”), Ben Rappaport (ABC’s “For the People,” USA’s “Mr. Robot”), E’dena Hines (“5 Flights Up,” “Moll Flanders”), Dov Tiefenbach (“Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, “Homeland”), Theodora (Woolley) Miranne (“The Blacklist: Redemption,” “Blue Bloods”) and Jay DeYonker (“Royally,” “Puerto Ricans in Paris”), and is an Official Selection in Competition Features at Dances With Films, screening on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at 9:30 p.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatres, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California. The East Coast Premiere will be held on Saturday, June 17th at 6:30 p.m. as an Official Selection of the Soho International Film Festival, screening at Village East Cinema (181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003).
Chrissie (Stacey Maltin) is young, wild, and living on the streets. She and her best friend Cece (E’dena Hines) use their youth and good looks to their advantage, playing a con game with strangers to put a roof over their heads, while all the time fantasizing about having enough money to score their dream apartment. When Chrissie meets David (Ben Rappaport), a funny, genuine guy who works his way into her heart, she falls for him and must decide whether to confess the real circumstances of her life or continue her carefully crafted lie at all costs—even the cost of someone’s life. (Running time: 98-minutes)
Filmmaker and star Stacey Maltin says, “The film exists in two worlds: Chrissie’s life on the street and her romantic life with David. Chrissie’s life on the street is gritty and dangerous, but when Chrissie meets David, her world explodes into color. He’s everything she always wanted and the film jumps in tone and style to almost a romantic comedy feel. Ben has no idea of the realities that Chrissie is facing. Her life is so far outside his realm of comprehension he never suspects her secret, even as she hides the truth from him at every turn.”
Director Dani Tenenbaum adds, “We are showing how people often exist in different parts of themselves. Chrissie’s carefully crafted lies lead her into a world that turns into a very real feeling of love. But can you ever really know someone if we all spend so much time crafting the perfect stories about ourselves?”
This film has a tragic real life story as well. Just one month after principal photography wrapped, Maltin’s co-star E’dena Hines was tragically murdered by her boyfriend, which was devastating to the cast and crew. The story made national headlines, in part due to E’dena being the granddaughter of acting icon Morgan Freeman. “Landing Up” is E’dena’s last on-screen performance.
Maltin adds, “E’dena was an incredible and loving human being who illuminated any room she entered. She had so much talent and this energy that was so raw and magnetic. She really gave herself over to playing Cece and it’s reflected in her performance. We miss her every day and wish she could have seen what she created with us.”
Because of this tragic violence in real life, which happens all too often against women in the world, and because the film tackles homelessness, the filmmakers felt it was paramount to give their audience a call to action. They have partnered with the non-profit organizations Midnight Mission, which offers paths to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost direction, and LA Family Housing, which helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty, to help raise awareness for these issues.
Cassidy Red[/caption]
“Cassidy Red,” a Western ballad of love and hate, written and directed by Matt Knudsen, a UCLA MFA student, will World Premiere as an Official Selection in Competition Features at Dances With Films on Friday, June 2, 2017, at 7:15 p.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatres (6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California).
Set against the backdrop of the 19th century American Southwest, the story follows “Josephine Cassidy,” the headstrong daughter of a prostitute and gunslinger, who returns to her hometown seeking vengeance against the corrupt lawman she believes murdered her lover.
Director Matt Knudsen says, “I wanted to acknowledge all of the iconic ingredients that made us fall in love with Westerns in the first place. But I conceived of the character Josephine Cassidy to represent the kind of progressive heroine that could help push the genre into a more interesting, contemporary place.”
The 92-minute film from Cassidy Red, LLC was shot at Old Tucson Studios (a historic location home to dozens of John Wayne classics) in Southern Arizona. Knudsen’s inspiration was the Spaghetti Westerns of his personal hero, the famed Sergio Leone, and the result owes much to the Italian classics he grew up watching. With the recent successes of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven”, and HBO’s “Westworld,” Knudsen has tapped into a nostalgic desire for the genre at a key moment.
Knudsen adds, “Like Leone often did for his films, I examined the genre and saw that there were stories, characters and themes not being represented. The superstructure of ‘Cassidy Red’ is forged from familiar elements we associate with the Western: the untamed frontier, the constant threat of violence, outlaws, betrayal, corruption, saloons, jail cells, livestock, prostitution, bloodshed… But, at its core, the film examines elements underrepresented in classic Westerns: strong, complex, proactive female characters, familial ties, heartbreak, sacrifice, choice, and star-crossed love.”
This love letter by Knudsen to the Western takes the audience on a journey through the American Southwest where two brothers fall for the same woman, resulting in a deadly love triangle.
48 competition films including a record 48 premieres, 28 World, 5 North American, 12 West Coast, 2 Southern California, and 1 US premieres are screening at the 2015 Dances With Films in Los Angeles, California. This years competition films – 16 narrative features and 32 short films – include a short directed by “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” alumni Amber Benson and acclaimed casts including: Beau Garrett (“TRON: Legacy”), Lauren Potter (“Glee”), Mario Cantone (“Sex and the City”). The 18th edition of the festival is taking place over 11 days, from May 28 through June 7, 2015, in Los Angeles, CA at the TCL Chinese Theaters, located at Hollywood & Highland.
NARRATIVE FEATURES PROGRAM
ALL I NEED (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Dylan K. Narang
PRODS: Dylan K. Narang, Jeffrey J. Robinson
CAST: Caitlin Stasey, Markus Taylor, Holly Twyford, Rachel Melvin, Sorel Carradine, Leah McKendrick SYNOPSIS: An insecure young woman must overcome her captor to save her own life, all the while not knowing the sinister reason she’s really being held
ASTRAE (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE)
DIR: Kristjan Thor
WRITER: Ashlin Halfnight
PRODS: Ashlin Halfnight, Kristjan Thor, Jessica Cummings, Scotty Crowe
CAST: Nerea Duhart, Scotty Crowe, Dan O’Brien, Jessica Cummings
SYNOPSIS: When disease decimates the population, a telepathic teenage girl named Astraea follows her visions through a silent America, hoping to find her family. She leads her doubtful brother on a five thousand-mile trek into the snowbound wilderness of Maine, where they encounter a couple homesteading on a frozen lake, the first people they’ve seen in over two years. Astraea’s clairvoyance intensifies, but her brother puts down roots, finds community, and wants to stay. Discord and division rise, and Astraea must decide if she trusts her visions enough to set out alone into the wintery backwoods to rescue her family before it’s too late.
BARN WEDDING (US PREMIERE).
DIR: Shaun Benson
WRITER: Kelly McCormack
PRODS: Kelly McCormack, Shaun Benson, Emily Coutts
CAST: Emily Coutts, Kelly McCormack, Brett Donahue, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Shaun Benson, Kate Corbett, Christopher Hayes, Kaleb Alexander
SYNOPSIS: When a young couple have to reschedule their picturesque summer wedding to the rural and remote dead of winter, they are forced to face how well they truly know each other and the people closest to them
THE BREAK-IN (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Marcus Ovnell
PRODS: Marcus Ovnell, Jenny Lampa
CAST: Jenny Lampa, Lukas Loughran, Richard Ulfsäter
SYNOPSIS: A married couple have dinner, they go to bed but soon they realize that someone is in the house. The crisis that follows this incident brings the couple closer together, but brings the relationship to a clash when reality comes knocking on the door. A movie about love and living with a secret.
DUSK (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Michael Maney
PRODS: Ryan Lewis, Michael Maney, Ford D’Aprix
CAST: John McGlothlin, Ford D’Aprix, Juliana Harkavy, Todd Litzinger, Ron Kidd
SYNOPSIS: In 2008, Robert Kenner, a mild-mannered postman from Peckham, South London was struck by a meteor which bestowed him with super powers. Today, Bob is an overworked underappreciated “civil servant” for the British government. He spends most waking hours saving people and filling out forms. He has no time for anything else. Least of all love. But today he has a day off. And best of all, he has a date with June from the library. Now all he has to do is act as if this isn’t the most exciting day of his life. Apparently that puts people off.
ECHO LAKE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Jody McVeigh-Schultz
PRODS: Jody McVeigh-Schultz, Andy Rydzewski
CAST: Sam Zvibleman, Christine Weatherup, Jillian Leigh, Chris Mollica, Don Yanan, Aaron Tomchik SYNOPSIS: Will is a 30-year old, functioning alcoholic, struggling with adulthood. When his estranged father dies, Will inherits the family cabin in the Sierras and with it a new perspective on his family, childhood and habit of sabotaging relationships.
FOOLS (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Benjamin Meyer
PRODS: Beth Schacter, Dana Scott
CAST: Mary Cross, Michael Szeles, Rebecca Spence, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Tony Fitzpatrick, Danny Goldring, Maury Cooper
SYNOPSIS: Two strangers brush hands on a crowded Chicago El train. A week later, without exchanging a word, they move in together. He’s barely hanging on after being fired, again. She’s fleeing an angry roommate. They make it work, how two strangers can sometimes make strangeness work for them. Together, they fabricate a rich romantic history. But when reality intrudes, they must decide whether what they share is truly love, or just a fantasy.
HERE ONE MINUTE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Eleanor Gaver
PRODS: Schuyler Quinn, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Tom Garvin, Henry Lihn, Vanessa Demme
CAST: Ade Otukoya, Josephine Messer, Schuyler Quinn, Zebedee Row, Vanessa Demme, Jonathan Safran Foer
SYNOPSIS: Here One Minute tells the devastating true story of what happens when Sarah—a college freshman—unexpectedly dies during the filming of a documentary about New York City graffiti writers. Sarah’s four best friends must deal with their sudden loss and discover what really happened that night. Here One Minute features music by Sarah Neufeld of The Arcade Fire, The National, Dopo Yume, Dujeous and commentary by Jonathan Safran Foer.
HOMELESS (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Clay Riley Hassler
WRITER: Clay Riley Hassler, Anna Fields
PRODS: Tif Hassler
CAST: Michael McDowell, Lance Megginson, Julie Dunagan, Hosanna Gourley, Parker Townsend, J.W. Burriss, Michael Francis Paolucci
SYNOPSIS: Filmed in a real shelter with real homeless people, HOMELESS tells the story of Gosh (Josh), a teenage boy lost in the bleak routine of life in a shelter. Everyday, from sunup until sundown, Gosh is put out on the streets, unable to return to the shelter until 7pm. He feels alone and anonymous in a seemingly connected world. Weeks go by and the long days and sleepless nights begin to wear on him, and he becomes increasingly discouraged. But when his circumstances change for the better, he finds himself adapting to a new home, new friends and looking forward to a future that he hopes will last.
IN STEREO (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Mel Rodriguez III
PRODS: Danny Roth, Damiano Tucci
CAST: Micah Hauptman, Beau Garrett, Melissa Bolona, Kieran Campion, Mario Cantone
SYNOPSIS: David and Brenda are perfect for each other, and everyone knows it except David and Brenda. After a break-up, they wander through meaningless relationships with others until chance brings them back together on the streets of New York. David invites Brenda to the opening of his first photography exhibit, setting the stage for a night to potentially re-kindle an old romance.
THE LAST TREASURE HUNT (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Patrick Biesemans
WRITER: Kate Murdoch, Casey Nelson
PRODS: Jessica Mathews, Christopher V. Lee, Jeff Croghan, Hilary Wagner
CAST: Casey Nelson, Kate Murdoch, Jeff Grace, Charles Hoyes, Peter O’Connor, Kandis Erickson, Sean Mahon
SYNOPSIS: Oliver and Lucy Sinclair were raised on treasure hunts. Their father would hold a hunt each year, sending his children gallivanting around the house and island to find hidden prizes and secrets. But, like all children do, Oliver and Lucy grew up. After a year of estrangement, their eccentric father unexpectedly passes away, and the two siblings journey back home to put his affairs in order. Instead of receiving a standard will, the two are met with something unexpected… A treasure hunt. They must solve the hunt together in order to receive their father’s inheritance.
LOLA’S LAST LETTER (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Valerie Brandy
PRODS: Sherri Lennon
CAST: Valerie Brandy, Annamarie Kenoyer, Travis Quentin Young, Peter Banifaz, Tom Colitt
SYNOPSIS: Lola (Valerie Brandy)– a 22 year-old ex-con who spends her time completing her community service by picking up trash on the side of the highway– is making a video letter for her mysterious pen-pal “Henry.” Through her video antics, which range from darkly humorous to heartbreakingly honest, we discover a girl who’s full of contradictions. Tugged in opposite directions by her best friend Ree (Annamarie Kenoyer), and her new love interest Sam (Travis Quentin Young), Lola tries to piece her life back together in the aftermath of a huge mistake. Who is Henry, and why can’t Lola let go?
THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIRECTOR: Josh Fraiman
WRITER: Adam Tomlinson
PRODS: Brigitte Kingsley, Andrew Cymek, Tasso Lakas, Adam Tomlinson
CAST: Sarah Jurgens, Nick Baillie, Adam Tomlinson
SYNOPSIS: Based on thousands of true stories, a newlywed photographer is stalked by a dark man in a brimmed hat who followers her from her nightmares and into reality. Her life in shambles and sanity slipping, she meets a mysterious man claiming to know the shocking secrets of the Hat Man.
SOLEDAD (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Eduardo Maytorena, Wayne Mitchell
PRODS: Jesse Celedon, Eduardo Maytorena,Wayne Mitchell
CAST: Jesse Celedon, Montanna Gillis, Chase Austin, Chris Petrovski, Natt Leone, Eduardo Maytorena SYNOPSIS: A lonely limousine driver named Victor lives an isolated existence until one evening he is forced to defend a client, from being sexually assaulted by her prom date. SOLEDAD tells the story of an unlikely friendship that develops after an act of compassion sets off a series of events -destined to change the lives of everyone involved. A road-trip adventure through the heart of Los Angeles that reminds us that the thing about memories is, you have to have the experiences first. Created and Produced by a team of first-time filmmakers Eduardo Maytorena, Wayne Mitchell and Jesse Celedon. Three best friends who came together to make the type of independent feature film they’ve always dreamed of.
SUPERBOB (NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE)
DIR: Jon Drever
WRITER: Will Bridges, Brett Goldstein, Jon Drever (story)
PRODS: Jon Drever, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones
CAST: Brett Goldstein, Natalia Tena, Catherine Tate, Laura Haddock
SYNOPSIS: In 2008, Robert Kenner, a mild-mannered postman from Peckham, South London was struck by a meteor which bestowed him with super powers. Today, Bob is an overworked under-appreciated “civil servant” for the British government. He spends most waking hours saving people and filling out forms. He has no time for anything else. Least of all love. But today he has a day off. And best of all, he has a date with June from the library. Now all he has to do is act as if this isn’t the most exciting day of his life. Apparently that puts people off.
SUPERIOR (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Edd Benda
PRODS: Edd Benda, Alex Bell, Stephen Helstad
CAST: Paul Stanko, Thatcher Robinson
SYNOPSIS: During the height of the Vietnam War in 1969, Charlie is on his way to Michigan Tech University, and Derek is counting the days to his inevitable military draft eligibility. Before their futures take hold, the lifelong best friends embark on one final adventure: a 1300 mile bike ride along the shores of the gargantuan Lake Superior. With two-speed Schwinn bicycles and limited preparation, Charlie and Derek pedal through the massive northern backwoods of Michigan, Minnesota, and Canada. Along the way they face hunger, exhaustion, and the kind of people in the world who never wanted to be found.
SHORTS PROGRAM
THE @$$HOLE (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Joel Watson
WRITER: Joel Watson, Rob Chester Smith
PRODS: Joel Watson, Rob Chester Smith, Shelli Ryan
CAST: Rob Chester Smith, Joe Tyler Gold, Tara Brennan
SYNOPSIS: In 2008, Robert Kenner, a mild-mannered postman from Peckham, South London was struck by a meteor which bestowed him with super powers. Today, Bob is an overworked under-appreciated “civil servant” for the British government. He spends most waking hours saving people and filling out forms. He has no time for anything else. Least of all love. But today he has a day off. And best of all, he has a date with June from the library. Now all he has to do is act as if this isn’t the most exciting day of his life. Apparently that puts people off.
A COMPLICATED WAY TO LIVE (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
DIR: Ged Hunter
WRITER: Ged Hunter, Dave Hart
PRODS: Dave Hart
CAST: Rob Jarvis, Andrew Schofield
SYNOPSIS: Mr. Elis has an exhausting mental illness. He has lost his career, his mother, his best friend his only voice in a busy world. The only crutch left for him, a Government system that appears to be geared against him has unjustly and unknowingly began the beginning of the end, a series of designs and sketches, wires, cogs and a innocent young family accumulate in the only choice that Mr. Ellis thinks he has. Nothing is glamorized, its beautiful, its terrifying, it lives and breathes in the horror-like world of 21st century poverty but never rumbling to social realism clichés.
ABLUTION (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Parisa Barani
WRITER: Amin El Gamal, Melissa Recalde, Parisa Barani
PRODS: Parisa Barani, Allison Vanore, Dena Hysell
CAST: Melissa Recalde, Amin El Gamal
SYNOPSIS: “Ablution” explores the inner life of a conservative Muslim woman and her struggle to reconcile her sexuality and spirituality in 1980s Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War.
THE APPLE TREE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Scott Storm
PRODS: Scott Storm
CAST: Jennie Pines (character model), Maria Storm (character model), Joe Kraemer (character model), Matthew Witkop (character model)
SYNOPSIS: When a young boy’s wooded sanctuary falls victim to vandalism, he takes it upon himself to put things right at all cost. Not even a constant, nagging hunger can deter him his self-appointed task.
AT THE SEASHORE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Martin Gradek
PRODS: Martin Gradek
CAST: Rachel Delante, Neil Dickson
SYNOPSIS: A foreign diplomat solicits the company of an escort – only he asks for the woman with the most complaints from other clients. When he meets Olive, his attempt to find out what triggered those complaints leads to a tug of war, and confessions from both strangers.
BLIND DATE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Mragendra Singh
PRODS: Carl Mergenthaler, Caitlin Kelly
CAST: Carl Mergenthaler, Loraelei Temoney
SYNOPSIS: Victor, a socially awkward, shy, middle-aged man, who has always lived with his abusive, loud mouthed, paraplegic mother, has managed to get a blind date. As Victor heads out for his date, he makes sure everything goes as perfectly as planned.
BOWES ACADEMY (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Greg Emetaz
PRODS: Cara Consilvio, Amanda DeSimone
CAST: Joshua Gonzales, Shane Zeigler, Preston Maguire, Daniel Patrick Smith, Jonathan Iglesias, Ramon O. Torres
SYNOPSIS: Daniel Bloom, a deeply conservative 15-year-old presidential hopeful who will do anything to escape his public high school to the elite boys boarding school of his dreams…until Bowes Academy seems to know more about his sexual orientation than he does.
DIRECTION (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Chris Valenti
PRODS: Chris Valenti, Nathan Paul, Chad Kukahiko, Christopher Fredrick
CAST: Chris Valenti, Leilani Wyatt, Kerry Liu, Alejandra Morin
SYNOPSIS: Need some etiquette advice for your first date? This seasoned stage and screen director is more than happy to help out.
EVERYBODY DOES IT (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Megan Brotherton
PRODS: Amy Hartman, Megan Brotherton
CAST: Megan Brotherton, Jacob Reed, Mykee Selkin, Allison Bills, Sofia Gonzalez, Eugene Cordero, Pam Murphy, Steve Bethers
SYNOPSIS: Claire’s life is not going as planned. A bad break up, a long dry spell, and an irregular period, leaves her wondering if she’s missing something sexually. Claire’s therapist challenges her to take her sexuality into her own hands—literally, which for Claire proves to be a difficult task. Will she conquer her embarrassment, shame, and the enormous dildo she inadvertently shoplifted?
FATED (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Jeremy Foley
WRITER: Sara O’Reilly
PRODS: Sara O’Reilly, Jeremy Foley, Will Myers
CAST: Brett Jacobsen, Kyle Sabihy, Lindsay Felton, Vanessa Lee Chester, Hoyt Richards
SYNOPSIS: Fated is a comedy about Joe, an employee of the cosmic, all-seeing Fate Management Agency. Unbeknownst to us, Joe and his fellow agents are responsible for the destiny of each and every person, from soccer moms to criminals to the President of the United States. After struggling to make any progress with his one hopeless ‘client,’ Joe decides to break the rules and confront him face-to-face – on Earth. But what he discovers down there will make him question everything he knows.
FUNNY LOVE (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Stuart MacLeod
WRITER: Jenni Melear, Adrian Elizondo, Stuart MacLeod
PRODS: Jenni Melear, Stuart MacLeod, Adrian Elizondo, George Parker, Jenny Phagan, Wes Kemp
CAST: Adrian Elizondo, Jenni Melear
SYNOPSIS: In a modern day silent film, this delightfully dark tale tells the love story of two social misfits, Clown and Faerie. Their romance is sweet, but things take a twisted turn when Clown’s perpetually playful demeanor pushes his beloved Faerie away and forces him to make a life or death decision. Directed by world-renowned magician Stuart MacLeod, this innovative approach to silent film features written dialogue organically integrated into scenes and a haunting original score by macabre cabaret artist Joe Black.
THE GIRL IN THE GREEN DRESS (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Johanna Goldstein
WRITER: Sara Fletcher, Leah McKendrick
PRODS: Sara Fletcher, Leah McKendrick
CAST: Sara Fletcher, Leah McKendrick, Marilu Gamboa
SYNOPSIS: A surreal drama set in the conservative world of 1950s housewives, exploring themes of modern feminism and sexual liberation. Contemporary dance is intertwined with narrative, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy in the vein of “The Stepford Wives” and “Mulholland Drive.”
GUEST ROOM (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Joshua Tate
PRODS: Maritte Go, Dima Otvertchenko
CAST: Lauren Potter, Michael Iovine, Elizabeth Dement, Chelsea Landon
SYNOPSIS: A young woman with Down Syndrome (Glee’s Lauren Potter) faces the harsh realities of adulthood after an unexpected turn of events with her boyfriend.
JAM (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Brett Fleisher
PRODS: Brett Fleisher, Karen Henry, Nathan Paul
CAST: Jeff Bower, Bri Giger, Pat Scott, Ali Iovino, Sean Michael Boozer, Donald Watson, LarJayne Blackwell, Sapna Gandhi, Eric Michael Kochmer, Thom Rivera, Ashley Fuller, Ryan Moore, Kimberly Wong, Jude Evans, Ryan Karloff, Daniel Coronel, Darrett Sanders, Rhomeyn Johnson
SYNOPSIS: Jam is a seven-minute film that explores the self absorption of 18 characters stuck
in traffic in the middle of nowhere. Ranging from comically absurd to tragically honest, each vignette pushes us forward through the traffic jam to ultimately answer the question… what are they doing here?
JAMAICA (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Helen Rollins
PRODS: Johnny Rollins
CAST: Josh Webster, Lacy Moore, Nigel O’Neill, Niall Conway
SYNOPSIS: In 1960s Belfast, a little boy reads encyclopedias and stories to escape an unhappy family and a violent father. Tales of a far-off land intrigue him: Jamaica. One night, after a terrible school report, and amid the bickering of his parents, he resolves to run away…
KARL MANHAIR, POSTAL INSPECTOR (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
DIRECTOR: Chandler Kauffman
WRITER: Amin El Gamal, Melissa Recalde, Parisa Barani
PRODS: Hillary Cutter, Chandler Kauffman, Bob Aumer, Yori Tondrowski, Brittany Rostron
CAST: Geoffrey Cantor, Amy Rutberg , McRobbie, Wayne Mersky, Michael Somerville
SYNOPSIS: A dark comedy about a down-and-out Postal Inspector struggling with his increasing irrelevance in the world. After taking to heart the advice of his new-age “life coach”, Karl finds himself embroiled in the most bizarre case of his career, but one that just might lead to renewed purpose in life.
MADAM BLACK (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Ivan Barge
WRITER: Matthew Harris
PRODS: Ivan Barge, Matthew Harris, Jozsef Fityus, Tim Judson and Brett Mills
CAST: Jethro Skinner, Pearl Everard
SYNOPSIS: When a glamour photographer runs over a child’s pet, he’s forced to fabricate a story about its disappearance.
MONKEYS (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Christopher Soren Kelly
WRITER: Clark D. Schaefer
PRODS: Jessica Graham, Clark D. Schaefer, Christopher Soren Kelly
CAST: Jessica Graham, Christopher Soren Kelly
SYNOPSIS: Years after their toxic relationship ended, Lila’s and Gimmie’s lives still connect in mysterious ways. Gimmie has cleaned up his act, but Lila is an addict, living in filth. Today, the state has confirmed she is unfit to raise the daughter she had by Gimmie. Lila spirals out of control. She gets a razor blade and her pills: death seems easiest. Will Gimmie be able to save her?
SCHMOOLIE THE DEATHWATCHER (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Michael Ray Escamilla
WRITER: Theresa Burkhart Gallagher
PRODS: Theresa Burkhart Gallagher, Raymond Watt, Michael Ray Escamilla, Bo Bilstrup, Diana C. Zollicoffer, Najeeb Khuda, Andrew Joustra, Robert Nelson, Cory Misek
CAST: Jesse Heiman, Barry Neikrug, David Barrera, Mark Kelly, Caitlin Geier
SYNOPSIS: An Orthodox Jewish teen spends his first night alone guarding a body awaiting burial, and ends up fighting for his own life.
SHEVENGE (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
DIR: Amber Benson
WRITER: David Greenman
PRODS: Amber Benson, Megan Lee Joy, Don Money, Emme Rylan, Ryan Sanson, Jessica Sherif
CAST: Emme Rylan, Jessica Sherif, Megan Lee Joy, Eugene Byrd, David Blue, Dove Meir
SYNOPSIS: From Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Amber Benson comes this twisted, darkly comedic, genre-bending tale of revenge. A revenge of the worst kind – Shevenge!
THE SOFT PARADE (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Mike Testin
PRODS: Mike Testin
CAST: Matt Mercer, Steve Agee, Anna Lore
SYNOPSIS: A down on his luck wanderer crosses paths with a lonely artist.
THE STRUGGLE OF LIBATIONS (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Erin Mullally
PRODS: Erin Mullally
CAST: David McGowan, Nadia Dibbs, Des Braiden
SYNOPSIS: A man undertakes a night-long odyssey across Dublin as he questions his only meaningful relationship – the one he maintains with his ever loyal post-work pint.
SUICIDE SAM (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Maurice Chauvet
PRODS: Jesse H. Rivard, Steve Yeager, Melinda Augustina
CAST: Dave Roberts, Michael Gallagher, Molly Leland, Heather Long
SYNOPSIS: An advertising executive marketing a suicide machine for consumer use meets with the man set to be the first member of the general public to use the device.
THREE HEARTS (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Joseph Chebatte
PRODS: Joseph Chebatte, Devris Hasan
CAST: Millie Samuels, Julian Maroun
SYNOPSIS: A stylized portrayal of a young couple dealing with an unexpected pregnancy.
UNA MUJER SIN PREICO 1961 (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Juan Francisco Moctezuma II
PRODS: Elliott Lonsdale
CAST: Miguel Núñez, Lisandra Tena
SYNOPSIS: When the perfectionist scientist, Dr. Víctor Junco loses his wife, Maribella to a car accident he builds a robotic version to replace her. When he realizes he can continue to “perfect” his wife he eventually creates the “perfect” woman who leaves him.
UP NEXT (WORLD PREMIERE)
DIR: Domenic Yovina
WRITER: Timothy Earle
PRODS: Timothy Earle, Danielle Malambri
CAST: Timothy Earle, Lucy Walters, Richard Chiu
SYNOPSIS: A dark comedy about a socially inept musician struggling to work up the courage to perform at an open mic.
VLADO (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
DIR: Felipe Mucci
WRITER: Rodrigo Espinosa Marván
PRODS: Gurjeet Kaur Bassi
CAST: Bernardo de Paula, Tiago Riani, Luciana Faulhaber
SYNOPSIS: Vlado is the fictionalized portrayal of the night before real-life Brazilian journalist Vladimir Herzog, turned himself in for questioning to the Brazilian police and was never heard from again. Set in Sao Paulo in 1975, in the context of the Brazilian military dictatorship, the story sets to illustrate one man’s final moments and the build-up to a decision that would eventually change the course of an entire country.
WASTE PAPER (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Derrick D. Pete
PRODS: Frances S. DeLoach, Sheree Devereaux
CAST: Mykee Selkin, Doris Morgado, Miguel Sagaz
SYNOPSIS: A cartoon illustration, tossed by his Animator, enters a world where the other throw-aways come to life. He and a newfound friend battle the Animator’s inner voice to avoid a fate worst than death, being forgotten.
WHAT IF MY WIFE DIED IN YOGA CLASS? (WORLD PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Jeffrey Williams
PRODS: Caity Engler
CAST: Adam Mayfield
SYNOPSIS: We’ve all asked ourselves what would happen if a sudden tragedy changed our lives forever. Most people let those fleeting thoughts slide. Randy is not most people. Today, Randy is determined to find an answer. While battling grumpy neighbors, filthy socks, and temperamental washers, he will set out on an epic journey of self-discovery, experiencing a full Kübler-Ross progression of heartbreak, joy, unexpected success, crooked cops, and a big ass bag of socks.
THE WINDOW (NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE)
WRITER/DIR: Jill Pauletich-Ragan
PRODS: Molly Hayes, Jill Pauletich-Ragan
CAST: Phoebe Moyer, Arye Micheal Bender
SYNOPSIS: A little old lady sits in front of her picture window, alone, watching the people pass by until an old man comes along and decides to woo her from the sidewalk. But this is no ordinary old man with his courting skills upping the ante.
WITH YOUR CROOKED HEART (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
DIR: Samuel Goodwin
WRITER: Samuel Goodwin, Kate Payne
PRODS: Colton Clements
CAST: Courtney Powell, Katherine Kanitsch
SYNOPSIS: An estranged couple, a loveless house, and something in the shadows watching… After their only daughter leaves for college, Tom develops suspicions about the house, only furthering Jean’s contempt for her husband. Fueled by Tom’s stubborn Oxycontin addiction and Jean’s growing resentment, the couple comes face to face with the darkness that feeds on their broken relationship.