Circles

  • 2018 Virginia Film Festival Reveals Deep and Diverse Lineup of Films

    [caption id="attachment_31988" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Front Runner The Front Runner[/caption] The Virginia Film Festival returns to Charlottesville from November 1 to 4,  with a deep and diverse program of more than 150 films and special guests including legendary actor, writer, and filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; director and producer Allen Hughes, noted activist Martin Luther King III; and more than 100 filmmakers from around the world. The 2018 Virginia Film Festival will open with Green Book, the powerfully dramatic feature debut for director Peter Farrelly, inspired by a true friendship that transcended race, class, and the 1962 Mason-Dixon Line. The film is the story of world-class black pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who hires New York bouncer Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) to drive him on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. The pair must rely on the “Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism and danger – as well as unexpected humanity – they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime. The Festival will present Roma as the Centerpiece Film. Perhaps the most acclaimed and discussed film on the 2018 major film festival scene, Roma is director Alfonso Cuarón’s (Gravity) most personal work to date – a loving and lovely tribute to the unsung woman who raised him and to so many domestic workers like her. Both intimate in emotion and epic in scope, Roma follows Cleo, a domestic worker in Mexico City in the 1970s, and the upper-middle class family that she cares for. As her personal life and the political climate of Mexico City grow more and more tumultuous, Cleo remains on the sidelines, observing and absorbing the chaos and pain around her. First time actor, Yalitza Aparicio, plays Cleo with a quiet sensitivity. Vanity Fair has said of Roma, “Cuarón shows us wonders to remind us of the aching wonder of it all, how careless we are to not stop and assess everything, to not madly ask every stranger the detail of their lives, because in each may be a story we might come to bitterly regret not knowing.” From director Jason Reitman comes the Closing Night Film, The Front Runner, a look back at a story that in so many ways set the stage for the political climate we live in today. Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) came into the 1988 presidential election season as a can’t-miss prospect, combining boyish good looks and an easy charm with a political set of skills honed by a surprisingly successful 1984 campaign. When accusations of an extramarital affair set off an unprecedented media investigation of Hart’s personal life, a new era was born that changed the parameters of what is personal, what is public, and what it means for the way we choose our leaders. The film boasts a stellar cast including Vera Farmiga as Hart’s wife Lee, J.K. Simmons as his embattled campaign manager, and Alfred Molina as Ben Bradlee in this highly-touted adaptation of campaign veteran Matt Bai’s memoir All the Truth is Out.

    Spotlight Films

    1968: The Year That Changed America – This documentary from Tom Hanks and Mark Herzog is a riveting deep dive into what is considered to be one of the most dangerous and divisive periods in American history, marked by the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the personal and political upheaval from the Vietnam War, rioting in major cities, the tragedy of Kent State, and more. The VAFF will present two of the series’ four episodes, “Summer” and “Fall”. Ben is Back – Julia Roberts, Courtney B. Vance, and Academy Award-nominee and rapidly-rising star Lucas Hedges star in this tense and moving look at 24-hours in the life of a family affected by the opioid crisis. Birds of Passage –Colombia’s entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Birds of Passage, follows an indigenous Wayuu tribe and their involvement in the growing Colombian drug trade over two decades. The Favourite – Director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) takes us inside Queen Anne’s reign in the early 18th Century. Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is served by close confidante Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) amid a seemingly never-ending war between England and France. When fallen aristocrat Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives on the scene, she threatens the relationship and throws a major wrench into the royal works in what Variety recently called “a perfectly cut diamond of a movie.” Shoplifters  – The winner of the coveted Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Shoplifters follows a family turning to a life of petty crime to make ends meet in a workshare economy. [caption id="attachment_30734" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Widows L-R: Michelle Rodriguez, Viola Davis, and Elizabeth Debicki star in Twentieth Century Fox’s WIDOWS. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.[/caption] Widows – From visionary director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) comes Widows. After their criminal husbands die in an explosion, a group of women, led by Academy Award winner Viola Davis, must pull off their spouses’ next planned heist in order to pay off the crime boss that their recently departed partners owe.

    A Tribute to Orson Welles: The Other Side of the Wind with Peter Bogdanovich

    The Festival will share a rare insider’s look at one of the most fascinating movie projects in Hollywood history, through the eyes of a legendary Hollywood director, producer, and actor who was in the middle of it all. Peter Bogdanovich returns to the Virginia Film Festival to lead a multi-pronged examination of Orson Welles’ quasi-autobiographical film, The Other Side of the Wind. Bogdanovich not only starred in the film, he was instrumental in its completion, based on a promise he had made to his good friend Welles shortly before the legendary filmmaker’s death in 1985. At that point, the film, which started production in 1971, was still unfinished, and Bogdanovich would go on to play a key role in its difficult-but-fascinating road to completion. It was a road fraught with countless obstacles ranging from rights battles to the complex and painstaking process of recreating the director’s vision from the hundreds of hours of footage he left behind. The film-within-a-film tells the story of filmmaker Jake Hannaford, who, like Welles, was embarking on The Other Side of the Wind, a film that would constitute his own Hollywood comeback. Bogdanovich worked over the course of decades with a team of dedicated filmmakers and film industry technicians to recreate Welles’ vision before Netflix finally came on board to push the project across the finish line. Festival audiences will also be afforded a 360-degree look at the product and the process of making The Other Side of the Wind that will include a screening of the newly-released film itself followed by a conversation with Bogdanovich, in addition to the new Netflix documentary They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead from Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor, 30 Feet from Stardom). The Festival will also present the documentary The Eyes of Orson Welles as well as Welles’ 1973 docudrama F For Fake, known for being the last completed work of his career. Bogdanovich will also present a screening of his critically-acclaimed documentary The Great Buster, about silent film star, Buster Keaton.

    Race In America – Presented with James Madison’s Montpelier

    The Virginia Film Festival is partnering once again with James Madison’s Montpelier for the second annual Race in America series, exploring the complex and changing issues around what continues to be one of the most important and difficult issues of our time. This year’s series will include: 16 Bars – Todd “Speech” Thomas, noted front man of the Grammy winning hip-hop group Arrested Development spent three weeks in a Richmond, Virginia prison to deliver this glimpse into a unique rehabilitation program that provides inmates access to a makeshift recording studio. Another Slave Narrative – Recounting the history of slavery in the United States, a multiracial cast reenacts original transcripts of federal interviews with ex-slaves in the 1930’s. Black in Blue – Academy Award-winning filmmaker and Charlottesville resident Paul Wagner presents the story of Nate Northington, who honors the memory of his friend and fellow civil rights pioneer Greg Page by breaking the Southeastern Conference color barrier in 1967 to play football at the University of Kentucky. Circles – Displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Eric Butler moves to Oakland, California to mentor troubled minority youth, counseling vulnerable Black and Latinx teenagers with intimate and honest mentorship. Charlottesville – A Center for Politics film about the events of August 11 and 12 produced in collaboration with the Community Idea Stations. The Defiant Ones – The Defiant Ones examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr.Dre – one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton – and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.

    UVA Center for Politics

    The Festival will continue its partnership with the UVA Center for Politics this year with a screening of the new documentary Charlottesville. Produced in conjunction with the Community Idea Stations, Charlottesville is a gripping two-hour documentary that traces the tragedies of August 11 and 12, 2017, all while asking “How could this happen in modern America?”. Firsthand accounts by victims and witnesses who woke to find riots in their backyards and murder in their streets present a compelling account of Charlottesville in the wake of shocking racial strife, religious bigotry, government blunders, and political equivocation.

    The Miller Center

    This year the Virginia Film Festival is again partnering with The Miller Center, a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy, and political history, and strives to apply the lessons of history and civil discourse to the nation’s most pressing contemporary governance challenges. The series will include 1968: The Year That Changed America, the fascinating documentary from executive producers Tom Hanks and Mark Herzog about one of the most tumultuous years in American history. The VAFF is proud to present two of the four episodes in the series, “Summer” and “Fall.” The series will also feature An Acceptable Loss from director Joe Chappelle that follows a former top U.S. security advisor (Tika Sumpter), who is threatened by associates from her dark past, including a steely politician (Jamie Lee Curtis). It’s a female-fronted story of obsession, collusion, and hopeful redemption.

    Virginia Film Festival and National Geographic

    [caption id="attachment_26784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Science Fair directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster Science Fair directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster[/caption] The Festival will present a trio of heralded documentaries from National Geographic. They include: Science Fair, which follows nine high school students from disparate corners of the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks, and hormones on their quest to win the international science fair; Free Solo, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock, Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan, without a rope; and Into the Okavango, the directorial debut of National Geographic photographer Neil Gelinas, who accompanied researchers on this stunning expedition down the Okavango River to discover how or why the river — which is the source of Africa’s wildlife lifeline — is drying up.

    The VAFF and the Library of Congress Celebrate the National Film Registry

    The Virginia Film Festival continues its unique partnership with the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia in 2018 to present a series of films that celebrate the National Film Registry and the Campus’ dedication to film preservation. This year’s lineup will include a 50th anniversary screening of the George A. Romero directed zombie horror, Night of the Living Dead in a new 4K restoration; the groundbreaking, experimental 1968 documentary, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One;  a new 4K restoration of The Bride of Frankenstein, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and a 90th anniversary screening of the Walt Disney animated short Steamboat Willie. The Festival is delighted to welcome back longtime Turner Classic Movies host and film expert Ben Mankiewicz to support this joint program. He will lead discussions on Night of the Living Dead and The Bride of Frankenstein, in addition to joining Peter Bogdanovich for The Other Side of the Wind and The Great Buster.

    Documentaries

    Afghan Cycles – Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, Afghan Cycles uses the bicycle to tell a story of women’s rights – human rights – and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis. The Biggest Little Farm – The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary. Chef Flynn – Culinary prodigy, Flynn McGarry made it into the New York Times by the time he was sixteen. Director Cameron Yates follows McGarry as he launches his first high profile pop up restaurant and begins to outgrow the constant surveillance from his mother. [caption id="attachment_31523" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes[/caption] Divide and Conquer – Alexis Bloom delivers this tale of the long rise and sudden fall of the late, disgraced media industry giant Roger Ailes, from his days in the Nixon and Bush White Houses to his time at the helm of Fox News, and his ignominious ouster at the dawn of the Me Too movement. Karenina and I -Norwegian actress Gørild Mauseth is challenged by the almost impossible task of playing Anna Karenina in a language she never spoke and in the author’s home country. She embarks on a journey throughout Russia to discover the real reasons why Tolstoy (Liam Neeson) wrote the novel. What Gørild does not know is that Anna Karenina will become the role of her life and change her forever. The Last Race – The last surviving stock car track on Long Island, once home to over thirty, is the weekend retreat to many working-class stock car racers and enthusiasts. Director Michael Dweck documents the local enthusiasts as outside land developers begin to encroach. Revolutionizing Dementia Care – Directed by Mason Williams and produced by the Community Idea Stations, this film reveals innovative approaches in memory care communities that are improving the well-being of patients and allowing them to live full and meaningful lives based on their abilities rather than their disabilities. Run While You Can – Sam Fox attempts to run the Pacific Crest Trail, spanning from the Canadian to the Mexican border, in sixty days, beating the previous record. As the trail begins to take its toll on his mind and body, Fox begins to understand what his mother, who has Parkinson’s disease, goes through on a daily basis. [caption id="attachment_28858" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Studio 54 Studio 54[/caption] Studio 54 – Using footage from its heyday and interviews with two of the original owners, Studio 54 takes a look at the quick rise and fall of the most famous night club in the world. The club would usher in a new era of celebrity culture and glamour, while highlighting the legendary excesses of the era.

    Spotlight on Virginia Filmmaking

    Afrikana Film Festival – The VAFF is proud to partner with the Richmond-based Afrikana Film Festival for a special program of films dedicated to showcasing cinematic works by people of color from around the world, with a special focus on the global Black narrative. American Dreamer – Directed by Virginia native Derrick Borte and starring comedian Jim Gaffigan, the film is a disturbing portrait of a down on his luck chauffeur who enters into a world of crime in a desperate effort to provide for his family. Best of Film at Mason and Best of VCUarts – As the official film festival of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the VAFF will salute some of Virginia’s finest young filmmakers from both George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University in a special program that captures and celebrates the diversity of cinematic storytelling found at these institutions. Seats at the Table – A documentary following a Russian literature class for college students and inmates at a juvenile correctional center. The University of Virginia Bicentennial Celebration: An Evening of Performing Arts – A look at the gala, star studded celebration of the University’s 200 year anniversary. West Main Street – An award-winning feature documentary focusing on the everyday lives and oral histories of Charlottesville residents whose lives and work revolved around the West Main Street community. Other Virginia films include 16 Bars, Black in Blue, Charlottesville, Spider Mites of Jesus: The Dirtwoman Documentary, and short film showcases of work by UVA professors Kevin Everson and Lydia Moyer.

    International Films

    Border (Sweden) – From the writer of Let the Right One In, comes another film mixing realism with elements of folklore. A woman with troll-like features meets a man like herself and they begin a romance that will change her life. Capernaum (Lebanon) – After witnessing the sale of his younger sister, a 12-year old runs away from home to live on the streets. Lacking the proper identification papers, he continues to run into the same cruelty that he faced at home. After a run in with the law, he decides to sue his parents for giving him life. Crystal Swan (Belarus) – A young woman yearning to leave her home in Minsk to DJ in Chicago, fakes a resume in order to get her visa approved. After realizing she put the wrong phone number down for one of her fake jobs, she must track down the family the number belongs to and convince them to help her. Dogman (Italy) – A meek dog groomer and part-time cocaine dealer seeks revenge against his sometime customer and town tyrant who has shaken him down one too many times. The Heiresses (Paraguay) – Friends are tested by financial difficulties despite both coming from wealthy families. One takes an offer from her older, wealthy neighbor to drive her to her weekly card games. Soon, her business expands. Forced out of her comfort zone she embarks on a journey of independence. [caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I AM NOT A WITCH I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption] I Am Not a Witch (United Kingdom) – In Rungano Nyoni’s directorial debut, a young girl in Zambia is sent to witch camp. Threatened that she will turn into a goat if she attempts escape, she must decide if freedom is worth the risk. Never Look Away (Germany) – Directed by Academy Award winner, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Never Look Away tracks an artist’s career and relationships during the rise and fall of Nazi occupied Germany. No Date, No Signature (Iran) – A forensic pathologist, Dr. Nariman, hits a motorcycle carrying a family in an accident. He urges them to take their son to a hospital, but they refuse and disappear into the night. When Dr. Nariman sees the boy has arrived deceased at his hospital and the cause of death ruled as food poisoning, he goes on a hunt for the truth. Sunset (Hungary) – From László Nemes, the director of Son of Saul, comes this story of a woman searches for a connection to her family in 1913 Budapest and finds little help along the way. Woman at War (Iceland) – An environmental activist plans her final demonstration after learning that she will soon become a mother. Other films include our Centerpiece Film Roma (Mexico), and Spotlight Films,Birds of Passage (Colombia), El Angel (Argentina).

    Letters of Love

    Curated by Samhita Sunya, Assistant Professor of Cinema at UVA, the Letters of Love series showcases witty films from a region that is all-too-often conflated with footage of war, authoritarianism, crises, and patriarchal/sexual violence. Each film’s action takes place across the Middle East and South Asia, as they self-reflexively – and lovingly – pay homage to global genres, as well as the longstanding presence and popularity of Bollywood films in the Middle East. Road to Kabul –  A group of friends must go on a search for one of their own after a trip to Amsterdam doesn’t go as planned. An Indian Father – A gangster begins practicing yoga to relieve stress, falling in love with his instructor along the way. When she is taken back to her home in Bombay, he goes after her only to find that her father is a gangster himself. Hell in India – An Egyptian ambassador is kidnapped. In a mix up, the Egyptian military band is sent to negotiate his release, in this musical. Day Shall Dawn – A 1958 documentary showing the everyday life of the Bengali people and their isolated village. In The Last Days of the City – A man grappling with his personal life and making his next film is sent footage from friends around the world that gives him inspiration.

    LGBTQIA+ Focus

    [caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption] Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion and Disco – A native of Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, Antonio Lopez gained international recognition as one of the most influential fashion illustrators of his time. His artistic vision and commitment to diversity revolutionized the fashion world, and his natural charisma allowed him to help launch the careers of icons like Grace Jones, Jessica Lange, and Jerry Hall. Coby – When a 23-year-old transgender Ohio woman transitions, his physical and spiritual transformation affects the lives of all who love him, and inspires them to change their perspectives. El Angel (Argentina) – Based on the true story of Argentina’s most infamous serial killer, Carlos Rubedo Puch, who began his life of crime at seventeen. The extremity of his crimes is a stark contrast with his handsome, charming demeanor. Jason and Shirley – A fictional retelling of the making of the influential documentary, Portrait of Jason, from the perspective of the film’s subject, hustler and cabaret performer, Jason Holliday. Good Manners – A Brazilian fairytale that finds two women from different classes coming together over the impending birth of a supernatural child under a full moon. Narcissister Organ Player – Through her unabashedly erotic and often humorous performances, Narcissister showcases her approach to explorations of race, gender, and sexuality. From growing up as a mixed-race child, to her complex relationship with her mother, she addresses how these circumstances compelled her to create her performance character. [caption id="attachment_29915" align="aligncenter" width="1199"]Rafiki Rafiki[/caption] Rafiki – Two women fall in love in Kenya, despite their father’s political rivalry, and Kenya’s laws against homosexuality. Sauvage – 22-year-old Leo works in Strasbourg as a prostitute. Working mostly on a quiet road in a wooded area, he belongs to a group of men that service the motorist clientele. Leo seems to not know or desire any other kind of life, despite friends and doctors questioning his lifestyle. Leo prizes his freedom and never lets go of his ability to love and be loved. Spider Mites of Jesus: The Dirtwoman Documentary – Richmond, Virginia natives recount their experiences with Donnie “Dirtwoman” Corker, a drag queen and pillar of the counterculture, and their influence on the community. Sorry Angel – Arthur, an eager 22-year-old student, meets 35-year-old Jacques, a writer living in Paris with his young son. Embracing his sexual awakening, Arthur wishes to throw himself into their relationship without reservations. Jacques is hesitant to invest himself, as he struggles to come to terms with an AIDS diagnosis. The physical reality of Jacques’ illness complicates the fate of their romance, as both men realize that Arthur’s journey is just beginning as Jacques’ starts to close.

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  • NashFilm Announces 2018 Feature Films Lineup for Narrative, Documentary, New Directors & Graveyard Shift Competitions

    [caption id="attachment_25450" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Adventures in Public School Public Schooled Adventures in Public School[/caption] The Nashville Film Festival continues its lineup for the ten-day festival, running May 10 to 19, 2018, with the announcement of 48 additional feature films in Narrative, Documentary, New Directors and Graveyard Shift competitions. Capturing the essence of today’s most relevant social issues, historical stories and more, these 48 films hail from China, South Africa, Netherlands, Denmark, India, France and more, as well as 31 from the U.S. A jury of industry professionals will select the winning films that will take home up to $20,000 in cash and prizes. “We received over 6,100 film submissions and the process of determining the 48 participants was incredibly challenging as the caliber of submissions continues to astonish us each year,” said Artistic Director, Brian Owens. “We strive to always include a diverse roster of feature films that inspire, move and create meaningful conversations.” Below are the 2018 selections in the categories:

    Narrative Competition

    1985 (Southeast US Premiere) – A closeted young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family. Cast: Jamie Chung, Virginia Masden, Michael Chiklis, Director: Yen Tan, Producers: Hutch, Ash Christian (USA) Across the Waters (Southeast US Premiere) – ACROSS THE WATERS is the gripping tale of the Danish Jews’ escape to Sweden in October 1943. Cast: David Dencik, Danica Curcic, Director: Nicolo Donato, Producer: Peter Bech (Denmark) An Act of Defiance (Tennessee Premiere) – A South African lawyer risks his life and career to defend Nelson Mandela and his inner circle. Cast: Peter Paul Muller, Antoinette Louw, Sello Motloung, Sean Venter, Director: Jean van de Velde, Producers: Michael Auret, Richard Claus, Hugh Rogers (South Africa, Netherlands) Adventures In Public School (Southeast US Premiere) – A socially awkward home-schooled kid forces his way into public-school against his suffocating but loving mother’s wishes. Cast: Judy Greer, Daniel Doheny, Russell Peters, Grace Park, Siobhan Williams, Director: Kyle Rideout, Producer: Josh Epstein (Canada) Angels Wear White (Tennessee Premiere) – ANGELS WEAR WHITE is a powerful film noir that exposes the social injustices and difficult issues women face in contemporary China. Cast: Wen Qi, Zhou Meijun, Shi Ke, Geng Le, Liu Weiwei, Peng Jing, Director: Vivian Qu, Producer: Sean Chen (China) Bikini Moon (Tennessee Premiere) – A charismatic homeless woman captures the attention of a documentary film crew who are ready to exploit her story for their own shot at independent movie fame in this very modern, urban fairy tale set amidst a fractured ideal of family. Cast: Condola Rashad, Sarah Goldberg, Will Janowitz, Sathya Sridharan, Director: Milcho Manchevski, Producers: Anja Wedell, Munire Armstrong (USA) Craving (US Premiere) – Coco has no idea what to do with her life until she discovers her mother is terminally ill. Cast: Simone Kleinsma, Elise van ‘t Laar, Director: Saskia Diesing. Producers: Hans de Wolf, Hanneke Niens (Netherlands) Dating My Mother (Southeast US Premiere) – A single mother and her gay son navigate the world of online dating in search of their versions of Mr. Right. Cast: Kathryn Erbe, Patrick Reily, Kathy Najimy, James Le Gros, Paul Iacono, Director: Mike Roma, Producer: Ashley Hills (USA) DriverX (Tennessee Premiere) – Skidding into middle age, a “50-something” stay-at-home dad who recently lost his record store must start driving for a rideshare company to help support his working wife and two young daughters. Cast: Patrick Fabian, Tanya Clarke, Desmin Borges, Travis Schuldt, Melissa Fumero, Oscar Nunez, Director: Henry Barrial, Producers: Mark Stolaroff, Alex Cutler (USA) Fifty Springtimes (Southeast US Premiere) – A woman in her 50s loses her job, finds out she is about to become a grandmother and is given an opportunity to start life over again. Cast: Agnès Jaoui, Director: Blandine Lenoir, Producers: Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein (France) Goliath (Southeast US Premiere) – When a young soon-to-be father is unable to defend in his girldfriend in an attack, he takes steps that may threaten everything he loves. Cast: Sven Schelker, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Director: Dominik Locher. Producers: Rajko Jazbec, Dario Schoch (Switzerland) Prison Logic (Tennessee Premiere) – PRISON LOGIC is an original comedy that tracks the life of Tijuana Jackson, an ex-convict fresh out of prison, set on becoming a world renowned motivational speaker. Cast: Romany Malco Jr., Regina Hall, Tami Roman, Alkoya Brunson, Director: Romany Malco Jr., Producers: Romany Malco Jr., Josh Etting, Brian Etting (USA) Salvation (Southeast US Premiere) – Cris, a thirteen year old girl, is admitted to a hospital to undergo open heart surgery. There she meets Víctor, a boy her same age who says he’s a vampire and who proposes a different kind of salvation for her heart: immortality. Cast: Marina Botí, Laura Yuste, Alzira Gómez, Carmen Flores, Director: Denise Castro, Producer: Denise Castro (Spain) Shelter (Tennessee Premiere) – A subtle thriller set in Germany involving Mona, a Lebanese woman, and Naomi, an Israeli Mossad agent, sent to protect their informant who is recovering from plastic surgery to conceal her identity. Together for two weeks in a quiet apartment in Hamburg, the two women take us into a complex, multi-dimensional labyrinth of trust and mistrust, of honesty and deception, of loyalty and betrayal. Cast: Neta Riskin, Golshifteh Farahani, Haluk Bilginer, Director: Eran Riklis, Producers: Bettina Brokemper, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Michael Eckelt, Eran Riklis (USA) When She Runs (Tennessee Premiere) – A young mother of limited means puts everything on the line to pursue her dream of becoming a competitive runner. Cast: Kirstin Anderson, Ivan Gehring, Jonah Graham. Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Producer: Laura Heberton (USA)

    Documentary Competition

    Chef Flynn (Tennessee Premiere) – With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. Director: Cameron Yates, Producers: Laura Coxson, Cameron Yates, Philipp Engelhorn (USA) Circles (US Premiere) – A Hurricane Katrina survivor who works to keep Black teenagers in school in Oakland, California finds his personal and professional lives colliding when his 15-year-old-son goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Cast: Eric Butler, Tre Thomas, Betsye Steele, Mercedes Morgan, Ted Quant, Director: Cassidy Friedman, Producer: Cassidy Friedman (USA) Crime + Punishment (Tennessee Premiere) – Meet the NYPD12: a group of minority whistleblower officers who risk everything to expose racially discriminatory policing practices and smash the blue wall of silence. Director: Stephen Maing. Producer: Stephen Maing, Ross Tuttle, Eric Daniel Metzgar (USA) Crossroads (Tennesee Premiere) – This documentary follows a team of at-risk African-American teenagers and their lacrosse coach on a most improbable and inspiring journey. Director: Ron Yassen, Producers: Lauren Griswold, John Hirsch (USA) Dark Money (Tennessee Premiere) – Kimberly Reed returns to her native state of Montana to expose the insidious reach of corporate interests into politics and to chronicle its grassroots opposition. Director: Kimberly Reed, Producers: Kimberly Reed, Katy Chevigny (USA) Every Act of Life (Southeast Premiere) – The life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally: 60 years of groundbreaking plays and musicals, the struggle for LGBT rights, addiction and recovery, finding true love, and the relentless pursuit of inspiration. Cast: Rita Moreno, Meryl Streep, Bryan Cranston, Christine Baranski, Director: Jeff Kaufman, Producers: Jeff Kaufman, Marcia Ross (USA) hillbilly (World Premiere) hillbilly is a documentary film that examines the iconic hillbilly stereotype in film and television. The film explores more than a hundred years of media representation of mountain and rural people, reveals how the hillbilly icon reflects America’s aspirational self-image over the decades, and offers an urgent exploration of how we see and think about poor, white, rural America. Cast: Billy Redden, Ronny Cox, bell hooks, Michael Apted, Silas House, Crystal Good, Frank X Walker. Directors: Sally Rubin, Ashley York. Producers: Sally Rubin, Ashley York. (USA). Minding the Gap (Tennessee Premiere) – Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust-Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. Cast: Zack Mulligan, Keire Johnson, Bing Liu, Nina Bowgren, Director: Bing Liu, Producers: Bing Liu, Diane Quon (USA) A Murder in Mansfield (Tennessee Premiere) – In 1990, the testimony of a 12-year-old boy sealed his father’s fate. A jury convicted prominent Ohio doctor John Boyle of murdering Collier’s mother. 26 years later, the son returns determined to get an admission of guilt from his imprisoned father. Cast: Collier Landry, Director: Barbara Kopple, Producers: Barbara Kopple, David Cassidy, Ray Nowosielski (USA) On Her Shoulders (Tennessee Premiere) – Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as the voice of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame and people’s good intentions. Cast: Nadia Murad, Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams (USA) Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (Southeast US Premiere) – In 2015, Sandra Bland, a young black woman, was found hanging in a small-town Texas jail cell days after a traffic violation. Ruled a suicide, her death fueled worldwide allegations of a racially motivated police murder. The filmmakers embedded with Sandra’s family during their two-year battle to uncover the truth. Cast: Sandra Bland, Directors: Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, Producers: Nancy Knox Talcott, David Heilbroner (USA) The World Before Your Feet (Tennessee Premiere) – For over six years, and for reasons he can’t explain, Matt Green has been walking every block of every street in New York City – a journey of more than 8,000 miles. Cast: Matt Green, Director: Jeremy Workman, Producers: Jeremy Workman, Jesse Eisenberg (USA) Zero Weeks (Southeast US Premiere) – Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews from leading policy makers, economists, researchers and activists, ZERO WEEKS lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. Director: Ky Dickens, Producers: Ky Dickens, Alexis Jaworski (USA) Weed the People (Southeast US Premiere) – Cannabis has been off-limits to doctors and researchers in the US for the past 80 years, but recently scientists have discovered its anti-cancer properties. Armed with only these laboratory studies, desperate parents obtain cannabis oil from underground sources to save their children from childhood cancers. Director: Abby Epstein, Producers: Giancarlo Canavesio, Sol Tryon (USA)

    New Directors Competition

    3/4 (Southeast US Premiere) – Mila is a gifted pianist with a bright future, yet her father pays more attention to the rings of Saturn than to her goals, and her brother tries to distract her with his unwanted talent for the absurd. A portrait of a family, struggling to find meaning during their last summer together. Cast: Mila Mihova, Nikolay Mashalo. Director: Ilian Metev, Producers: Ilian Metev, Ingmar Trost (Bulgaria) After Louie (Tennessee Premiere) – AFTER LOUIE explores the contradictions of modern gay life and history through Sam, a man desperate to understand how he and his community got to where they are today. Cast: Alan Cumming, Zachary Booth, Sarita Choudhury. Director: Vincent Gagliostro. Producers: Lauren Belfer, Alan Cumming, Bryce Renninger (USA) Best of All Worlds (Tennessee Premiere) – The true story of a child and his life in the unusual world of his heroin addict mother and their love for one another. Cast: Verena Altenberger, Jeremy Miliker, Lukas Miko, Michael Pink, Reinhold G. Moritz, Philipp Stix. Director: Adrian Goiginger, Producers: Wolfgang Ritzberger, Nils Dünker (Austria) The Marriage (Southeast US Premiere) – Bekim and Anita are getting married, but she is unaware that he is still in love with his best friend Nol. Cast: Alban Ukah, Adriana Matoshi, Genc Salihu. Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Producer: Kreshnik Keka Berisha (Kosovo) Mountain Rest (World Premiere) – After sequestering herself to a small mountain town, an aging actress calls her estranged daughter and granddaughter home for reconciliation and one final celebration. Cast: Natalia Dyer, Frances Conroy, Kate Lynn Sheil, Shawn Hatosy, Joshua Brady, Karson Kern, Director: Alex O Eaton, Producers: Fernando Loureiro, Roberto Vasconcellos, Renata Nascimento (USA) Never Steady, Never Still (Tennessee Premiere) – A mother struggles to take control of her life in the face of advanced Parkinson’s disease, while her son battles his sexual and emotional identity amongst the violence of Alberta’s oil field work camps. Cast: Shirley Henderson, Théodore Pellerin, Mary Galloway, Nicholas Campbell, Jared Abrahamson, Hugo Ateo, Lorne Cardinal, Director: Kathleen Hepburn. Producers: James Brown, Tyler Hagan (Canada) Noblemen (Tennessee Premiere) – A 15-year-old boy, struggling with his adolescent years, is terrorized by a gang of bullies in a posh boarding school. This sets forth a chain of events that leads to a loss of life and innocence. Cast: Kunal Kapoor, Ali Haji, Director: Vandana Kataria, Producers: Siddharth Anand Kumar, Vikram Mehra (India) Still (Tennessee Premiere) – When Lily loses her way on a hike through the Appalachian wilderness, she finds rescue in the form of a peculiar married couple who have completely isolated themselves from the outside world. Cast: Lydia Wilson, Madeline Brewer, Nick Blood, Mark Ashworth, Kevin Wayne, Diesel Madkins, Director: Takashi Doscher, Producers: Alex P. Creasia, Takashi Doscher, Craig Miller, Gabrielle Pickle (USA) The Swan (Southeast US Premiere) – A wayward nine-year-old girl is sent to the countryside to work and mature, but finds herself instead deeply entangled in a drama she can hardly grasp. Cast: Thor Kristjansson, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir, Gríma Valsdóttir, Katla M. Þorgeirsdóttir, Director: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdótirr, Producers: Birgitta Bjornsdottir, Hlín Jóhannesdóttir (Iceland)

    Graveyard Shift Competition

    Door In the Woods (Tennessee Premiere) – A struggling family installs a vintage door only to find it’s a portal to supernatural danger, leading to a heart wrenching choice. Cast: Jennifer Pierce Mathus, David Snell, C.J. Jones, John-Michael Fisher, Director: Billy Chase Gofort, Producers: Kerri Elder, Blake Elder, Billy Chace Goforth (USA) Found Footage 3D (Tennessee Premiere) – A group of filmmakers set out to make the first 3D found footage horror movie, but find themselves in a found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind-the-scenes footage. Cast: Carter Roy, Alena von Stroheim, Chris O’Brien, Director: Steven DeGennaro, Producers: Steven DeGennaro, Kim Henkel, Charles Mulford (USA) Get My Gun (Tennessee Premiere) – After an innocent prank leaves Amanda pregnant and out of a job, she finds herself on the verge of motherhood and the target of a psychotic stalker who will stop at nothing to get her hands on her unborn child. Cast: Kate Hoffman, Christy Casey, Rosanne Rubino, William Jousset, Director: Brian Darwas, Producer: Jennifer Carchietta (USA) Katrina’s Dream (US Premiere) – Katrina wishes to have children but her boyfriend Louis doesn’t. She falls in love with his best friend Ron, who becomes the man of her life. When the two men are involved in a car accident in which Ron loses his head and Louis his body, a drastic surgery helps them survive, but merged into one person. Cast: Dagna Vinet Litzenberger, Manfred Liechti, Adrian Furrer, Simon Esteban, Directors: Mirko Bischofberger, Dario Bischofberger. Producers: Mirko Bischofberger, Dario Bischofberger (Switzerland) The Laplace’s Demon (Nashville Premiere) – Eight people are imprisoned in a secluded mansion on an uninhabited island. After waiting in vain for the host, they find a model with eight self-propelled pawns that reproduces the movements of each group member in real time. Cast: Alessandro Zonfrilli, Carlotta Mazzoncini, Silvano Bertolin, Duccio Giulivi, Walter Smorti, Director: Giordano Giulivi, Producers: Silvano Bertolin, Ferdinando D’Urbano, Duccio Giulivi, Giordano Giulivi (Italy) Mickey Reece’s Alien (Southeast US Premiere) – Elvis Presley struggles with an existential meltdown before his TV comeback special. Spirituality, space, and divine art clash in his marriage to Priscilla and his obligations to those surrounding The King. Cast: Jacob Snovel, Cate Jones, Director: Mickey Reece, Producers: Jacob Snovel, Cate Jones, Mickey Reece. (USA) The Odds (Southeast US Premiere) – A young woman enlists in an underground game of pain endurance in the hope of winning the million dollar prize. She soon learns the real opponent is the man who’s running the game, as he employs horrific methods to manipulate and defeat her. Cast: Abbi Butler, James Fuertes, Sean Ramey, Les Parker, Katie Gunn, Director: Bob Giordano, Producers: Tom Steinmann, Kelly Frey, Alan McKenna (USA) PROTOTYPE (Southeast US Premiere) – As the deadliest natural disaster in US history strikes Galveston, Texas, taking an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 lives, a mysterious televisual device projects images of unknown origin. Director: Blake Williams, Producer: Marco Gualtieri (Canada) Zerzura (Southeast US Premiere) – ZERZURA is a feature-length ethnofiction shot in the Sahara desert. Mixing folktales and documentary, the film follows a young man from Niger who leaves home in search of an enchanted oasis. Cast: Ibrahim Affi, Zara Alhassane, Ahmoudou Madassane, Director: Christopher Kirkley, Producer: Christopher Kirkley, Rhissa Koutata, Ahmoudou Madassane, Guichene Mohamed (Niger|USA)

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  • 15th Oxford Film Festival Announces Lineup of 204 Films, Opens with THE LAST MOVIE STAR, Starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter

    [caption id="attachment_26312" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE LAST MOVIE STAR Vic Edwards (Burt Reynolds) and Ariel Winter (Lil) in THE LAST MOVIE STAR[/caption] A total of 204 films will screen at this year’s 15th Anniversary edition of the Oxford Film Festival taking place February 7 to 11, 2018.  On opening night, writer/director Adam Rifkin will present his latest film, THE LAST MOVIE STAR, starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, while Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s intense drama, ALLURE, starring Evan Rachel Wood, will screen at the festival’s Centerpiece Selection and Robert Mullan’s 60s biopic MAD TO BE NORMAL, starring David Tennant Elisabeth Moss and Michael Gambon, serves as the closing night selection. Narrative feature films in competition this year include: Dan Mirvish’s BERNARD AND HUEY, Mark Potts’s COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE, Billy Chase Goforth’s DOOR IN THE WOODS, Arturo Perez Torres and Aviva Armour-Ostroff’s THE DRAWER BOY; Akiyo Fujimura’s ERIKO, PRETENDED; and Catherine Eaton’s THE SOUNDING. Documentary features in competition include: Skye Borgman’s FOREVER ‘B’; Aaron and Amanda Kopp’s LIYANA; Nick Taylor’s THE ORGANIZER; Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, and Jeff Springer’s RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE; and Owsley Brown III’s SERENADE FOR HAITI. The LGBTQ Juried Feature Competition will include Shaz Bennett’s festival favorite ALASKA IS A DRAG, along with Jill Salvino’s BETWEEN THE SHADES, and Itako’s BOYS FOR SALE, and highlights the Oxford Film Festival’s commitment to support our LGBTQ filmmakers and offer a more positive reaction to the passage of Mississippi’s “Religious Liberty Accommodations Act.” “This year we’ve struck a wonderful balance between films that are thoughtful, provocative, reflect the world we live in, and address the issues of the day without blinking, with films that are just pure, fun, entertainment,” said Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington. “The festival continues to increase in size and scope and that growth can also be seen in the work of our local Mississippi filmmakers, whose exceptional work continues to impress. This year’s festival includes 18 films from Mississippi artists, the most to date, and they will be highlighted right next to the best films we could find from all around the world.” Rifkin’s THE LAST MOVIE STAR (formerly titled, DOG YEARS) stars Burt Reynolds as a former box-office king, who many years later, is invited to receive an honor at a film festival that turns out to be beyond dubious. Therefore, he instead opts to go on an impromptu road trip with the sister (Ariel Winter) of one of the fest’s organizers. A bittersweet journey follows as the odd pairing visit some memorable spots – and people – from the old man’s past. The film screens Thursday, February 8 at 7:30PM at the Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.). Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s ALLURE stars Evan Rachel Wood as a woman struggling to re-establish her life and meet someone as she continues to recover from past abuse. However, there seems to be hope when she meets Eva, a young, talented pianist disillusioned by the life her mother imposes upon her. As Laura become increasingly obsessed with Eva, she convinces the girl to run away with her and they soon find themselves caught up in an intense relationship that can’t be sustained. The film screens Saturday, February 10 at 8:45PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.) Mullan’s biopic, MAD TO BE NORMAL, stars “Jessica Jones/”Dr. Who” star, David Tennant as RD Laing, a radical psychiatrist who rewrote the rules on mental health treatment. He became a 60s counterculture hero for challenging the status quo of pills and electro shock therapy, instead opting for a holistic treatment without drugs, group therapy, and communal healing. The films impressive cast also includes Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne, and Michael Gambon. The film screens Sunday, February 11 at 6:00PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.) Two of OFF’s special events directly address issues that concern women and are currently at the forefront of society today. Daytime television legend (“All My Children”) Cady McClain’s documentary SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT will screen on Friday (February 9), followed by a panel featuring several attending female filmmakers as they discuss some of the myriad issues that have been in the news this past year regarding female filmmakers and women in general. Saturday sees the Mississippi premiere of Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir’s award-winning HBO documentary, I AM EVIDENCE, produced by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay, about the tens of thousands of unprocessed rape kits across the country. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests. “Given the recent and continuing avalanche of sexual harassment and assault revelations in almost every area of society,” Added Addington, “we felt it was important that the issues raised in these two films, as well as others in this year’s festival, be highlighted and discussed in our community.” Another comedy will make its world premiere at OFF, as filmmaker Mark Potts returns to the festival with his latest, COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE. The film follows two police officers, as they take on an evil mastermind, while working through some personal partnership issues. Potts’ indie comedy, SPAGHETTIMAN, was an audience favorite two years ago.

    2018 OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL FILMS AND DESCRIPTIONS

    Feature Films

    OPENING NIGHT SELECTION THE LAST MOVIE STAR Director: Adam Rifkin Cast: Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase Country: USA, Running Time: 94 min An aging former movie star is forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. On its surface, THE LAST MOVIE STAR is a tale about faded fame, but at its core, it’s a universal story about growing old. CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION MAD TO BE NORMAL Director: Robert Mullan Cast: David Tennent, Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne, Michael Gambon Country: UK, Running Time: 105 min During the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit. CENTERPIECE SELECTION ALLURE Directors: Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Julia Sarah Stone, Denis O’Hare Country: USA, Running Time: 105 min Plagued by the abuse of her past and the turmoil of failed intimate encounters, Laura struggles to find a lover and a sense of normalcy. SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SCREENING BASEKETBALL (1998) Director: David Zucker Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy Country: USA, Running Time: 103 min Two childhood friends are pro athletes of a national sport called BASEketball, a hybrid of baseball and basketball, and must deal with a greedy businessman scheming against their team. SPECIAL WORK-IN-PROGRESS SCREENING CIRCLES PRESENTED BY MISSISSIPPI HUMANITIES COUNCIL Director: Cassidy Friedman Country: USA, Running Time: 82 min A Hurricane Katrina survivor who works to keep black teenagers in school in Oakland, California, finds his personal and professional lives colliding when his 15-year-old son is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. NARRATIVE FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION BERNARD AND HUEY Director: Dan Mirvish Cast: Jim Rash, David Koechner, Sasha Alexander, Eva Darville , Richard Kind, Nancy Travis, Bellamy Young, Mae Whitman Country: USA, Running Time: 94 min Based on characters from Jules Feiffer’s Village Voice comic strip dating back to 1957, roguish Huey, and nebbishy Bernard are unlikely friends in late 1980s New York. 25 years later, and now Bernard is a successful bachelor, and Huey arrives on his doorstep looking old and washed up. As the two reconnect, Bernard starts a relationship with Huey’s estranged daughter Zelda. Huey slowly gets his mojo back and tries to seduce various women in Bernard’s life, while reconnecting with his family. At least one of them is in danger of marrying a woman old enough to be his wife. COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Mark Potts Country: USA, Running Time: 83 min Action. Suspense. Death. Love. Hot men. Etc. COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE tells the story of two wild police officers, Higgs and McGraw, and their chase to take down Samir, an evil mastermind hell bent on making the world bow down to him. DOOR IN THE WOODS Director: Billy Chase Goforth Country: USA, Running Time: 90 min A young family encounters paranormal forces and face a devastating choice after they install a mysterious vintage door in their home. THE DRAWER BOY Directors: Arturo Perez Torres, Aviva Armour-Ostroff Country: Canada, Running Time: 98 min Set in Ontario, 1972, the film follows Miles, a naive actor from Toronto, who turns up at a remote farm run by two men: the ruggedly practical Morgan and the simple-minded Angus. However, when the farmers let the city-boy into their home, Miles’ search for a story gradually unearths a devastating truth that threatens to destroy the tranquil lives of his hosts forever. ERIKO, PRETENDED Director: Akiyo Fujimura Country: Japan, Running Time: 93 min Ten years have gone by since Eriko moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. However, things haven’t gone like she expected, and for Eriko, there was no hope in sight. She receives the news about her older sister’s sudden death. Eriko returns home to attend her sister’s funeral her relatives question Eriko’s pretend life as a successful actress. On a whim, Eriko declares that she will take care of Kazuma, her sister’s 10-year-old son, while finding out that her sister worked as a mourner-for-hire at funerals. THE SOUNDING Director: Catherine Eaton Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min On a remote island off the coast of Maine, Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language out of Shakespeare’s words. A driven neurologist, brought to the island to protect her, commits her to a psychiatric hospital. She becomes a full-blow rebel in the hospital; her increasing violence threatens to keep her locked up for life as she fights for her voice and her freedom. At a tipping point for otherness in our current climate, THE SOUNDING champions it.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    FOREVER ‘B’ Director: Skye Borgman Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min FOREVER ‘B’ is a twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction story of the Broberg’s, a naïve, church-going Idaho family whose daughter, Jan, was kidnapped by the family’s best friend and neighbor. Twice. LIYANA Director: Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp Country: Swaziland, USA, Running Time: 77 min A Swazi girl embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. This animated African tale is born in the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland who collaborate to tell a story of perseverance drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. THE ORGANIZER Director: Nick Taylor Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min THE ORGANIZER is a portrait of Wade Rathke, the controversial founder of ACORN, as well as an exploration of that much maligned and misunderstood occupation – community organizing.  RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE Directors: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer Country: USA, Running Time: 71 min Hard headed Louisiana fisherman Thomas Gonzales doesn’t know what will hit him next. After decades of hurricanes and oil spills he faces a new threat – hordes of monstrous 20-pound swamp rats. Known as “nutria”, these invasive South American rodents breed faster than the roving squads of hunters can control them. SERENADE FOR HAITI Director: Owsley Brown III Country: USA, Running Time: 110 min A classical music school in the heart of Port-au-Prince, Haiti thrives despite decades of entrenched poverty and political strife. When a catastrophic earthquake completely destroys the school in 2010, a stunned and devastated faculty and student body must pick up the pieces and find a way to move forward.

    MISSISSIPPI FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    THE LONG SHADOW Director: Frances Causey Country: USA, Running Time: 88 min Two daughters of the South look beyond their white privilege to discover a history that’s been hidden, exposing the long and shockingly powerful reach of Southern politics from slavery through to today’s racial imbalance. LOVE SOLILOQUY: A VISUAL ALBUM Director: Astin Rocks. Country: USA, Running Time: 31 min Distorting the perception of true events, LOVE SOLILOQUY uses avant-garde storytelling to reveal the psyche behind young women navigating their relationships. Astin Rocks doubles as the band’s vocalist, lyricist, and film director. MISSISSIPPI MADAM: THE LIFE OF NELLIE JACKSON WORLD PREMIERE Director: Timothy Givens and Mark K. Brockway County: USA, Running Time: 81 min In 1902 Nellie Jackson, an African-American woman born into poverty in Possum Corner, Miss., travels north to Natchez and opens a brothel she ran for more than 60 years with full knowledge of police and Natchez officials until a fiery end one hot July night in 1990 THE PROCESS: THE WAY OF PABLO SIERRA WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jeff Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 66 min A film about a potter named Pablo Sierra who lives in Yocona, MS. Born in Spain, he came to Ole Miss on track scholarship. He became a world-class runner, and is now a potter, baker, and horseman. For Pablo, the process is everything.

    MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES JURIED COMPETITION

    CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE Director: Zack Taylor Country: USA, Running Time: 88 min CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE is, in fact, a documentary mixtape about a musical format that refuses to die. Through a series of one-on-one interviews, Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette, confronts 50 years of mixed emotions about his creation. He is joined on his journey by Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Rob Sheffield, Burger Records, and many more.  DO U WANT IT? Directors: Sam Radutzky, Josh Freund Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min DO U WANT IT? is an exploration and celebration of the musical culture of New Orleans. The film chronicles the rise of beloved New Orleans’ band Papa Grows Funk and uses their illustrious thirteen-year career, from formation up to the band’s emotional final shows, as a vehicle to explore the nuances of success and struggle in the greatest musical city in the world. HOW THEY GOT OVER Director: Robert Clem Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min HOW THEY GOT OVER explores the evolution of black gospel quartet music and its contributions to the emergence of rock & roll. The film includes performances by the Blind Boys of Mississippi and Alabama, the Soul Stirrers, Dixie Hummingbirds, Davis Sisters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sensational Nightingales and many more. WORD IS BOND Director: Sacha Jenkins Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min Word Is Bond is a documentary film by Sacha Jenkins that examines the transformative power of lyrics in the world of hip-hop music. What was born on the streets of the South Bronx has now taken root globally, and the young poets of New York have helped to spawn regional dialects everywhere.

    LGBTQ FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    ALASKA IS A DRAG Director: Shaz Bennett Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min A fish out of water story – literally. Our hero Leo is an aspiring superstar stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. Leo and his twin sister Tristen hang out at the one gay bar in a hundred miles, owned by their surly surrogate mom Jan (Margaret Cho). After years of getting beat up by his former best friend, Leo has learned to fight back, catching the eye of his cannery boss, an amateur boxer who offers to train him to be a fighter. BETWEEN THE SHADES Director: Jill Salvino Country: USA, Running Time: 82 min BETWEEN THE SHADES seeks to put faces to the letters that make up LGBTQI and how those letters have evolved. The film examines the immense power of labels and the transcendence of love. BOYS FOR SALE Director: Itako Country: Japan, Running Time: 76 min Boys are selling sex in Japan. Who is buying? In the Tokyo district of Shinjuku 2-chome there are bars that specialize in “Urisen”, young boys who have sex with men.

    KID FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILMS

    THE AMAZING WIZARD OF PAWS Director: Brian Michael Stoller Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min What happens when you find out the family dog is actually six-hundred years old and was once owned by a great and powerful wizard? In this charming and magical adventure, young Bobby Spade and his faithful therapy dog, Ozzy, stumble upon an ancient wizard’s mystical book of spells. MEERKAT MOONSHIP Director: Hanneke Schutte Country: South Africa, Running Time: 97 min Timid, wildly imaginative 13-year-old Gideonette de La Rey learns that the name she was given comes with it a horrible curse. After her father dies, Gideonette is paralyzed by fear and is sent to live on a farm with her grandparents where she befriends a young deaf boy who is “training” to become an astronaut and preparing to fly away in a Moonship that Gideonette’s grandfather built for him. WHALE RIDER (2002) Director: Niki Caro Country: Running Time: 101 min A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

    ADDITIONAL SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    I AM EVIDENCE Directors: Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir Country: USA, Running Time: An investigation into the way sexual assault cases are handled by police departments across the United States and an examination of how there came to be a backlog of tens of thousands of untested rape kits. LIVING ON SOUL Directors: Jeff Broadway, Cory Bailey Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min LIVING ON SOUL is a hybrid docu-concert film featuring the late Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and the rest of the Daptone Records family. Filmed largely during Daptone’s December 2014 three-night, sold-out residency at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, the documentary features a mixture of live performances and verité scenes that paint a robust picture of the Daptone family and culture. SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT Director: Cady McClain Country: USA, Running Time: 57 min SEEING IS BELIEVING Is an in-depth investigation into the challenges faced by women directors. The film focuses on the journeys of four articulate filmmakers – Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND), Sarah Gavron (SUFFRAGETTE), li Lu (THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE), and Naima Ramos Chapman (AND NOTHING HAPPENED) who provide a wonderful mix of perspectives. URANIA DESCENDING Director: Tav Falco Country: Austria, Running Time: 69 min An American girl, Gina Lee is an alienated and disaffected female who has become disenchanted with hometown strip malls, sleaze bars, and rides along the river-side in her BMW. Impulsively she buys a discount airline ticket in a shopping mall travel agency. Destination: Vienna, the merry/sinister imperial city on the Danube. Gina Lee quickly slips into discreet, yet decadent dalliances at Cafe Central and at the notorious Hotel Orient, where she becomes embroiled in an intrigue to uncover buried Nazi plunder. Her tragic liaison with rakish Karl Heinz Von Riegl results in her submersion beneath the dark waters of Lake Atter, yet her ultimate fate remains unresolved.

    Oxford Film Festival Short Films

    BEST OF THE LOUISIANA FILM PRIZE

    CANDYLAND Director: Taylor Bracewell Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min EXIT STRATEGY Director: Travis Bible Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min MY FATHER’S SON Director: Kyle Clements Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min SCOUNDRELS Director: Mark Blitch Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min STAG Director: Jonnie Stapleton Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (DRAMA SHORTS BLOCK)

    AN ACT OF TERROR Director: Ashley Paige Brim Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min BLACK CANARIES Director: Jessee Kreitzer Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min BLOOD WOLF WORLD PREMIERE Director: Diana Cignoni Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min THE BLUE CAR Director: Henrik A. Meyer Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min HOME WORLD PREMIERE Director: Clark Duke Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min LAWMAN Director: Matthew Gentile Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min RUNNING EAGLE Director: Konrad Tho Fiedler Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (COMEDY SHORTS BLOCK)

    BITCHES LOVE BRUNCH Director: Sasha Leigh Henry Country: Canada, Running Time: 11 min THE FINAL SHOW WORLD PREMIERE Director: Dana Nachman Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min GLORIA TALKS FUNNY WORLD PREMIERE Director: Kendall Goldberg Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min LAST WORDS Director: Andre LeBlanc Country USA, Running Time: 9 min M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE) Director: Alejandro Damiani Country: Mexico, Running Time: 5 min SANS RESPONSE Director: William Papadin Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min TEMPORARY Director: Milena Govich Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min THAT SMELL Director: Kyle Lavore Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (INTERNATIONAL SHORTS BLOCK)

    ALZHAÏMOUR Director: Pierre Van de Kerckhove Country: Belgium, Running Time: 14 min FLIEGEN Director: Marcus Hanisch Country: Germany, Running Time: 18 min SAVE ME! Director: Mohsen Nabavi Countries: Iran/Malyasia, Running Time: 10 min SAY NO WORLD PREMIERE Director: Samuel Clemens Country: UK, Running Time: 9 min SPACE GIRLS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Carys Watford Country: UK, Running Time: 10 min SPINOSAURUS Director: Tessa Hoffe Country: UK, Running Time: 15 min THE VEST Director: Lesley Manning Country: UK, Running Time: 7 min THE WEIGHT Director: Garrett Detrixhe Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min A WHOLE WORLD FOR A LITTLE WORLD Director: Fabrice Bracq Country: France, Running Time: 15 min

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (LATE NIGHT SHORTS BLOCK)

    ALFRED J. HEMLOCK Director: Edward Lyons Country: Australia, Running Time: 15 min THE APOCALYPSE WILL BE AUTOMATED WORLD PREMIERE Director: Melanie Killingsworth Country: Australia, Running Time: 8 min EINSTEIN-ROSEN Director: Olga Osorio Country: Spain, Running Time: 9 min HEARTLESS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Kevin Sluder Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min IT BEGAN WITHOUT WARNING Directors: Santiago C. Tapia, Jessica Curtright Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min LABORATORY CONDITIONS Director: Jocelyn Statmat Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min PESSIM U.S. PREMIERE Director: TAKCOM Country: Japan, Running Time: 11 min (NOTE – PESSIM is a Fest Forward selection screening in this block) REAL ARTISTS Director: Cameo Wood Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min TRANSMISSION Directors: Varun Raman & Tom Hancock Country: UK, Running Time: 17 min (NOTE – TRANSMISSION is a Fest Forward selection screening in this block)

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    FAVORITES Director: Tracy S. Facelli Country: USA, Running Time: 17:24 min (ARTIST VODKA runner up) (screens with Winning Short Films block) THE MELANCHOLY MAN Director: Samantha Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min (screens with ERIKO PRETENDING) NATION DOWN Director: Liam Hendrix Heath Country: USA, Running Time: 14:57 min (ARTIST VODKA winner) (screens with Winning Short Films block) THE PERFECT FIT WORLD PREMIERE Director: Emory Parker Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min (screens with THE DRAWER BOY) ROBERT Directors: Sarah Fleming, Joann Self Selvidge Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min (screens with CIRCLES) SURROGATE Director: Olivia Hamilton Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min (screens with BERNARD & HUEY) TIMBRE U.S. PREMIERE Director: Gareth Peevers Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min (screens with THE SOUNDING) TOND Directors: Josh Ruben, Vince Peone Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min (screens with COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE)

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    $30 TO ANTARCTICA Director: Joey Chu Country: USA/Hong Kong, Running Time: 18 min A LIFE’S WORK U.S. PREMIERE Director: Ben Spilling Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN Director: Daniel Robin Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min ALTIMIR Director: Kay Hannahan Country: Bulgaria/USA, Running Time: 15 min JOHNNY’S GREEK AND THREE Director: Ava Lowery Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min NEWPORT GUN GIRLS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Lauren Orme Country: UK, Running Time: 11 min OUR GHOSTS Director: Hannah Ruddle Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min WASHED AWAY Director: Dana Nachman Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    AN ACCIDENTAL DROWNING Director: Matteo Servente Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with LIYANA) JESSZILLA Director: Emily Sheskin Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with SERENADE FOR HAITI) MONSTER IN THE BAYOU Director: Victoria Greene Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min (screens with SERENADE FOR HAITI) THE NATURE OF MASS DEMONSTRATIONS  WORLD PREMIERE Director: Nate Lavey Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with THE ORGANIZER) ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BEATING HEARTS Director: Peter Byck Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min (screens with RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE) YOU SEE ‘EM Director: Emma Landeche Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE)

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (COMMUNITY FILM BLOCK)

    #FIFTEEN Director: Melanie Addington Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min BIRTHING VIDEO Director: Christina Huff Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min CLOSED Director: Samuel Cox Country: USA, Running Time: 3:17 min DAYFALL Director: Tony King Country: USA, Running Time: 1:17 min DEAR MR BRYANT WORLD PREMIERE Directors: Robbie Fisher, Jenni Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min (MAGNIFYING GLASS FELLOWSHIP WINNER) FIFTEEN Director: Julia Mitchell Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min THE PIZZA MAGAZINE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Daniel Perea Country: USA, Running Time: 15:48 min THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO HOUR: 20TH ANNIVERSARY Director: Christina Huff Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (MISSISSIPPI SHORTS BLOCK)

    CAUTION Director: Thomas Haffey Country: USA, Running Time: 1:17 min COWGIRL UP Director: Nathan Willis Country: USA, Running Time: 5:17 min CUBICLE CITY Director: Glenn Payne Country: USA, Running Time: 16:42 min FLAG FLAP OVER MISSISSIPPI Director: Rex Jones Country: USA, Running Time: 27 min HAND MADE Director: David Ross Country: USA, Running Time: 4:55 min MOMBIE Director: N.T. Bullock Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min PART OF IT WORLD PREMIERE Director: Victoria De Leone Country: USA, Running Time: 7:20 min PAY THE PIPER Director: Maggie Bushway Country: USA, Running Time: 6:29 min RIVER MADE WORLD PREMIERE Director: David Ross Country: USA, Running Time: 7:09 min TRUTH RISES WORLD PREMIERE Director: E. J. Carter Country: USA, Running Time: 2:40 min WE BELIEVED WE WERE IMMORTAL Directors: Kathleen Wickham, Larry Wells Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min WINSTON COUNTY MIRACLE MAN Director: Rick Guy Country: USA, Running Time: 6:25 min

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    COLETTE Director: Royce Swayze Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min (screens with MISSISSIPPI MADAM: THE LIFE OF NELLIE JACKSON) HERE I’LL STAY Directors: Marlene McCurtis, Lorena Maniquez Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min (screens with THE LONG SHADOW)

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS

    3 FRIENDS Director: Michael Moody Culpepper Country: Ireland/USA, Running Time: 22 min THE CLEANSE Director: Lucas Omar Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min DUSK Director: Jake Graf Country: UK, Running Time: 15 min HAYGOOD EATS! Director: Hazart Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min HOW TO MAKE A PEARL Director: Jason Hanasik Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min SPARK WORLD PREMIERE Director: Aharonit Elinor Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min SUNUNÚ: THE REVOLUTION OF LOVE Director: Olivia Crellin Country: UK, Running Time: 24 min THE THIRD MOVEMENT U.S. PREMIERE Director: Josephine Anderson Country: Canada, Running Time: 11 min WAFFLES Director: Foster Wilson Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    FISHY Director: Joseph Sulsenti Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min (screens with ALASKA IS A DRAG) LADY EVA Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Country: Kingdom of Tonga, Running Time: 11 min (screens with ALASKA IS A DRAG)

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (ANIMATION BLOCK)

    CATHERINE Director: Britt Raes Country: Belgium, Running Time: 12 min FIRST BLOOM Director: Tingting Liu Country: China, Running Time: 5 min JAMSHID: A LAMENT FOR A MYTH U.S. PREMIERE Director: Moin Samadi Country: Iran, Running Time: 12 min MEETING MACGUFFIN Director: Catya Plate Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min NEGATIVE SPACE U.S. PREMIERE Directors: Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata Country: France, Running Time: 5 min THE SERVANT Director: Farnoosh Abedi Country: Iran, Running Time: 9 min THE SPIRIT SEAM WORLD PREMIERE Director: Ashley Gerst Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min TWO BALLOONS Director: Mark C. Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min UGLY Director: Nikita Diakur Country: Germany, Running Time: 12 min

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (FEST FORWARD BLOCK)

    ANIMAL CINEMA Director: Emilio Vavarella Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min ANTHROPOCENE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Bradley Rappa Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min BLUE BUT PALE BLUE Director: Daisy Dickinson Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER Director: Jadwiga Kowalska Country: Switzerland, Running Time: 6 min CARGO Director: Jasmine Ellis Country: Germany, Running Time: 4 min COLLAPSING Director: Brian Ratigan Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min COOKING WITH CONNIE Director: Stavit Allweis Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min DISILLUSIONMENT OF 10 POINT FONT Director: Greg Condon Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min LYING WOMEN Director: Deborah Kelly Country: Australia, Running Time: 4 min MAY I? REMIX# Director: Vasco Diogo Country: Portugal, Running Time: 4 min PARALYSIS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Victoria Negri Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min PITTARI Director: Patrick Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min THE REALM OF DEEPEST KNOWING Director: Seunghee Kim Country: South Korea, Running Time: 3 min SHOT Director: Aemilia Scott Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min TOWARDS THE EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL OF DREAMING Director: Ryan Betschart Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min TRUMPET MAN Director: Emily Wong Country: Hong Kong, Running Time: 14 min WHAT’S THAT IN THE GROUND? WORLD PREMIERE Director: Wally Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min YELLOW AND RED MAKE ORANGE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jay Hollinsworth Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min

    MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEOS

    “A Hard Rain” by Stacie and Cassie Director: J.B. Lawrence/Stace and Cassie Country: USA, Running Time: 5:55 min “All I Know” by Jake Wood Director: Rex Harsin Country: USA, Running Time: 2:56 min “Damaged” by American Automatic WORLD PREMIERE Director: Greg Johnson Country: USA, Running Time: 5:28 min “Glory Glory” by Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jeff Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 5:01 min “God Bless America” by Effie Burt Director: Effie Burt Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min “Make Me Want You” by Shayne Weems Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 4:28 min “Manna” by King Woman Director: Vincent Jude Chaney Country: USA, Running Time: 6:12 min “My City” by Adam “AJC” Collier Directors: Philip Scarborough, Tom Beck Country: USA, Running Time: 4:40 min “Randy Weeks: Mississippi Songwriter” WORLD PREMIERE Directors: Keerthi Chandrashekar, Je’Monda Roy, Jimmy Thomas Country: USA, Running Time: 5:15 min “Royal” by Lost in Constellation Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min “Spinning” by The Fuzzy Crystals Director: Justin Possenti Country: USA, Running Time: 3:30 min “Stomping Ground” by Robert King Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 5:54 min “Trust and Believe” WORLD PREMIERE Director: Andre Hill Country: USA, Running Time: 4:40 min “World Gone Crazy” by 61 Ghosts Director: Coop Cooper Country: USA, Running Time: 6:03 min “Your Mistress” by Mersaidee Soules Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 4:16 min

    KID FILM FEST SHORT FILMS

    A MESSAGE FOR BRAZEY Director: Jared D. Weiss Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min THE ADVENTURE OF THE AFTERNOON Directors: Vance Yang, Stella Huang Country: Taiwan, Running Time: 8 min BRAND NEW DAY Directors: Patricia Beckmann Wells, EdD Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min C-5-11 Director: Edward Ramsay-Morin Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min GHOST BEATS Director: Brent Barson Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min HOMEGROWN Director: Quentin Haberham Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min LIGHT SIGHT Director: Seyed M. Tabatabaei Country: Iran, Running Time: 8 min ROYAL (MOVE TO MUSIC VIDEOS) Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min SAVING SANTA Director: Keith O’ Grady Country: Northern Ireland, Running Time: 17 min STARS Director: Han Zhang Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min

    SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS

    Twirling at Ole Miss”(Grand Prize) Screenwriter: John Matthew Tyson “Not Everything Was Burning” (Runner Up) Screenwriter: John Bateman

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