163 new films in development have been selected for the Project Forum at 2013 Independent Film Week taking place September 15-19, 2013 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Through the Project Forum, creatives connect with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences.
Featured works at the 2013 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experience. From Academy Award® winners Louie Psihoyos (THE COVE) and Cynthia Wade (FREEHELD) to web-series innovators such as Mesh Flinders (LONELYGIRL 5) and Thom Woodley (THE BURG).
RBC’s Emerging Storytellers
Always Shine directed by Sophia Takal, written by Lawrence Michael Levine, produced by Kim Sherman and John Baker. Two best friends, Anna and Beth, take a weekend trip that turns deadly when Anna’s repressed jealousy and insecurities begin to surface. (Dramatic Thriller)
Awesome Asian Bad Guys directed by Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco, written by Milton Liu, produced by Patrick Epino, Stephen Dypiangco, Milton Liu and Diana Williams, executive produced by Phil Yu, cinematography by Nasar Abich, edited by Soham Mehta. Two offbeat filmmakers must assemble a volatile group of Asian bad guy actors to take down LA’s most nefarious mobster. (Comedy)
Blues Run the Game directed and written by Alexander Jablonski. Out of jail and working on a cattle ranch, a recovering drug addict battles to solve a murder that no one will admit took place. (Mystery/Crime Thriller)
Claude is Waiting directed and written by Chris Mason Wells, produced by Jason Klorfein, Brendan McFadden and Rachel Wolther. A comic epic of self-delusion, crippling neurosis, intellectual posturing, and emotional devastation — a jagged and ragged portrait of the artist as a young mess. It’s a comedy? (Comedy)
Doubles with Slight Pepper directed and written by Ian Harnarine, produced by Christina Piovesan and Karina Rotenstein. A young Trinidadian street-vendor must travel to New York and decide if he will save his estranged father’s life. (Coming of Age)
Everything Beautiful is Far Away directed and written by Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson, produced by Sarah Schutzki and Albert Uria, cinematography by Pete Ohs and Nandan Rao, edited by Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson. A dystopian fable about a man, his robot girlfriend, and a beguiling young woman who all traverse a desert planet hoping to find a better life. (Sci-Fi)
Faith directed and written by Eli Daughdrill, produced by Mike S Ryan. After the tragic and untimely death of his son, a deeply religious man confronts God, his community, and himself as he tries to understand his new reality. (Drama)
Frail directed and written by Matthew Petock, produced by Daniel Carbone and Zachary Shedd. Over the course of a cold winter day, nineteen year-old Vanessa plots a petty theft that she hopes will lead to a better life for her and her young daughter -– but piece by piece, her plan unravels. (Dramatic Thriller)
Free the Town directed and written by Nikyatu Jusu, produced by Nikkia Moulterie and Vincho Nchogu, cinematography by Daniel Patterson. A Native virgin, a Brooklyn teen, and a European filmmaker collide in the midst of witch-hunting hysteria in Freetown, Sierra Leone. These three disparate lives build towards a deadly climax. (Dramatic Thriller)
The God of Rain and Thunder directed and written by Mesh Flinders, produced by Neda Armian. When the girl he loves is kicked out of his father’s commune, 15-year-old Indra goes to public high school to get her back. (Coming of Age)
The Highway Kind directed and written by J. Todd Walker. Two loners running from different wars meet on the American road. The farther they travel together, the closer they come to finding their ways home. (Drama)
I Like You Like You directed and written by Jac Schaeffer. Convinced that technology is the reason she’s still single, a woman searches for her grade school crush without any help from the Internet. (Romantic Comedy)
Just the Three of Us directed, written and produced by Angela Tucker. Regina and Hank, a couple in their early 70s, have lost the spark in their marriage. They decide to take a radical step to spice things up: What about a threesome? (Dark Comedy)
Little Sister directed and written by Zach Clark, produced by Daryl Pittman and Melodie Sisk, cinematography by Daryl Pittman, edited by Zach Clark. A young nun returns to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina to visit her estranged parents and older brother, who was injured in the Iraq war. (Comedy)
Loners Together directed and written by Carlen Altman. A 29-year-old girl, obsessed with staying wrinkle-free at any cost, shares an eccentric, isolated life with her carefree mother in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, where they live surrounded by a menagerie of pills and pets. (Dark Comedy)
Lucky Grandma directed by Sasie Sealy, written by Angela Cheng and Sasie Sealy, produced by Krista Parris and Cara Marcous. A chain-smoking, gambling Chinese grandma ends up on the wrong side of luck… and the law. (Dark Comedy)
Nancy directed and written by Christina Choe, produced by Gerry Kim. Nancy, a 40-year-old serial imposter lives at home with her abusive, elderly mother. Desperate for love, she creates a fake blog and catfishes a lover, until her hoaxes grow to epic and tragic consequences. (Drama)
Raker directed by Andrew Rossi, written by Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi, produced by Josh Braun. A law student recruited to spy on a group of hacktivist classmates discovers that his professor is watching him to protect her own dark secret. (Dramatic Thriller)
Scape Goat directed, written and produced by Thom Woodley. A strange, anonymous performance artist in a goat costume turns the lives of several Brooklyn hipsters upside down. (Drama)
Shale directed and written by Jed Cowley. A submissive 70-year-old housewife makes the terrifying decision to leave her domineering husband after 50 years of marriage, and faces the consequences that follow. (Drama)
Slash directed and written by Clay Liford, produced by Brock Williams. A teen’s online erotic fiction leads him to discover truths about his own sexuality when his newfound notoriety forces him out into the real world. (Coming of Age)
Spare directed and written by Kevan Tucker. When a struggling model discovers that she has a more successful doppelganger, she kidnaps her and begins using her for spare parts. (Horror)
The Strange Ones directed and written by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, written by Christopher Radcliff. A boy is found wandering alone on a rural highway. As his story is revealed, a deeper mystery emerges – one founded on lies, half-truths, and secrets. (Dramatic Thriller)
Varenya directed and written by Shripriya Mahesh, produced by Dev Benegal. Varenya, a South Indian Hindu priest accepts a young apprentice, and is forced to question the doctrines of his religion. (Drama)
We the Animals directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Dan Kitrosser and Jeremiah Zagar, produced by Jeremy Yaches. Three wild young boys come of age as their parents desperately try to navigate a marriage complicated by lust, joy, poverty, and madness. (Coming of Age)
Independent Filmmaker Labs
Documentary Labs:
Approaching the Elephant directed by Amanda Wilder and produced by Jay Craven. One year in the lives of a group of children at a newly opened ‘free school,’ where classes are voluntary and rules created by all-school democratic vote.
Bringing Tibet Home directed by Tenzin Tsetan Choklay and produced by Tenzing Rigdol. A Tibetan artist smuggles 20 tonnes of native Tibetan soil from Tibet to India for an art project to bring Tibet closer to its people in exile–literally.
Do I Sound Gay? Directed by David Thorpe, produced by Howard Gertler and Jenny Raskin, and executive produced by Dan Cogan. Determined to overcome his shame about “sounding gay,” director David Thorpe embarks on a hilarious, poignant, taboo-shattering exploration of the phenomenon of the “gay voice.”
Evolution of a Criminal directed by Darius Clark Monroe, produced by Darius Clark Monroe and Jen Gatien, and executive produced by Spike Lee. Ten years after robbing a Bank of America, filmmaker Darius Monroe returns home to examine how his actions affected the lives of family, friends…and victims.
Farmer Veteran directed by Jeremy Lange and Alix Blair and produced by D.L. Anderson. Adrift after years of combat, a wounded U.S. veteran begins farming to cultivate new meaning in a life after war.
In Country directed by Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara and produced by Mike Attie, Meghan O’Hara, Daniel Chalfen, and Jim Butterworth. As a platoon of veterans recreates the Vietnam War in the woods of Oregon, surreal layers of fantasy and reality unearth America’s complicated relationship with war.
Kasamayaki (Made in Kasama) directed and produced by Yuki Kokubo. Shaken by the tsunami and nuclear disasters, a grown daughter returns to a rural Japanese artist community to reconnect with her estranged parents.
The Life & Mind of Mark DeFriest directed by Gabriel London, produced by Daniel Chalfen, and executive produced by Jim Butterworth. When a legendary escape artist comes up for parole after 30 years behind bars, a chance for freedom must be weighed against his infamous past.
Mateo directed by Aaron Naar and produced by Benjamin Dohrmann. Mateo follows America’s most notorious troubadour on his misadventures to Cuba.
Roots and Webs directed by Sara Dosa and produced by Josh Penn. Amid the frontier world of Oregon’s mushroom-hunting camps, two soldiers discover a new family in the woods, helping them to heal the wounds of war.
Narrative Labs:
AWOL directed by Deb Shoval, written by Karolina Waclawiak and Deb Shoval, produced by Jessica Caldwell, cinematography by Gal Deren. Days before deployment to Afghanistan, Joey, 19, returns home to Pennsylvania with plans to go AWOL with her married older lover Rayna and Rayna’s kids. (Drama)
Below Dreams directed, written, and produced by Garrett Bradley, edited by Carlos Marques-Marcet and Garrett Bradley, cinematography by Milena Pastreich and Brian C. Miller Richard. Three 26-year-olds struggle to find themselves in the shifting streets of New Orleans. (Drama)
Beneath the Harvest Sky directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, produced by Kavita Pullapilly, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, executive produced by Allison Jones, cinematography by Steven Calitri, edited by Aron Gaudet. Two small town teens end up in a world of trouble as they get caught up in the illegal drug trade between Maine and Canada. (Drama)
Dig Two Graves directed and written by Hunter Adams, produced by Claire Connelly, PJ Fishwick and Hunter Adams, cinematography by Eric Maddison, edited by Scott Hanson. As a young girl takes desperate measures to save her broken family, she becomes entangled in a deadly quest for revenge. (Dramatic Thriller)
Dukhtar directed and written by Afia Nathaniel, produced by Cordelia Stephens, Khalid Ali and Afia Nathaniel, executive produced by Muhammad Nadeem Nawaz, cinematography and editing by Armughan Hassan. A mother pulls off a daring escape to save her daughter from a child marriage. A relentless hunt begins for them. (Dramatic Thriller)
Gabriel directed and written by Lou Howe, produced by Ben Howe and Luca Borghese, cinematography by Wyatt Garfield, edited by Jane Rizzo. A teenager’s obsessive search for his childhood girlfriend becomes increasingly frantic, and puts himself and everyone around him in danger. (Drama)
Homemakers directed and written by Colin Healey, produced by Dave Schachter, Ella Hatamian and Colin Healey, cinematography by Ben Powell, edited by Dave Schachter.A rootless young singer with a penchant for destruction must reconcile her domestic fantasies as she attempts to restore her late grandfather’s abandoned Pittsburgh home. (Comedy)
Kick Me directed, written, and edited by Gary Huggins, produced by Betsy Gran, cinematography by Michael Wilson. When a meek guidance counselor accidentally crosses a deadly criminal warlord, he must take to his feet in this urban-nightmare action-comedy. (Comedy)
Something, Anything directed and written by Paul Harrill, produced by Ashley Maynor, executive produced by Dee Bagwell Haslam and Ross Bagwell, Sr., cinematography by Kunitaro Ohi, edited by Jennifer Lilly. A would-be suburban mom’s life is upended in this movie about change and that which can be felt but not seen. (Drama)
Stay Then Go directed and written by Shelli Ainsworth, produced by Geoffrey Sass and Christine Walker, cinematography by Alan Canant, edited by Bo Hakala.Marian Baird is a wife, mother and event planner extraordinaire. When confronted with an unlikely incident that turns her life upside down, she is forced to choose whether or not to abandon the life she’s carefully created for herself and her family. (Drama)
No Borders International Co-Production Market
#PostModem directed by Lucas Leyva and Jilian Mayer, produced by Brett Potter and Jon David Kane, written by by Lucas Leyva and Jilian Mayer. #PostModem is a comedic, satirical sci-fi pop musical about a young girl who frees a futuristic Miami on the verge of the singularity. (Musical)
Americana directed by Zachary Shedd, produced by Daniel Carbone and Matthew Petock. The brother of a murdered actress suspects that his sister’s death was meant to serve the box office returns on her last film. (Dramatic Thriller)
Bab El Gehenom (The Gateway to Hell) directed by Oded Ruskin, produced by Saar Yogev and Naomi Levari. A routine military navigation drill in the desert turns into a nightmare as the soil of a demolished Bedouin village comes to life. (Supernatural Thriller)
The Beach House directed by Jeff Brown, produced by Sophia Lin, Matthew Yeager, and Jeff Brown, written by Jeff Brown. A romantic getaway for two high school sweethearts turns into a struggle for survival when unexpected guests exhibit signs of a mysterious transformative affliction. (Horror)
Beastdirected by Michael Pearce, produced by Kristian Brodie. When they kissed, a darkness opened within her… (Drama)
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea directed, and produced by Emre Akay, written by Emre Akay and Deniz Cuylan. Turkey, 1956. A small American base monitors Russian activity in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, a young Turkish Lieutenant falls desperately for the American Major’s wife. (Historical Fiction)
The Cavanaughs produced by Julie Lynn and Julien Farve. When an Evangelical mother suddenly falls in love with a woman, rejects motherhood and disavows her beliefs, her devout teenage son Luke is thrown into chaos, forcing him to forge new meaning from the ruins of love, family and faith. (Drama)
Curse the Darkness produced by Daniel Noah, Josh Waller, and Elijah Wood, written by Brandon Williams. A political activist advocating for workers’ rights in Miami discovers a corrupt plantation owner using Haitian toxins to turn illegal immigrants into zombie-like slaves. (Horror)
Dance for Me directed by Pia Marais, produced by Trish Lake and Dan Lake, written by Roger Monk. In the Afrikaans society of South Africa, a woman finds the lines between revenge, justice and love are blurred when she finally entraps her mother’s attacker. (Drama)
The Detective directed by Peter Andrikidis, produced by Sarah Boote and Michael Robertson, written by Roger Joyce. An Australian cop arrives in Afghanistan to investigate the death of a former colleague – his only ally is an Afghani policewoman and together they find his friend was caught up in the intrigue involving a village massacre. (Drama)
Dos Mujeres Y Una Vaca (Two Women and a Cow) written and directed by Efraín Bahamón, produced by José Antonio “Chepe” Calderón Gómez, executive produced by Alberto Amaya. Two illiterate women begin a journey to find someone that can read them a letter. Trapped in the war, they struggle to find their way back. (Drama)
The Edible Woman written and directed by Francine Zuckerman, produced by Judy Holm, Francine Zuckerman, and Michael McNamara. Marian is about to get married; it’s all she ever wanted. But when a free-spirited man comes into her life, Marian’s careful plans are upset. (Drama)
The Fire Dance written and directed by Rama Burshtein, produced by Assaf Amir. What happens to a woman when she falls deeply under the spiritual influence of a wise, honest, charismatic man? And what if this man isn’t her husband, and she and him belong to the biggest Hassidic group in New York? (Drama)
The Fixer directed by Ian Olds, produced by Caroline von Kuhn, written by Paul Felten and Ian Olds. An exiled Afghan journalist working in Northern California investigates the dark and morally complex backwoods of a seemingly peaceful bohemian community. (Drama)
The Innocent written and directed by Matthew Thompson, produced by Christine Alderson. John, a convicted murderer, takes a young girl hostage and escapes from prison, determined to prove his innocence. A powerful psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. (Dramatic Thriller)
Into the Light written and directed by Rowland Jobson, produced by Alastair Clark. A young mentally and physically scarred man, racked with guilt, is led to the truth behind his fractured dreams and nightmares on London’s unforgiving streets. (Dramatic Thriller)
Ivan Lendl Never Learnt to Volley directed by Justin Kurzel, produced by Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw, written by Jed Kurzel. When a fatal accident of an opponent rocks the Moscow junior tennis circuit, 13-year-old Alexander and his father, Dimitri, begin a desperate journey across Europe to keep their dreams alive. (Based on a True Story)
Jätten (The Giant) written and directed by Johannes Nyholm; produced by Maria Dahlin and Morten Kjems Juhl; executive produced by Peter Hyldahl, Mimmi Spång, and Rebecka Lafrenz.Rikard, autistic and severely deformed, and haunted by the loss of his mother, escapes into an imaginary world where he is a 50-meter tall giant. (Drama)
Kashmir (working title) written, directed, and produced by Ashvin Kumar. Ten year old Noor’s father ‘disappeared’ after the Indian army arrested him in war-torn Kashmir, but when she goes looking for him, she stumbles upon mass-graves that implicate the Indian army. When her story makes national news, she herself is arrested and made to ‘disappear’.(Coming of Age)
King Jack written and directed by Felix Thompson, produced by Gabrielle Nadig. When shouldered with the responsibility of watching his younger cousin for the weekend, a delinquent 15 year-old finds himself stumbling towards maturity while struggling against the neighborhood bully in their small town. (Drama)
Love After Love directed by Russell Harbaugh, produced by Michael Prall, written by Eric Mendelsohn and Russell Harbaugh. In the tradition of Woody Allen and John Cassavetes, Love After Love is the sad, funny, romantic account of a mother and two grown sons as they struggle in the wake of a father’s death. (Drama)
The Love Songs of Nathan Swirsky written and directed by Peter Goldsmid; produced by Margaret Goldsmid and Peter Goldsmid. In 1951 Johannesburg, a shy white boy befriends an albino youth and, inspired by a flamboyant new pharmacist, rebels against his formidable, racist mother. (Coming of Age)
Manchild written and directed by Ryan Koo, produced by Chip Hourihan. A talented basketball player gets nationally ranked & must choose between schools, coaches, & faiths – all at the age of 13. (Drama)
Mimi & Me produced by Blake Corbet and Marly Reed, written by Marly Reed, executive produced by Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny. Teenage misfit Em Dash and her gambling-addicted Grandma Mimi must become con-artists to save their family home from bikers in small town Vancouver Island. (Comedy)
Nervous Translation written and directed by Shireen Seno, produced by John Torres. Eight year-old Yael, shy to a fault, lives in her own private world. One day she finds out about a pen that can translate the thoughts and feelings of nervous people. (Drama)
Nowhere Road written and directed by Lea Nakonechny, produced by Christine Falco and Simon Nakonechny. An outlaw father’s shadow. A mother who’s in over her head. A brother and sister risking it all in an 18-wheeler bound for the border. (Drama)
Out of Range directed by Alexandra Roxo, produced by Kelly Williams and Jonathan Duffy, written by Devon Kirkpatrick and Alexandra Roxo. A neurotic gallery girl, forced to leave her posh NYC life and move to Texas for work, hitches a ride with a free-spirited college friend across the country. (Comedy)
Papaw Easy directed by Martha Stephens, produced by Brett Potter, written by Karrie Crouse and Martha Stephens. Under the watch of his vain, ‘Modern Christian’ uncle, a shy boy forges an unlikely partnership with a foul-mouthed, down and out playboy. (Drama)
Paramour directed by Phil Abraham, produced by Amy Rapp, written by Jordan Katz, executive produced by Meredith Vieira and Paul Brett. Paramour is a dramatic thriller, inspired by a true story, about a married German heiress who falls for a charming Swiss businessman with unforeseen motives. (Dramatic Thriller)
Pardon My Downfall directed by David Zellner, produced by Chris Ohlson and Nathan Zellner, written by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. Pardon My Downfall tells the story of The Jibcutters, a country-western band as infamous for their debauchery as their musical talents, as they try to recapture their previous magic on one final tour through the American South. (Drama)
Saturn written and directed by Elan Gamaker, produced by Bridget Pickering. A domestic worker must protect two children from the spirit of their dead brother, out to wreak revenge on their father by capturing their souls. (Supernatural Thriller)
The Sky is Blue like an Orange directed by Caveh Zahedi, produced by Mike Ryan, written by Arnold Barkus. A reclusive middle-aged artist falls in love with a young coffee shop waitress who pretends to reciprocate his affections in order to steal his artwork. (Based on a True Story)
Solidarity directed by Rungano Nyoni, produced by Juliette Grandmont. A fire breaks out in a large compound in the centre of Lusaka. The very next day, its residents continue their lives as if nothing happened. (Dark Comedy)
Solitaire King written and directed by Bassam Jarbawi, produced by Shrihari Sathe. Unable to relive past basketball glory, or attain the girl of his future, Solitaire King follows a hallucinating Ziad, an ex political prisoner determined to become the champion he believes is expected of him. (Drama)
Soller’s Point written and directed by Matt Porterfield; produced by Ryan Zacarias, Jordan Mintzer, and Steve Holmgren; executive produced by Dan Carey. Serving parole on detention in his father’s house, an ex-offender finds the adjustment to society and the workforce more difficult than the confines of home. (Drama)
Taminex directed by Anya Meksin, produced by Kristie Lutz , written by William Gerrard and Anya Meksin, executive produced by Lawrence Mattis, and cinematography by Ian Bloom. During a pandemic, a sheltered young woman must venture into the city’s most dangerous district to procure the drug that can save her boyfriend’s life. (Thriller)
Torchbearer directed by Charles Officer, produced by Paul Barkin, written by David Bradley Halls. A forensic-geologist risks his life to seek closure for the family of a cold-case murder victim, in a desperate attempt to atone for his own personal tragedy. (Dramatic Thriller)
Torus directed by Michael Axelgaard, produced by Michael Axelgaard and Matthew Holt. When a physics experiment creates a tear between parallel universes, a bereaved boy sets out to find a world where his mother is still alive. (Science Fiction)
Tramontane directed by Vatche Boulghourjian, produced by Spencer Kiernan and Caroline Oliveira. Rabih, a young blind man, searches for a record of his own birth after discovering that his identity card is a forgery. He travels across Lebanon and gradually descends into a Kafkaesque encounter with a nation unable to retell his or its own past. (Drama)
Tree of Crows directed, produced, and written by Stephen Abbott. Among the ruins of post-apocalyptic South Africa lives Cain, a violently desperate man who suppresses his murderous past—until he falls for an alluring traveler. (Thriller)
Twelve Hundred and Ninety Six Hits directed by Moon Molson, produced by Daniella Kahane and Diana Ossana, written by Mark Poirier and Bill U’ren. A character driven comedy about a seventeen year-old SKA obsessed boy whose entire life changes the day he accidentally steals a sheet of acid. (Comedy)
The Witch of New Canaan Woode written and directed by Robert Eggers, produced by Jodi Redmond. A devout Christian family starts a small farm at the edge of a wood in early New England, only to be torn apart and driven to madness by an evil witch. (Drama)
Spotlight on Documentaries
Am I Don Quixote? Written, directed, and produced by Jimmy Ferguson. When a legendary circus star faces a broken marriage and career, he embarks on a fantastical quest to rediscover himself as the fabled knight Don Quixote.
The Autobiography of Michelle Maren directed by Michel Negroponte and Michelle Maren, written by Michel Negroponte, and produced by Michel Negroponte and Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness. The story of an abused child, who became a runaway, a beauty queen and a porn star in the 80’s. Today, barricaded in her apartment and impaired by multiple mental disorders, she attempts to reconcile with the past.
Ballet 422 (New York City Ballet Documentary) directed by Jody Lee Lipes and produced by Ellen Bar and Anna Rose Holmer. From first rehearsal to world premiere, Ballet 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as emerging choreographer Justin Peck crafts a new work.
BE•HOLD directed by Richard Kroehling and produced by Sirad Balducci and Janet Kirchheimer. A performance film of Holocaust poetry. Poets, survivors, and actors perform poems from the Shoah to the present. A marriage of cinema and poetry.
Brick directed by Jessica Dimmock and Christopher LaMarca and produced by KateBrickwitnesses the loss and extraordinary risk experienced by five fathers and grandfathers finding courage to live as transgendered women within the Pacific Northwest’s hyper-masculine culture.
Brillo Box (3¢ off) directed and produced by Lisanne Skyler. In 1969, my parents bought a Warhol Brillo Box for $1,000. In 2010, it fetched $3,000,000. This is the story of what happened in between.
Children of the Inquisition written, directed and produced by Joseph Lovett. From medieval tortures, to the present, Children of the Inquisition follows descendants of the Iberian Inquisitions, as they unravel their complex—often buried—Jewish identity.
Cocaine Prison directed by Violeta Ayala and produced by Daniel Fallshaw, Cedric Bonin, and Alexandra Daly. From inside one of Bolivia’s notorious prisons, a cocaine worker, a drug mule, and his little sister reveal the country’s complex relationship with cocaine.
The Cure written and directed by Bernadette Wegenstein and produced by Bernadette Wegenstein and Jon Reiss. The Cure interweaves the intimate stories of a surgeon and her patients with the history, mythology, and current treatment battles in the breast cancer industry.
Dark Money written, directed, and produced by Kimberly Reed. After the Citizens United verdict, 501c4 dark money fuels corrupt politics across America, but one election cycle in Montana clarifies complex problems and offers solutions.
The Destruction of Memory directed by Tim Slade and produced by Joanna Buggy. Based on the acclaimed book, The Destruction of Memory is a vital, urgent exploration of the purposeful destruction of the built heritage, language, and culture of one people by another, and the disintegration of memory and identity that results.
Dinosaur 13 directed and produced by Todd Miller. The true tale of one of the greatest discoveries in history.
Elephant in the Room directed by Lucia Small and Ed Pincus and produced by Lucia Small, Ed Pincus, and Mary Kerr. Two filmmakers of different generations turn the camera on each other to explore friendship, legacy, loss, and living with terminal illness.
Evaporating Borders directed by Iva Radivojevic, produced by Landon Van Soest and Leandros Savvides, and executive produced by Laura Poitras. A visual essay about political migrants in Cyprus that explores the meaning of displacement and search for identity.
Flickering Time Bomb written, directed, and produced by Pietra Bretkelly. What is a country without a past? As Afghanistan teeters on an unpredictable future, Flickering Time Bombunwraps the world of three dreamers and 8,000 hours of film covered by the dust of 100 years of war. What surprises will emerge from the cloak of time?
Freedom Fighters directed by Jamie Meltzer and produced by David Alvarado and Kate McLean. There’s a new detective agency in Dallas, Texas, started by a group of exonerated men who have all spent decades in prison.
The Girl Who Knew Too Much directed by Amy Benson and Ramyata Limbu, produced by Amy Benson and Scott Squire, and executive produced by Karol Martesko-Fenster. A bold girl with a golden opportunity takes her own life and reveals South Asia’s newest epidemic.
The Good, Bad, and Deadly: China, U.S. and their Relationship written and directed by Vanessa Hope, produced by Vanessa Hope and Ted Hope, and executive produced by Geralyn Dreyfous. Courageous blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest to NYU highlights U.S. democratic dysfunction, U.S.-China relations, and the “Wild West” way China runs.
Good Men, Bad Men, and a Few Rowdy Ladies directed by Andrea Scott, produced by Andrea Scott and Dev Brand, and executive produced by Julie Goldman and David Menschel. Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. In the historic Wild West, what does a culture of incarceration do to a place and its people?
The Hand That Feeds written and directed by Robin Blotnick and Rachel Lears and produced by Robin Blotnick, Rachel Lears, and Patricia Benabe. A scrappy crew of undocumented immigrant workers face long odds and the threat of deportation when they take on a well-known New York restaurant chain.
The Heist directed by Louie Psihoyos, written by Mark Monroe, and produced by Fisher Stevens and Olivia Ahnemann. An unlikely team of activists comes together to give threatened species a voice and stop a mass extinction.
How to Become an Extreme Action Hero directed by Catherine Gund and produced by Catherine Gund and Tanya Selvaratnam. Hero harnesses the forces of action architect and provocateur Elizabeth Streb – colliding her life and work, testifying to the power and necessity of art.
In the Middle directed by Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo and produced by Filippo Piscopo. The collision of two epic crises unfolds in small-town Italy, hit by a ferocious economic downturn when African migrants fleeing the Arab revolutions arrive by the thousands, demanding work and visas.
In the Shadow of the Dream directed by Asa Mader and produced by Christoph Jorg and Corinne Weber. A portrait of Clarence B. Jones, one of Martin Luther King’s trusted allies, comes out of the shadows of civil rights history to tell his tale.
In Your Voice, In Your Heart directed by Edward Lovelace and James Hall and produced by Lucas Ochoa. In February 2005, musician Edwyn Collins suffered a serious stroke. Unable to move and barely able to speak, his spectacular recovery back to center stage is both courageous and life affirming.
Island Soldier written and directed by Nathan Fitch and produced by Nathan Fitch and Jeremy Levine. A character-driven documentary about the service of Micronesians in the U.S. military–service that occurs at very high rates per capita.
The Joneses directed by Moby Longinotto, produced by Aviva Wishnow, and executive produced by Caroline Spry and Peter Day. A portrait of Jheri, a73-year-old transgender trailer park matriarch, and her sons in Bible Belt Mississippi. Recently reunited, will new revelations tear this family apart?
Journey Story directed by Keren Shayo and produced by Osnat Trabelsi, Galit Cahlon, Hilla Medalia, and Neta Zwebner-Zaibert. Timnit, 20, escaped Eritrea in 2011 and disappeared on her way to Israel. We follow the search for her and reveal the secret Torture Housecamps ran by Bedouins in Sinai.
Letters from Baghdad directed by Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Krayenbühl, produced by Zeva Oelbaum, and executive produced by Thelma Schoonmaker and Denise Benmosche. More famous in her day than colleague Lawrence of Arabia, Gertrude Bell created a country, a king, and a museum in Baghdad. Who was she?
Long Year Begin directed by David Osit, written by David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and produced by David Osit, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and Caleb Heller. A science fiction documentary that examines humanity’s perpetual quest for preservation, and the consequences of choosing what we lose and what we save.
Make Me Normal directed by Mitch McCabe and produced by Jeff Kusama-Hinte. Are we medicalizing “Normal?” 30% of Americans are diagnosed with a mental disorder and 20% are on psychiatric drugs. What’s led to our new “Disorder Culture?” And what happened to “normal?”
Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw directed and produced by Rick Goldsmith. The rise from broken home to superstardom of “the female Michael Jordan” and her subsequent roller-coaster battle with mental illness.
Mudflow directed by Cynthia Wade and Sasha Friedlander and produced by Sasha Friedlander and Vanessa Bergonzoli. Villagers in East Java, Indonesia, living with the results of fracking gone terribly wrong, seek justice from the corporate powers responsible for this man-made disaster.
The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk and End of Apartheid in South Africa directed by Nicolas Rossier and produced by Nicolas Rossier, Naashon Zalk, and Tami Woronoff. F.W. de Klerk was the last apartheid president of South Africa. In less than four years he went from being Mandela’s jailor to his second deputy vice president. The Other Man is the definitive film on de Klerk’s political journey and legacy.
Out of Mind directed and produced by Kristi Jacobson and executive produced by David Menschel.� Out of Mind is a compelling journey into the most invisible corners of the American justice system, prompting us to confront what happens behind the locked door and how it impacts us all.
The Overnighters directed by Jesse Moss and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. Moths to a flame, broken, desperate men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor risks everything to help them.
Run and Gun directed by Marshall Curry and produced by Marshall Curry and Matthew VanDyke. A young Baltimorean with a gun in one hand and a camera in the other sets off to become a rebel fighter in the Libyan revolution.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda directed by Stephen Schible and produced by Stephen Schible, Eric Nyari, and Amy Lo. Intimate portrait of one of the foremost composers of our era; from iconic star of techno-pop during Japan’s economic boom to leading anti-nuclear activist, post-Fukushima.
Science Fiction Land directed and produced by Judd Ehrlich and executive produced by Nancy Schafer. The stranger than science fiction story of the theme park that changed the world but was never built.
She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry directed by Mary Dore and produced by Mary Dore and Nancy Kennedy. Protesters, poets, and shameless hussies! These women fought for their rights, and made a revolution.
Shield and Spear directed by Petter Ringbom and produced by Petter Ringbom and Alysa Nahmias. An artist paints a caricature of South African president Jacob Zuma that provokes a lawsuit, death threats, and massive street protests.
A Slippery Slope directed and produced by Yael Melamede and executive produced by Dan Ariely. A Slippery Slope is an exploration of the architecture of dishonesty. How can human beings lie, cheat, steal and still sleep at night?
Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa directed and produced by Abby Ginzberg and written by Rick Goldsmith. Albie Sachs, maimed in a car bomb attack, becomes a leading spokesperson for democracy and reconciliation in the new South Africa and then the world.
Tough Love directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal and produced by Stephanie Wang-Breal, Kristi Jacobson, Carrie Weprin, Ursula Liang, and Evan Briggs. Fighting to reunite with their children,Tough Love follows the lives of two parents in their emotional and trying journey through the child welfare system.
Trapped written, directed, and executive produced by Dawn Porter. In the abortion wars, the fight for the hearts, minds, and bodies of black women may be a decisive factor in America’s fight over the right to choose.
Untitled Chris Burden Documentary directed by Timothy Marrinan and Richard Dewey. A probing portrait of the man who risked his life in the name of art.
Untitled Transgender Youth Documentary directed by Eric Juhola and produced by Eric Juhola, Randy Stulberg, and Jeremy Stulberg. The film follows a landmark transgender rights case in Colorado, where a 6-year-old transgender girl is banned from the girls bathroom at her elementary school.
The Visual Crash directed by Yael Hersonski and produced by Itay Ken-tor. Unseen footage of the Gaza flotilla raid exposes the gap between reality and the media.
Walking Thunder: The Last Stand of the African Elephant directed and produced by Marie Wilkinson and Cyril Christo and executive produced by Lori Cheatle and Wendy Blackstone. A family’s journey over the course of a decade, witnessing and documenting awe-inspiring stories and breathtaking images of East Africa’s people and wildlife, focusing on the iconic elephant.
The Yes Men Are Revolting directed by Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, and Carl Deal; produced by Laura Nix; and executive produced by Adam McKay and Alan Hayling. Notorious activists the Yes Men are on a gonzo mission to save the planet, one stunning hoax after another… but this time, it’s personal.
Trans Atlantic Partners
18% Gray directed by Viktor Chouchkov, produced by Borislav Chouchkov, written by Borislav Chouchkov, Viktor Chouchkov and Zachary Karabashliev. After his wife leaves him, a failed photographer stumbles upon a bag of marijuana, and determined to sell it, sets off to a wild trip that may lead him to the truth about his lost love and ultimately to himself. (Drama)
Afraid of the Dark produced by Magnus Ramsdalen. David is terrified of the dark. His therapist sends him to the North to go through exposure, but David quickly finds there’s a reason for his fear. (Horror)
Berlin Balagan produced by Sol Bondy, written by Rolf Basedow. Jewish spring breakers in post-war Berlin. (Drama)
Break a Leg directed by Francisco Padilla, produced by Germán Méndez. Two unemployed Mexican actors want to make it big in Hollywood but end up on the run in Texas from a real life mob boss. (Comedy)
Chained Melody written and directed by David Gleeson, produced by Nathalie Lichtenthaeler. A washed-up concert pianist finds redemption when he takes the only job on offer – teaching music to the inmates of a maximum-security prison. (Drama)
Cold Hands produced by Carole Sheridan. A fast-paced and exciting thriller that follows the story of Donnie Miller, a young husband and father whose extremely comfortable life in a small, remote Canadian town is suddenly wrecked by his past. (Drama)
Covet directed by Karen Lam, produced by Karen Wong. A young woman begins an adulterous affair with a rich man, unaware that he may be involved in the disappearance of her relative. (Drama)
Crush Season produced by Daniel Bekerman. A vineyard worker embarking on a new life in Canada fights to restore a community’s trust after a vindictive landowner tries to engineer his deportation to the country and past he has risked everything to escape. (Drama)
Cunningham produced by Kelly Gilpatrick. A 3D cinematic event about legendary American choreographer, Merce Cunningham, orchestrated through his dances. (Documentary- Experimental/Non-Traditional)
Dead and Buried directed by William Phillips, produced by Paula Devonshire. On an isolated farm, an intellectually disabled man struggles against a ghost who threatens to unearth a horrible secret from his past. (Supernatural Thriller)
Family Remains directed by Gaby Dellal, produced by Ailish McElmeel, written by Eoin O’Connor, executive produced by John Pinckard and Paul Donovan. Three American siblings are forced to fulfill their mother’s dying wish to have her ashes scattered in her home country – Ireland. (Comedy)
Get Happy written and directed by Jordan Christianson, produced by Lauren Grant and Lori Lozinski. Get Diploma, Get Girl, Get Job, Get Happy! (Comedy)
A Good Girl directed by Sean Garrity, produced by Marc Almon, written by Jonathan Williams. A thirty-something inventor tries to hold onto his youth by dating a free-willed eighteen-year-old, but it becomes an obsession that threatens his destiny with another woman. (Comedy)
Hungry For Love directed by Justin Ambrosino, produced by Soojin Chung. One lonely night, two depressed over-eaters make a suicide pact to eat until they have a heart attack. (Romantic Comedy)
League of Monster Slayers produced by Leonard Farlinger. Two orphaned children and their nanny battle an onslaught of monsters and confront a demon building a portal to a darker more evil nether world. (Drama)
Likho. Don’t Wake the Devil directed by Mitja Okorn, produced by Marcin Wierzchoslawski. A young boy discovers a dark family secret in the hostile world, full of imaginary monsters, created by his oppressive father. (Horror)
Man With Van written and directed by Ed Blythe, written by James Windeler, produced by Shrihari Sathe. An upright electrician bumbles into arson to provide for his daughter, until a lethal accident pits him against his best friend and their sociopathic boss. (Dramatic Thriller)
Nearly Dead directed by Christian Schwochow, produced by Katja Kuhlmann and Sebastian Storm. When Sarah realizes that her never-ending nightmares are reflections of a true murder, she enters the kingdom of the dead to find the killer. (Mystery/Crime Thriller)
Phantom Limbs written and directed by Michael Sladek, produced by Joseph Krings, Paul Schnee, Michael Sladek, and Mark Steele. Set in rural Nebraska, Phantom Limbs is an elegiac tale about two young sisters overcoming years of chronic abandonment by embarking on separate, precarious paths that force them to reconcile their shared history in ways they never expected. (Drama)
Record Breaking written and directed by Craig Abell-Champion, produced by T.R. Boyce, Jr. A British woman afflicted by long interval narcolepsy wakes from a world record breaking long coma with an irrepressible need to have a child. (Drama)
The Silver produced by Paul Pope. In a tale of redemption the life-or-death stakes of a perilous murder investigation reawakens the spirit of the beautiful but emotionally damaged Detective Vivien Ellis. (Dramatic Thriller)
Slightly Sane produced by Gaurav Dhingra. In 1947, the end of British colonial rule creates two nations by partitioning one motherland into; India and Pakistan. People have the freedom to choose their country. All people, even those in mental asylums. (Drama)
The Tale directed, produced, and written by Jennifer Fox, executive produced by Oren Moverman and Jack Lechner. Based on a true story, “The Tale” chronicles a woman’s journey to unravel the mystery of her first sexual relationship during the summer of 1973. (Drama)
Untitled Ryan Silbert Project, produced by Ryan Silbert.
Umrika written and directed by Prashant Nair, produced by Alan McAlex and Mathias Schwerbrock. To save his mother from heartbreak, a young Indian village boy invents letters from his missing brother in America, all the while searching for him. (Drama)
Vacationship produced by Yanick Létourneau, written by Cynthia Knight. A romantic comedy about love, sex, freedom and “vacationships” – relationships on vacation. No commitment. No long term prospects. No consequences. Or so the theory goes. (Romantic Comedy)
Read more
THE LAND OF HOPE
DIFFOpening: Recipient of the Durban International Film Festival Award for Artistic Bravery Jahmil XT Qubeka for his film ‘Of Good Report’
