While I Breathe I Hope

  • Beaufort International Film Festival Announces 2019 Finalists

    IN THE ORCHARD
    In the Orchard

    The thirteenth annual Beaufort International Film Festival will host thousands of film lovers from around the world starting February 19 through February 24, 2019,  in the historic coastal town of Beaufort, SC. 

    BIFF 2019 will be expanded by a day. It is now a six day festival with awards being presented in the areas of features, documentaries (feature and short), short films, student films, screenplays, animation, comedy and audience choice. Also, winners will be named for best actor, best actress, and best director.

    In addition to the category and individual awards, the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to legendary actor, author, cook and opera singer Paul Sorvino. “If you look at his body of work in the film and television industries, his work on broadway, his philanthropic efforts over the past six decades, you can  see why we’re so very honored to present the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary entertainer Paul Sorvino,” stated Beaufort Film Society President, Ron Tucker. The award is sponsored by Leslie and Landon Thorne.

    South Carolina based Hairdresser and Make-up Artist Joyce Gilliard will be presented with the prestigious “Behind-The-Scenes Award for her notable accomplishments over the past 20 years in the film and television industries.

    BIFF 2019 will also present the inaugural Susan A.K. Shaffer  Humanitarian Award to the filmmaker whose work best exemplifies the need for positive social, cultural and/or environmental change in our time. This award transcends category and genre. 

    2019 Beaufort International Film Festival Finalists

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  • 2019 Oxford Film Festival Reveals Competition Films, Opens with John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT

    [caption id="attachment_33037" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] GHOST LIGHT[/caption] The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10), will kickoff with John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT as the Opening Night Gala selection, and Jacqueline Olive’s ALWAYS IN SEASON tabbed as the fest’s Closing Night Gala selection  immediately following its debut at Sundance.  Another choice hot off of Sundance will be Jon Strong’s documentary, LONG TIME COMING, presented as a Special Screening. Oxford Film Festival favorite Malcolm Ingram will present his latest documentary, SOUTHERN PRIDE as a Special Screening as well. Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT combines laughs and scares as an understudy, aiming for the lead role and the leading lady during a traveling production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, unleashes mayhem by disregarding the time-honored superstitions that go along with staging “The Scottish Tragedy.” The film stars an impressive cast including Cary Elwes, Roger Bart, Carol Kane, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, and Tom Riley. The film screens Thursday, February 7 at 7:00PM at the Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.). Mississippi native Olive’s film, ALWAYS IN SEASON takes a look at how the terrorism of lynching in our country’s history still bleeds into the present via the case of Lennon Lacy, a teenage boy found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014. The film traces his mother’s pursuit of justice for her son as well as intersecting with stories from other communities looking seeking justice and reconciliation. The film screens Sunday, February 10 at 6:00PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.). The two documentaries receiving Special Screening presentations include Strong’s LONG TIME COMING, which looks at how a simple little league game was anything but when it took place in the racially segregated South in 1955, and the two teams in question were a team of white boys and a team of black boys. Ingram’s SOUTHERN PRIDE brings us up to date via his film juxtaposing a bar owner who struggles to organize a Pride march in her hometown in Mississippi, while in another part of the state organizers of a Black Pride celebration are working to overcome numerous obstacles facing them. Narrative feature films in competition this year include: Daniel Campbell’s ANTIQUITIES; Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT; Rob Heydon’s ISABELLE; Alex Eaton’s MOUNTAIN REST; Katie Orr’s POOR JANE; Jillian Armenante’s STUCK; and Jordan Noel’s THIS WORLD ALONE. Documentary features in competition include; Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY; Nicholas Laviola’s HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD; Assia Boundaoui’s THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED; Jon Strong’s LONG TIME COMING; Jamal Sims’s WHEN THE BEAT DROPS; Emily Harrold’s WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE; and Suzannah Herbert and Lauren Belfer’s WRESTLE. The LGBTQ Juried Feature Competition will include; Kevin O’Brien’s AT THE END OF THE DAY; PJ Raval’s CALL HER GANDA; Keith Behrman’s GIANT LITTLE ONES; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s GOSPEL OF EUREKA; and Daniel Laabs’s JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK.

    2019 Oxford Film Festival FEATURE FILMS

    OPENING NIGHT SELECTION GHOST LIGHT Director: John Stimpson Country: USA, Running Time: 103 min. GHOST LIGHT is a haunted comedy about the absurd, but very seriously regarded, superstitions of the theatre, specifically those surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When a disgruntled and arrogant understudy tempts fate by uttering the forbidden name of the “Scottish King” on stage, the sorcery of the Bard’s witches overwhelms the production leading to chaos, misfortune and death. All’s well that ends well… but not for everyone. CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION ALWAYS IN SEASON Director: Jacqueline Olive Country: USA, Running Time: When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins as the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present. SPECIAL SCREENINGS LONG TIME COMING Director: Jon Strong Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. In 1955, when racial segregation defined America, two groups of twelve-year-old boys stepped onto a baseball field in a non-violent act of cultural defiance that would change the course of history and challenge their own perceptions sixty years later. SOUTHERN PRIDE Director: Malcolm Ingram Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min. A documentary about people from two towns in Mississippi organizing gay and black pride events in Trump’s backwater America.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    ANTIQUITIES Director: Daniel Campbell Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min. After his father’s death, Walt (Andrew J. West) moves to his dad’s hometown to learn more about who his father was. He accepts a job at a local antique mall where he’s introduced to the quirky world in which his dad grew up. There, Walt learns not only about his father, but a good bit about himself. The ensemble comedy feature stars Andrew J. West, Michaela Watkins, Michael Gladis, with Ashley Greene, and Mary Steenburgen. ISABELLE Director: Rob Heydon Country: Canada, Running Time: 80 min. A young couple’s dream of starting a family shatters as they descend into the depths of paranoia and must struggle to survive an evil presence that wants nothing more than their very own lives. MOUNTAIN REST Director Alex Eaton Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min. After sequestering herself to a small mountain town, an aging actress calls her estranged daughter and granddaughter home for reconciliation and one final celebration. POOR JANE Director: Katie Orr Country: USA, Running Time: 129 min. A housewife’s comfortable life unravels when she suddenly stops loving her husband. A raw portrait of a woman experiencing midlife malaise. STUCK Director: Jillian Armenante Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min. After getting into trouble with the law, Darby is sentenced to 30-days house arrest. Now she is ‘stuck’ in the same house as her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée. THIS WORLD ALONE Director: Jordan Noel Country: USA, Running Time: 90 min. Following a cataclysmic event which left the Earth without technology or power, Sam (Belle Adams)—a book-obsessed girl in her late teens—lives in seclusion with her two mother-figures (Carrie Walrond Hood & Sophie Edwards). But after an accident, she’s pushed out of her protective world and forced to put her makeshift parents’ opposing world-views to the test as she faces the physical and emotional challenges of a world reclaimed by nature.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY Director Dava Whisenant County: USA, Running Time: 87 min. A Late Night comedy writer stumbles on a hilarious, hidden world of entertainment and finds an unexpected connection to his fellow man. With David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Jello Biafra, and more. HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD Director: Nicholas Laviola Country: USA, Running Time: 60 min. The Holiness Serpent Handlers, a group of born-again Pentecostal Christians deep in Appalachia, have taken this verse to be the base of their Apostolic movement. HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD is an unflinching look into their tragic service on Sunday, May 27, 2012, and a vital artifact of one of the darkest corners of American Religion. THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED [caption id="attachment_27798" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Feeling of Being Watched The Feeling of Being Watched[/caption] Director: Assia Boundaoui Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. When journalist Assia Boundaoui investigates rumors of surveillance in her Arab-American neighborhood in Chicago, she uncovers one of the largest FBI terrorism probes conducted before 9/11 and reveals its enduring impact on the community. WHEN THE BEAT DROPS Director Jamal Sims Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. Featuring footage and stories from the men of Atlanta’s bucking scene, director Jamal Sims gives a glimpse into the world of J-Setting as it grows into a national movement. WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE Director: Emily Harrold Country: USA, Running Time: 72 min. What does it mean to be young, black, and a Democrat in the American South? WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE follows South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers as he runs to become the first African American candidate elected statewide in over a century. The film begins by following Sellers as he makes his 2014 bid for Lieutenant Governor, through the Charleston Shootings, and during the removal of the Confederate flag in 2015. Through his experiences, the film offers audiences a window into the legacy of race in politics in the United States today. WRESTLE Directors: Suzannah Herbert, Lauren Belfer Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min. HOOP DREAMS goes to the mat in this coming-of-age-documentary about four members of a high-school wrestling team in Huntsville, Alabama. Jailen, Jamario, Teague, and Jaquan are the core of the team at J.O. Johnson High School, which has been on Alabama’s list of failing schools for years. Coached—and occasionally harangued—by teacher Chris Scribner, each of these young men faces challenges far beyond a shot at the State Championship: drug use, splintered family lives, pregnant girlfriends, and run-ins with the law threaten to derail their success on the mat and lock any doors that could otherwise open.

    MISSISSIPPI FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    ATTACHE Director: Melissa Pace Overholt Country: USA, Running Time: 73 min. As one of the poorest states in the country, Mississippi lands at the bottom of many lists. There’s at least one exception, the Clinton, Mississippi High School Attache Show Choir is considered to be among the most successful in history. In a region where arts and music funding have been virtually demolished, Clinton public school’s music program manages to thrive. Composed of students from different backgrounds, ATTACHE unites its members and, together, they rise above, consistently beating the odds. Preceded by COACH WADE Directors: Elisabetta Zengaro, Matteo Zengaro Country: USA, Running Time: 33 min. COACH WADE is the story of how a woman from a small, impoverished town in the Mississippi Delta rose to success coaching collegiate basketball. Coach Wade and her team overcame obstacles and brought distinction to their school, while also fighting against sexist media coverage of women’s sports, changing the nature of the sport for years to come. DOOR AJAR – THE M.B. MAYFIELD STORY [World Premiere] Director: John Reyer Afamasaga Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min. From inside a broom closet with the door cracked, an African American janitor listens and learns art in segregated Mississippi. DRIVEN Director: Glenn Payne Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min. Emerson Graham’s nights as a rideshare driver are filled with annoyances and inconveniences, but until she picks up Roger they have never included attacks, disappearances, and curse breaking. After picking up a mysterious passenger her night goes from working a job to performing a quest as they race the clock to defeat a force of evil and right a long-time wrong. The meter is running. SHARDE THOMAS: LEGACY OF THE FIFE [World Premiere] Director: Jeffrey Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 41 min. Sharde Thomas, granddaughter of Blues legend Othar Turner, carries on the rich tradition of fife and drum music in North Mississippi. She and her family continue their G.O.A.T. picnic, which was started in the 1950’s to pay for school supplies. This film celebrates the amazing past, present, and future of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. Preceded by RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS Director: Christopher Windfield Country: USA, Running Time: 44 min. RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS is an organization created to help black owned businesses succeed. The founder Stanley Wesley soon finds himself under attack from racial intimidation within the state of Mississippi. THRASHER ROAD Director: Samantha Davidson Green Country: USA, Running Time: 86 min. When an accident strands pregnant Chloe and her dog, Thrasher, on the highway home from broken dreams in L.A., unwelcome rescue comes from her estranged dad, Mac, who takes them on a disastrous detour toward a second chance.

    MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES JURIED COMPETITION

    DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND Director: John Whitehead County: USA, Running Time: 83 min. Ranging from the historical to the deeply personal, this documentary tells the story of three African-American musicians from the hip-hop generation who embraced a traditional 19th-century folk genre and took it to Grammy-winning heights. Filmmaker John Whitehead followed the band from their meteoric rise through their breakup, making for an emotionally satisfying journey as well as a spectacular musical one. ICEPICK TO THE MOON Director: Skizz Cyzyk Country: USA, Running Time: 99 min. Obscure stripmine crooner, Rev. Fred Lane, is described by his obsessed fans as “subversive,” “completely satirical,” “the Dada Duke Ellington,” and “Demon Frank Sinatra.” His fans have spent years examining every detail of Fred Lane’s albums, and yet whatever information they have found out about their hero has only led them deeper into blissful confusion. ICEPICK TO THE MOON not only examines the cult of Fred Lane fans, but also pulls the curtain back on the mysterious artist who is Fred Lane, from his early involvement with the Raudelunas arts collective in Alabama in the Seventies, to his current occupation making whirligigs to sell on the arts and crafts show circuit. NEGRO TERROR Director: John Rash Country: USA, Running Time: 53 min. A cinematic and musical portrait of a punk band’s role in the vibrant and eclectic underground music community of Memphis, TN. Championing the history, music, and various politics of their beloved hometown, Negro Terror are far more than just another hardcore punk band with a provocative name. SATAN & ADAM Director: V. Scott Balcerek Country: USA, Running Time: 95 min. Sterling Magee experienced firsthand the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians. So he walked away to play on the Harlem streets for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of joy. One of those he converted was a white kid named Adam (Oxford resident Adam Gussow), who gave up the ivory tower life to play alongside this streetwise guru. Their improbable bond made them a sensation, and their journey a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth. UP TO SNUFF Director: Mark Maxey Country: USA, Running Time: 80 min. Millions of people have been touched by his music, yet few know the journey, hardships and triumphs of American musician and composer W.G. Snuffy Walden. Friends and collaborators share personal stories, laughs and insights about this generous soul who overcame the excesses of rock and roll to become one of the most beloved composers in television history. Featuring Snuffy’s music throughout, UP TO SNUFF includes scenes from The West Wing, Wonder Years, Sports Night and thirtysomething, with insights from Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Tom Arnold, Timothy Busfield, Lawrence O’Donnell, Steve Lukather, Eric Burdon and Snuffy Walden.

    LGBTQ FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    AT THE END OF THE DAY Director: Kevin O’Brien Country: USA, Running Time: 108 min. After his wife leaves him and he is tossed out of his counseling job, Dave finds himself as a conservative professor at a Christian college. When the Dean gets word that a group is trying to buy a building he wants for expansion, he asks Dave to join the group and find out about their progress. Dave is in for the shock of his life when he finds himself in a gay support group. His job is to stop their launch of an LGBT homeless youth shelter in their small town. But things don’t always go as planned and love wins out in ways we may not expect. CALL HER GANDA [caption id="attachment_29069" align="aligncenter" width="975"]CALL HER GANDA CALL HER GANDA[/caption] Director: PJ Raval Countries: Philippines/USA, Running Time: 97 min. When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case — an activist attorney (Virgie Suarez), a transgender journalist (Meredith Talusan) and Jennifer’s mother (Julita “Nanay” Laude) — galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of U.S. imperialism. GIANT LITTLE ONES Director: Keith Behrman Country: Canada, Running Time: 94 min. Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life –until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever. GIANT LITTLE ONES is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels. GOSPEL OF EUREKA Director: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min. Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to explore the meaning of belief. Gospel drag shows and passion plays set the stage for one hell of a show. JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK Director: Daniel Laabs Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min. In present-day Texas, Maya (Tallie Medel) and her on again, off again girlfriend Jules (Betsy Holt) total their car after a night of backwoods raving and teen mischief. They’re rescued from the wreckage by Freddy (Robert Longstreet), a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that dulls the debilitating silence of their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be).

    2019 Oxford Film Festival SHORT FILMS

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    A CRAFTSMAN Director: Sanford Jenkins Jr. Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. A SARI FOR PALLAVI [World Premiere] Director: Kate Chamuris Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. AGE OF BRYCE [World Premiere] Directors: David Feagan, Brian Elliott Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. APPROVAL NEEDED [U.S. Premiere] Director: Karen Anstee Country: UK, Running Time: 11 min. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Director: Bianca Armbruster Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. BREASTS Director: Eva Contis Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. CARONTE Director: Luis Tinoco Pineda Country: Spain, Running Time: 15 min. DEAD GIRL [World Premiere] Director: Rachel Sweeney Country: USA, Running Time: 28 min. DEBRIS Director: Julio Ramos Country: Peru, Running Time: 14 min. DIFFERENT THIS YEAR Director: Meghann Artes Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. THE DRINK [World Premiere] Director: Cosima Spender Country: UK, Running Time: 12 min. FAIR SHAKE TRANSFER Director: Joshua Morris Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. THE FISHERMAN [U.S. Premiere] Director: Zoey Martinson Country: Ghana, Running Time: 15 min. THE FLOOD Directors: Adam Dietrich, Seraphina Nova Glass Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min. FUNERAL Director: Leah Shore Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min. THE GREAT BRITISH RACE OFF Director: Natasha Jatania Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min. THE GREAT UNKNOWN Directors: Anna Jones, Desirée Matthews Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN Director: Helen Cho Anthos Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. THE INVENTION Director: Leo McGuigan Country: Northern Ireland, Running Time: 19 min. IVAN [U.S. Premiere] Director: Panagiotis Kountouras Country: Greece, Running Time: 9 min. THE LAST LINE Director: Renee Mao Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. THE LOST ONES Directors: Maria Castillejo Carmen, Maëlle Grand Bossi, Elisabeth Silveiro Country: France, Running Time:14m. MEETING MOMMY Director: Tricia Lee Country: Canada, Running Time: 12 min. MRS. MURPHY’S CONFESSION Director: Ryan Turri Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min. NOBODY’S DARLING Director: Robyn Hicks Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. OF MINE [World Premiere] Director: Cate Carson Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. POZOLE [World Premiere] Director: Jessica Mendez Siqueiros Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. SAC DE MERDE Director: Greg Chwerchak Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. SNOW CHILD Director: Diana Cignoni Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. TAKE ME TO THE WAVES Directors: Jake Taylor Kipping, Tom Stoker Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min. TO THE SEA [U.S. Premiere] Director: Emily Dynes Country: Australia, Running Time: 14 min. WILLOW CREEK ROAD Director: Francesca Mirabella Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    FRONTIER Director: Chuck Kleven Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. (screens with MOUNTAIN REST) HAPPY BIRTHDAY Directors: Alex A. Ginzburg, Tim Harms Country: Puerto Rico, Running Time: 8 min. (screens with THIS WORLD ALONE) HYPNOTIC INDUCTION Director: Donald Meyers Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. (screens with ISABELLE) THE PARABLE OF THE DISAPPEARING RECLINER Director: Elisabeth Gray Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. (screens with ANTIQUITIES) TOURIST Director: Paavo Hanninen Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. (screens with POOR JANE) TRYING TO FIND ME Director: Dominique Tipper Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min. (screens with ISABELLE) TWO PUDDLES Director: Timothy Keeling Country: UK, Running Time: 6 m. (screens with ISABELLE)

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    605 ADULTS 304 CHILDREN Director: Michael Mahaffie Countries: Guyana/USA, Running Time: 13 min. BABY BROTHER Director: Kamau Bilal Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. CARE Director: Jeremy Xido Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min CHILDREN OF THE DUST Director: Dan Sadgrove Country: Vietnam, Running Time: 7 min THE CONQUEROR Director: Timothy Blackwood Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. HULA GIRL Directors: Amy Hill, Chris Riess Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. I AM ABLE Directors: Morgane Bigault, Ed Thomas Country: UK, Running Time: 9 min LITTLE FIEL Director: Irina Patkanian Country: Mozambique, Running Time: 16 min. MAC’S GARDEN GIRL [World Premiere] Director: Julia Bell Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. MEET UNCLE PAUL Director: Jessica Bursi Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min MIGRANT [World Premiere] Director: Abbey Hoekzema Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. NOMAD CHAPTER [World Premiere] Director: John Rash Country: USA, Running Time: 8m. PHANTASIAMAN Director: Mariel Sosa Country: Germany, Running Time: 12 min. QUIET HOURS Director: Paul Szynol Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. SHOTO Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team Country: Kenya, Running Time: 5 min. THOU SHALL NOT TAILGATE Director: Greg Hamilton Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min. THE TRAFFIC SEPARATING DEVICE [U.S. Premiere] Director: Johan Palmgren Country: Sweden, Running Time: 15 min. WAITING FOR FUKUSHIMA [World Premiere] Director: Alana Hutton-Shaw Countries: USA/Japan, Running Time: 16 min. ZUMARI Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team Country: Kenya, Running Time: 6 min.

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    A STABLE MYSTIC Director: Randal Crow Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min (screens with SATAN AND ADAM) BIRTH OF AFROBEAT Director: Opiyo Okeyo Country: USA, Running Time: (screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND) CONFEDERATE PRIDE, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND MY STATE FLAG Director: Adam Grannick Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min. (screens with WHEN I BREATHE, I HOPE) IT’S NOW OR NEVER: A RACE TO SAVE COLONEL PARKER’S COMPLEX Director: Austin Daniel Blasingame Country: USA, Running Time: 8 m (screens with UP TO SNUFF) THE JUKE JOINT SHOW: BECOMING BUKKA Director: Matt Wymer Country: USA, Running Time: 16m. (screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND)

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (NARRATIVE)

    BETTING THE OVERLAY Director: Robert Jordan Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. CRESCENT Director: Edward Worthy Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. DELTA CROSSING Director: James Puckett Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA Director: Bennett Krishock Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. PASSWORDS [World Premiere] Director: Chris Floyd Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. SYNTHETIC PHOENIX Director: Ryan Perich Country: USA, Running Time: 23 min. THE FALL LEAVES [U.S. Premiere] Director: Maya McCullough Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min.

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (DOCUMENTARIES)

    BROKEN, STAINED & BEAUTIFUL Director: Matt McCoy Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. HOLT COLLIER Director: James Mathews Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. NICOLE Director: Tori Gene McCarthy Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. ROOTS AND WINGS Director: Hanna Miller Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min. SIGNS Directors: Matthew Cipollone, Mikey D’Amico Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. THE FLY IN THE BUTTERMILK Director: Ashley Norwood Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. THE HIDDEN VOTE Director: Hanna Miller Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    ALONELINESS: A SCREENDANCE Director: Rachel Searcey Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min. (screens with THRASHER ROAD) JESUS & JIMMY RAY Director: McGee Monteith Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min. (screens with DRIVEN)

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS

    ALL WE ARE Director: Will Stewart Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. THE BOY WHO WANTED TO FLY Director: Jorge Muriel Country: Spain, Running Time: 20 min. THE DRESS YOU HAVE ON Director: Courtney Hope Therond Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. HIDING IN DAYLIGHT [World Premiere] Director: Cheryl Allison Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. HIPPOPOTAMUS Director: Jody Wheeler Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. HOME ALONE, BABY BLUE Director: John e. Kilberg Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. HOW I CAME OUT! Director: Mark Goshorn Jones Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. IF THIS IS WRONG Director: Chelsea Woods Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. LIGHT IN DARK PLACES Director: Lagueria Davis Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET [World Premiere] Director: Morgan Jon Fox Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. PEPPER Director: Jayil Pak Country: South Korea, Running Time: 15 min. QUEEN FOR A DAY [World Premiere] Director: Savannah Rodgers Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. RIVER Director: Sam Crainich Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. SELL YOUR BODY Director: Jaanelle Yee Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. YOU SAY HELLO Director: Lovell Holder Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min.

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    A SON INHERIT Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. (screens with GOSPEL OF EUREKA) LEIA’S ARMY Director: Oriana Oppice Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. (screens with CALL HER GANDA)

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (ANIMATION BLOCK)

    01 Directors: Julian Treemaker, Katharina Potratz Country: Germany, Running Time: 7 min. THE BIRD & THE WHALE Director: Carol Freeman Country: Ireland, Running Time: 7 min. EXPEND Director: Bismark Fernandes Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. FLYTRAP Director: Connor Radding Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. FROG DOG LOG Director: Jared D. Weiss Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. FUSE Director: Shadi Adib Country: Germany, Running Time: 5 min. IDOL-L [U.S. Premiere] Director: JAEHYEONG KIM • Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. MR. DEER Director: Mojtaba Mousavi Cpuntry: Iran, Running Time: 9 min. MY MOON Director: Eusong Lee Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. NEKO NO HI – CAT DAYS Director: Jon Frickey Countries: Germany/Japan, Running Time: 11 min. TRUMP BITES Director: Bill Plympton Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN Director: Duke Doyle Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. POUR 585 Director: Patrick Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. RED DRESS, NO STRAPS Director: Maryam Mohajer Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min. SAD HOUR [World Premiere] Director: Sean Pettis Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. SATELLITE STRANGERS Director: James Bascara Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. WATCH ME! [U.S. Premiere] Director: Reza Mehranfar Country: Iran, Running Time: 3 min.

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (EXPERIMENTAL)

    ASTRONAUTS WITH WHEAT [U.S. Premiere] Director: Jon Bryant Crawford Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. THE BORDER [U.S. Premiere] Director: Antonio Celotto Country: Italy, Running Time: 4 min. THE CAGE OF SAND [World Premiere] Director: Edward Rankus Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. CURRENTS Director: Xinyi Zhu Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. DATA DECAY Director: Tynan Humphrey Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. DIARY 2013-2018 Director: Soyeon Kim Countries: USA/South Korea, Running Time: 3 min. DULL HOPE Director: Brian Ratigan Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. EAST448 Director: Katharina Nesterowa Country: Germany, Running Time: 6 min. EVERYTHING CHANGES Director: Geoff Marslett Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. FEAW Director: Robin Tremblay Country: Canada, Running Time: 7 min. FUCKED UP POINT BLANK [World Premiere] Director: Shayna Connelly Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. FUN MORE [World Premiere] Director: Wally Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min. FUN TO COOK “WORLD’S BEST FOOD” Director: Dongjun Kim Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. GONE SALE Director: Matt Meindl Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. HORROR VACUI Director: Matteo Zamagni Country: UK, Running Time: 3 min. I TASTE BLOOD Directors: Lauren Sotolongo, Samantha Sobash, Russell Sheaffer, Aaron Michael Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. IN MEDIAS RES Director: Gloria Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min. THE ONLY THING THAT EXISTS IS THE DOT [World Premiere] Director: Philip Clyde-Smith Country: UK, Running Time: 6 min. PART I & II [U.S. Premiere] Director: Nadia Dermatopoulou Country: Scotland, Running Time: 5 min. REMISSION Directors: John Charter, Paul Kaiser Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. THERE MUST BE A SAFE SPACE TO LOAD [U.S. Premiere] THE BUILDING MATERIALS Director: Ryan Betschart Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.

    MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEOS

    “Ain’t No Place” by Lightnin Malcolm Director: Lightnin Malcolm Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Cellar Below” by The Great Dying Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Coast Ghost” by Spacewolf Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. “Crosstie Town” by Chance Stanley Directors: Clark Richey, Amye Gousset Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Fit In” Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Going to Mississippi to See my Sweet Southern Bell” by Sam Moseley Director: Roslynn Clark Copeland Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. THE GREAT DEPRESSION Director: Jeff Gordon Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. “Life Is” [World Premiere] Director: Irene Waites Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Mississippi (Why you got to be so mean?)” Director: Libby Brawley Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Moss Point Mississippi” Director: Don Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. “The Price Was Right” by Andrew Bryant Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Runnig Time: 4 min. “Right Now” by Swear Tapes Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Till I Cross Your Mind” by Young Valley [U.S. Premiere] Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Trina’s Story” Director: Andre Hill Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Wash My Hands” by Cedric Burnside Director: Christian Walker Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. “When It Rains” by Encantos [World Premiere] Director: Daniel Lee Perea Country: USA, Running Time: 4m. “Whiskey World” Director: Chaz Singleton Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Why Can’t You” by Truck Patch Revival Director: Montana Byrd Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Wolf 3” Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.

    STUDENT SHORT FILMS

    BAD THINGS Director: Mira K. Lippold-Johnson Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min. FRENCHIES Director: Kuan-Fu Lin Countries: Taiwan/USA, Running Time: 8 min. THE MOON AND THE NIGHT Director: Erin Lau Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min. NO WAY IN HELL Director: Raul Toledo Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. THE SUNDAY NIGHT DRINKERS CLUB Director: Ollie Gardner Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, ALICE [World Premiere] Director: Patrick Hanser Country: Brazil, Running Time: 11 min. WHERE I WAS BORN Director: Jungmin Cha Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.

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  • Charlamagne Tha God Exec Produces Bakari Sellers Documentary WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_32426" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]While I Breathe, I Hope While I Breathe, I Hope[/caption] What does it means to be young, black, and a Democrat in the American South? While I Breathe, I Hope follows South Carolina politician and CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers as he runs to become the first African American candidate elected statewide in over a century. The film from award-winning director Emily Harrold who is making her documentary feature directing debut, and from Executive Producer Charlamagne Tha God, the radio personality who co-hosts the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio program The Breakfast Club will have it New York Premiere screening at DOC NYC on Sunday, November 11. In 2014, Bakari Sellers–one of the youngest sitting members of the South Carolina House of Representatives–campaigns to be the first African American elected to statewide office since the 1870s. He runs for Lieutenant Governor, the second highest office in the state. The son of Cleveland Sellers, a prominent 1960s Civil Rights activist who was a leading member of SNCC, Bakari understands the difficult race relations in the American South. “Our race is not about what South Carolina was, it’s not about what South Carolina is, but it’s about what South Carolina can be,” he says. But as a Democrat in a red state, Bakari has a tough race ahead. News media consistently place Bakari behind his Republican opponent, Henry McMaster. Moreover, South Carolinians have not elected a Democrat to state office since 2006. Bakari doesn’t help his electability among white voters when he makes removing the Confederate Flag part of his campaign platform. But he refuses to give up. “I can’t win if I don’t run,” he states. But, in the end it seems South Carolina isn’t ready for the kind of change Bakari wants to bring to his state. Just months after the election, racially motivated shootings in Charleston in June of 2015 throw Bakari back into the spotlight. As he struggles to deal with the brutal death of his friend Clementa Pinckney, he finds thousands of faces turn to him for leadership. Bakari rises as a spokesperson for the community while also trying to unravel and understand the strained race relations of his beloved state. As the Confederate Flag drops from the State House grounds, he is on national television explaining the momentous nature of this event. In one of the most significant moments of his life, Bakari addresses the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. He brings audiences to their feet as he proclaims “Stand up for progress. Stand up for justice. And stand up if you know like I know that we’re stronger together!”

    NEW YORK PREMIERE SCREENING AT DOC NYC

    Sunday, November 11 at 4:15 PM IFC Center 323 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10014

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  • 2018 DOC NYC Announces Full Lineup, Closes with BRESLIN AND HAMILL

    [caption id="attachment_32107" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists[/caption] DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, returns for its ninth edition with 135 feature-length documentaries among over 300 films and events overall.   The festival takes place November 8 to 15 at in New York at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea. Special Events include Closing Night Film, the world premiere of HBO’s Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, about the beloved New York City journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill, directed by Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy; and the festival’s Centerpiece presentation, the world premiere of Original Cast Album: Co-op, an episode in the upcoming season of IFC’s Documentary Now! series inspired by D.A. Pennebaker’s Original Cast Album: Company, followed by a conversation with creators Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, director Alex Buono, writer and star John Mulaney, and star Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton). The NYC premiere of John Chester’s Telluride and Toronto hit The Biggest Little Farm will open the festival. World premieres at the festival include Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order, following The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead on a “Vagical Mystery Tour” to fight for reproductive rights; New Homeland, the newest film from two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple, following refugee boys to a summer camp; Cracked Up, a revealing portrait of Saturday Night Live alumnus Darrell Hammond; Olympia, on Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis; Buzz, about Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger; Afterward, a candid exploration of complex tensions between Germans, Jews and Palestinians; Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy, on the legendary Juilliard drama teacher who trained Meryl Streep and Viola Davis among countless other talents; Beyond the Bolex, a personal history of the iconic camera; and The Show’s the Thing: The Legendary Promoters of Rock, which reveals an untold chapter of rock history. Among this year’s U.S. premieres are Screwball, a hilarious exposé of Alex Rodriguez’s doping scandal; The Insufferable Groo, on a prolific low-budget filmmaker who recruits Jack Black for his latest opus; Evelyn, Oscar-winner Orlando von Einsiedel’s reckoning with a family tragedy; Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records, the fascinating tale about the popularization of Jamaican music worldwide; Barbara Rubin & the Exploding NY Underground, on an influential but little-recognized member of the 1960s film and art world; and The Artist & the Pervert, on the controversial relationship between a world renowned composer and a sex educator. The festival is curated in 21 sections that include five new strands: Series Showcase, offering world premieres of new episodic programs, including Showtime’s Enemies: The President, Justice & the FBI, exploring the contentious relationship between U.S. presidents and the FBI; and SundanceTV’s Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre. Photography on Film, which includes the world premiere of Last Stop Coney Island: The Life and Photography of Harold Feinstein, on the seven-decade career of the NYC photographer. Portraits, which presents the world premieres of The Great Mother, a profile of a woman serving as the legal guardian for 2,000 children of undocumented immigrants; and Welcome to the Beyond, the surprising story of a fashion model and a cult. In the System, offering an inside look at institutions, including sexism in the restaurant world in The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution; and the financial industry on the cusp of the economic recession in Inside Lehman Brothers. True Love, which presents the world premiere of Dennis and Lois, about a punk rock-loving older couple; and the U.S. premiere of China Love, which explores China’s $80 billion pre-wedding photo industry. In the festival’s two feature competition sections, nine films appear under the Viewfinders section for distinct directorial visions. They include the world premieres of Cooked: Survival by Zip Code, a radical reframing of natural disasters and their link to poverty; Out of Omaha, a coming-of-age story executive produced by musician J. Cole; The Smartest Kids in the World, an exploration of the shortcomings of the U.S. education system; and The Kleptocrats, an investigation of the Malaysian financial scandal that helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street. In the Metropolis competition section, seven films are dedicated to stories set in New York City. They include the world premieres of Jay Myself, about acclaimed photographer Jay Maisel; Decade of Fire, on the notorious series of fires that devastated the Bronx in the 1970s; See Know Evil, about a young photographer who left an indelible mark on fashion in the 1990s; and The Candidates, which follows an elaborate mock U.S. presidential election at a Queens high school. Other returning sections include high-profile Special Events; national and global takes inAmerican Perspectives and International Perspectives; and thematic sections Centerstage (on performance), Jock Docs (on sports), Science Nonfiction (on science and technology), Wild Life (on animals), Modern Family (on unconventional families), Behind the Scenes (on filmmaking), Fight the Power (on activism), Sonic Cinema (on music) and Docs Redux (revisiting classic nonfiction). Short-form content (92 films in total) is represented by the festival’s Shorts Competition and DOC NYC U (showcasing student work), selected by Programmer Opal H. Bennett. These sections join the Short List: Features titles, highlighting 15 of the year’s award contender documentary features; Short List: Shorts, an inaugural list of 12 of the year’s leading nonfiction shorts; and the eight-day DOC NYC PRO conference, doubled in size from 2017, focusing on panels and masterclasses. DOC NYC will welcome over 500 filmmakers and special guests in attendance for Q&As after most screenings and for DOC NYC PRO panels. Among the notable guests expected to appear in person are Jakob Dylan for Echo in the Canyon, Darrell Hammond for Cracked Up, Jeffrey Wright for We Are Not Done Yet, Sandra Lee for RX: Early Detection, J.Cole for Out of Omaha, Christo for Walking on Water, Alex Sharp for Creating a Character, Lizz Winstead for Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order and more to be announced in the coming weeks. For this year’s Short List section of awards season frontrunners, filmmakers presenting their work in person at the festival include Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks (Quincy), Wim Wenders (Pope Francis: A Man of His Word), Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 11/9), Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?), Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo), Betsy West and Julie Cohen (RBG), Rudy Valdez (The Sentence), Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (Reversing Roe), Susan Lacy (Jane Fonda in Five Acts), Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), Tim Wardle (Three Identical Strangers), Sandi Tan (Shirkers), Alexandria Bombach (On Her Shoulders), RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) and Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment). Filmmakers will also take part in the Short List Day of panel conversations on Nov. 9 at DOC NYC PRO. Notable documentarians will also be honored at the Visionaries Tribute Awards event on Nov. 8: Wim Wenders and Orlando Bagwell will receiveLifetime Achievement Awards while Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for observational filmmaking. Tabitha Jackson, director of the Documentary Film Program at Sundance Institute, will receive theLeading Light Award for distinguished service to documentary in a role outside filmmaking. The following is a breakdown of programming by section:

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    OPENING NIGHT THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM Dir: John Chester (NYC PREMIERE) For over eight years, John and Molly Chester struggle to work with nature to establish a biodynamic farm, like a modern-day Little House on the Prairie. CLOSING NIGHT BRESLIN AND HAMILL: DEADLINE ARTISTS Dirs: Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy (WORLD PREMIERE) Legendary newspaper columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill are profiled in this essential look at journalism in New York City. CENTERPIECE Documentary Now! Presents ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: CO-OP Dir: Alex Buono (WORLD PREMIERE) IFC’s comedy series Documentary Now!, which pays homage to nonfiction classics, presents an episode inspired by D.A. Pennebaker’s Original Cast Album: Company.

    VIEWFINDERS

    COOKED: SURVIVAL BY ZIP CODE Dir: Judith A. Helfand (WORLD PREMIERE) Director Judith A. Helfand (Blue Vinyl) investigates the victims and profiteers in extreme weather catastrophes like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. GHOST FLEET Dirs: Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron (NYC PREMIERE) This suspenseful high-seas adventure follows a team of activists who rescue modern-day slaves in Thailand’s illegal fishing industry. HEARTBOUND Dirs: Janus Metz, Sine Plambech (NYC PREMIERE) Janus Metz (Borg vs McEnroe) and Sine Plambech explore the surprising cross-cultural marriages between Danish men and Thai women over a decade. THE KLEPTOCRATS Dirs: Havana Marking, Sam Hobkinson (WORLD PREMIERE) Investigative journalists uncover how $3.5 billion was plundered from the Malaysian government for a spending spree that included funding The Wolf of Wall Street. A LITTLE WISDOM Dirs: Yuqi Kang (NYC PREMIERE) In a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, young novice monks try to balance rituals and discipline with the distractions of modern life and childhood. OUT OF OMAHA Dir: Clay Tweel (WORLD PREMIERE) A coming-of-age tale of twin African-American brothers filmed over eight years by director Clay Tweel (Gleason) and executive produced by musician J. Cole. THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD Dir: Tracy Droz Tragos (WORLD PREMIERE) Based on Amanda Ripley’s bestselling book, four American teenagers go abroad to study in nations that outperform the US in education. UNDER THE WIRE  Dir: Chris Martin (NYC PREMIERE) A gripping, first-hand account of the mortal peril faced by war correspondent Marie Colvin and photographer Paul Conroy while reporting from within Syria. WALKING ON WATER Dir: Andrey Paounov (NYC PREMIERE) After the death of his partner, Jeanne-Claude, the visionary artist Christo, known for The Gates of Central Park, realizes his dream of The Floating Piers in Italy.

    METROPOLIS

    BARBARA RUBIN & THE EXPLODING NY UNDERGROUND Dir: Chuck Smith (U.S. PREMIERE) The untold story of an influential figure who defied sexist conventions and enabled surprising connections in the 1960s New York underground film scene. THE CANDIDATES Dirs: Alexandra Stergiou, Lexi Henigman (WORLD PREMIERE) In a Queens high school, a mock Presidential election sees a Russian-American as Donald Trump face off against a Pakistani-American as Hillary Clinton. CREATING A CHARACTER: THE MONI YAKIM LEGACY Dir: Rauzar Alexander (WORLD PREMIERE) Legendary Juilliard acting teacher Moni Yakim, who taught Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Patti LuPone and countless others, gets his time in the spotlight. DECADE OF FIRE Dirs: Vivian Vazquez, Gretchen Hildebran (WORLD PREMIERE) The true, inside story behind the burning of the Bronx in the 1970s and how the community resisted, remained and rebuilt. JAY MYSELF Dir: Stephen Wilkes (WORLD PREMIERE) For five decades, photographer Jay Maisel created an artistic wonderland in a six-story building on the Bowery, but now it’s time to move. SEE KNOW EVIL Dir: Charles Curran (WORLD PREMIERE) At a young age, photographer Davide Sorrenti took New York City by storm in the 1990s and left an indelible imprint on the fashion world. THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET Dir: Jeremy Workman (NYC PREMIERE) This charming portrait captures urban explorer Matt Green on his mission to walk every block of New York City.

    AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

    THE BLESSING Dirs: Hunter Robert Baker, Jordan Fein (NYC PREMIERE) Deep in the Navajo Nation, one family struggles with contradictions as a coal company offers employment while destroying the community’s sacred homeland. CITY OF JOEL Dir: Jesse Sweet (NYC PREMIERE) In Monroe, NY, 50 miles north of NYC, a fast-growing Hasidic community sets off a turf war with political, economic and religious implications. THE CITY THAT SOLD AMERICA Dir: Ky Dickens (NYC PREMIERE) A playful and informative look at the key role Chicago has played in modern advertising and its impact on pop culture. Screening with Ross Kauffman’s short Still Plays with Trains: John reconstructs his idyllic 1950s childhood through one of the world’s largest model train sets. EMANUEL Dir: Brian Ivie (NYC PREMIERE) In the aftermath of the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, a community grapples with justice, faith and forgiveness. HARVEST SEASON Dir: Bernardo Ruiz (NYC PREMIERE) Set in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valley wine country, this film celebrates the unsung workers and small producers, from vine to vintage. HILLBILLY Dirs: Sally Rubin, Ashley York (NYC PREMIERE) Ashley York returns to her hometown in Appalachia where, contrary to dismissive stereotypes, she shows a diverse, complex and proud community. NORTH POLE, NY Dir: Ali Cotterill (NYC PREMIERE) Upstate New York’s Santa’s Workshop theme park struggles to overcome economic challenges and a con man who tries to steal Christmas. THE PROVIDERS Dirs: Anna Moot-Levin, Laura Green (NYC PREMIERE) In rural New Mexico, healthcare workers serve a community hard hit by the opioid crisis and still reeling from the 2008 recession. VERY SENIOR: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Dir: Susan Gluth (WORLD PREMIERE) In Sun City, Arizona, seniors in a retirement community demonstrate the art of aging gracefully while making one’s own choices. Screening with Rachel Mills and Maya Tippett’s short Magnitudinous Illuminous: Meet Pete, a 66-year-old Brooklyn bartender and self-proclaimed philosopher. WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE Dir: Emily Harrold (NYC PREMIERE) Young, African-American and a Democrat, Bakari Sellers faces an uphill struggle as he runs for lieutenant governor in South Carolina.

    INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

    AFTERWARD Dir: Ofra Bloch (WORLD PREMIERE) Disturbed by the resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide, the filmmaker travels to Germany, Israel and Palestine to confront lasting tensions and contradictions. BRAVE GIRLS Dirs: Yashaswi Desai, Ellie Walton (WORLD PREMIERE) Three young Indian women in a conservative Muslim town seek to change their futures through education and self-determination. Screening with Guille Isa and Angello Faccini’s short Dulce: A mother teaches her daughter how to swim, essential to survival in their Colombian village. EXIT Dir: Karen Winther (NYC PREMIERE) What makes someone join neo-Nazis, Jihadists or other hate groups, and what makes them decide to leave? THE INTERPRETERS Dirs: Andres Caballero, Sofian Khan (NYC PREMIERE) Interpreters who worked for US military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq face retribution while they await promised but long-delayed special visas into the US. NEW HOMELAND Dir: Barbara Kopple (WORLD PREMIERE) Refugee boys from war-torn Syria and Iraq attend a Canadian summer camp where some thrive while others struggle. OF FATHERS AND SONS Dir: Talal Derki (NYC PREMIERE) In this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, director Talal Derki (Return to Homs) gains access to a radical Syrian jihadist and his family for two years. THE OTHER RIO Dir: Émilie B. Guérette (U.S. PREMIERE) In Rio de Janeiro, squatters live in an abandoned government building under the rule of drug dealers, but exhibit a remarkable resilience. TAKUMI: A 60,000 HOUR STORY ON THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN CRAFT Dir: Clay Jeter (WORLD PREMIERE) Profiles of devoted artisans including a chef, a traditional paper cut artist, a car factory inspector and a carpenter.

    SERIES SHOWCASE

    ENEMIES: THE PRESIDENT, JUSTICE & THE FBI Dir: Jed Rothstein (WORLD PREMIERE) A preview of the new Showtime series, inspired by Tim Weiner’s Enemies: A History of the FBI, with an episode on the Iran-Contra affair plus an extended Q&A. JONESTOWN: TERROR IN THE JUNGLE Dir: Shan Nicholson (WORLD PREMIERE) Based on Jeff Guinn’s book The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, the first half of the new SundanceTV series is previewed, with an extended Q&A. LADY PARTS JUSTICE IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER Dir: Ruth Leitman (WORLD PREMIERE) Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, organizes activists and comedians for a satire-infused advocacy tour for reproductive rights.

    PHOTOGRAPHY ON FILM

    INSTANT DREAMS Dir: Willem Baptist (NYC PREMIERE) After the Polaroid company stops production, three enthusiasts are determined to keep alive the magical wonder and technology of instant cameras. THE LAST RESORT Dirs: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch (NYC PREMIERE) Photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe captured Miami Beach’s aging Jewish population for a decade, even as the city transformed around them. LAST STOP CONEY ISLAND: THE LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHY OF HAROLD FEINSTEIN Dir: Andy Dunn (WORLD PREMIERE) Photographer Harold Feinstein captured the beauty, joy and diversity of New Yorkers over seven decades. WITKIN & WITKIN Dir: Trisha Ziff (NYC PREMIERE) Gifted twin brothers—photographer Joel-Peter Witkin and painter Jerome Witkin—reunite for a joint show after decades of estrangement.

    PORTRAITS

    BUZZ Dir: Andrew Shea (WORLD PREMIERE) While co-writing Caitlyn Jenner’s biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) tests his marriage with surprising revelations. COMMANDER ARIAN: A STORY OF WOMEN, WAR & FREEDOM Dir: Alba Sotorra (NYC PREMIERE) Under threat from ISIS, Commander Arian gathers her all-women Kurdish battalion to rescue enslaved civilians in northern Syria. THE FEMINIST Dir: Hampus Linder (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) This starkly intimate portrait of Sweden’s feminist trailblazer politician Gudrun Schyman serves as a rallying call in today’s political climate. THE GREAT MOTHER Dirs: Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker (WORLD PREMIERE) Nora Sandigo has more than 2,000 kids, acting as the legal guardian for US-born children of undocumented immigrants. I’M LEAVING NOW Dirs: Lindsey Cordero, Armando Croda (U.S. PREMIERE) Felipe, an undocumented immigrant in NYC who has long struggled to support his family in Mexico, faces the limits of self-sacrifice. LAILA AT THE BRIDGE Dirs: Elizabeth Mirzaei, Gulistan Mirzaei (NYC PREMIERE) Self-proclaimed badass Laila offers salvation to drug addicts in Kabul, running a clinic with her brother, himself a recovered addict. WELCOME TO THE BEYOND Dir: Brent Huff (WORLD PREMIERE) The surprising story of Hoyt Richards, the world’s first male supermodel… and secretly a member of the Eternal Values cult. WORLDS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN Dir: Arwen Curry (NYC PREMIERE) A moving and intimate profile of feminist sci-fi/fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin, featuring interviews with admirers like Neil Gaiman and David Mitchell.

    IN THE SYSTEM

    ALICIA Dir: Maasja Ooms (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A gem of observational cinema, Maasja Ooms’ film portrays the emotional roller coaster experienced by a girl in foster care longing for love. FALSE CONFESSIONS Dir: Katrine Philp (NYC PREMIERE) A dogged defense attorney is on a crusade to put a stop to coerced false confessions, exposing their destructive consequences. THE HEAT: A KITCHEN (R)EVOLUTION Dir: Maya Gallus (NYC PREMIERE) Seven female chefs are profiled in a no-holds-barred exploration of the struggles faced by women in the restaurant industry. INSIDE LEHMAN BROTHERS Dir: Jennifer Deschamps (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Ten years after Wall Street’s meltdown, Lehman Brothers whistleblowers look back on their efforts to sound an alarm. OWNED: A TALE OF TWO AMERICAS Dir: Giorgio Angelini (NYC PREMIERE) An investigation of how greed, flawed economics and systemic racism have distorted the American dream of homeownership. THE SCHOOL IN THE CLOUD Dir: Jerry Rothwell (NYC PREMIERE) The brainchild of TED Prize winner Sugata Mitra, a state of the art learning lab connects children in remote areas to teachers via the Internet. SEE YOU TOMORROW, GOD WILLING! Dir: Ainara Vera (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Seventeen octogenarian Franciscan nuns in Spain take care of each other in this beautifully observed and often humorous portrait. Screening with Leah Galant’s short Death Metal Grandma: A 97-year-old Holocaust survivor prepares a death metal audition for America’s Got Talent. SOMEWHERE TO BE Dir: Peter Odabashian (WORLD PREMIERE) In NYC’s Greenwich House, seniors from all walks of life share stories in this heartwarming portrait that redefines the meaning of a good life.

    TRUE LOVE

    THE ARTIST & THE PERVERT Dirs: Beatrice Behn, René Gebhardt (U.S. PREMIERE) In this provocative exploration of sexual kinks, composer Georg Friedrich Haas and sex educator Mollena Williams redefine norms of love and ownership. CHINA LOVE Dir: Olivia Martin-McGuire (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In modern-day Shanghai, engaged couples go on a fantasy ride of glitz, excess and glamour in search of the perfect wedding photo. DENNIS AND LOIS Dir: Chris Cassidy (WORLD PREMIERE) Forty years after meeting at CBGB, aging superfans Dennis and Lois still live life to its fullest, traveling all over to support their favorite bands. SILICONE SOUL Dir: Melody Gilbert (NYC PREMIERE) Profiling individuals who form relationships with eerily lifelike dolls, this film sensitively explores the need for companionship and emotional connection.

    CENTERSTAGE

    CARE TO LAUGH Dir: Julie Getz (NYC PREMIERE) Jesus Trejo funnels his experiences as a caregiver to his elderly parents into disarmingly funny material for his stand-up routine. CRAFTING AN ECHO Dir: Marco Williams (WORLD PREMIERE) Choreographer Andonis Foniadakis struggles to stage an ambitious work with the Martha Graham Dance Company with no shortage of behind-the-scenes drama. Screening with Dime Davis’ short Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant by Mark Bradford: A provocative artist explains where artists come from. THE ICE KING Dir: James Erskine (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of 1976 Gold medal-winning figure skater John Curry, arguably the first openly gay Olympic athlete and the creator of ice dancing. OLYMPIA Dir: Harry Mavromichalis (WORLD PREMIERE) Follow Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis behind the scenes in this affectionate profile of a stalwart New Yorker and beloved stage and screen treasure. WE ARE NOT PRINCESSES Dirs: Bridgette Auger, Itab Azzam (WORLD PREMIERE) Refreshingly candid Syrian women find personal connections to Greek tragedy during a theater workshop in a Lebanese refugee camp. WHEN ARABS DANCED Dir: Jawad Rhalib (NYC PREMIERE) Jawad Rhalib profiles artists in the Muslim world—including his mother, a Moroccan dancer—who seek freedom from stereotypes and repression.

    JOCK DOCS

    LIFE WITHOUT BASKETBALL Dirs: Tim O’Donnell, Jon Mercer (WORLD PREMIERE) Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir fights the International Basketball Federation to wear the hijab during Division I competition. MEMORY GAMES Dirs: Janet Tobias, Claus Wehlisch (WORLD PREMIERE) Inside the world championship of memory athletes, the abilities on display are unforgettable. MY PERFECT WORLD: THE AARON HERNANDEZ STORY Dir: Geno McDermott (WORLD PREMIERE) Sports journalists Dan Wetzel and Kevin Armstrong track the scandal of New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez as he spiraled from stardom to infamy. SCREWBALL Dir: Billy Corben (U.S. PREMIERE) From the makers of Cocaine Cowboys, this true crime comedy exposes baseball player Alex Rodriguez’s doping scandal with a hilarious profile of his drug supplier.

    SCIENCE NONFICTION

    BEHIND THE CURVE Dir: Daniel J. Clark (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of passionate advocates of the Flat Earth theory reveals the deep-seated need for community and the hazards of believing in alternative facts. PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE Dir: Hao Wu (NYC PREMIERE) This SXSW Grand Jury winner goes behind the scenes of China’s live-streaming showrooms, where web stars seek fans and financial rewards. THE TRUTH ABOUT KILLER ROBOTS Dir: Maxim Pozdorovkin (NYC PREMIERE) The director of Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer investigates how robots are becoming more human and humans more robotic.

    WILD LIFE

    THE ANCIENT WOODS Dir: Mindaugas Survila (NYC PREMIERE) Ten years in the making, a biologist-turned-filmmaker documents an old-growth forest with immersive cinematography and sound design. THE CAT RESCUERS Dirs: Rob Fruchtman, Steven Lawrence (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of street-smart volunteers working tirelessly in Brooklyn to help save as many street cats in need as possible. ELEPHANT PATH/NJAIA NJOKU Dir: Todd McGrain (NYC PREMIERE) In the forests of the Central African Republic, one of the last wild herds of elephants struggles for survival. FIRE ON THE HILL: THE COWBOYS OF SOUTH CENTRAL LA Dir: Brett Fallentine (NYC PREMIERE) Three black cowboys seek to preserve a unique culture of horse-riding in the last public stable in South Central LA. FOR THE BIRDS Dir: Richard Miron (NYC PREMIERE) Kathy, an obsessive bird lover in upstate New York, struggles to maintain over 200 chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys. OF FISH AND FOE Dirs: Heike Bachelier, Andy Heathcote (U.S. PREMIERE) Wildlife preservation clashes with family tradition when one of Scotland’s last salmon fishing families is accused of animal rights violations. STARS IN THE SKY: A HUNTING STORY Dir: Steven Rinella (WORLD PREMIERE) Set in the Alaskan wilderness, this thought-provoking film explores controversies over the sport of hunting. Screening with Orlando Mora Cabrera’s short Olga: After years of taking in street cats, Olga has more than she can handle.

    MODERN FAMILY

    COLOSSUS Dir: Jonathan Schienberg (WORLD PREMIERE) Born in the US, 15-year-old Jamil copes with the deportation to Honduras of his undocumented parents and older sister. EVELYN Dir: Orlando von Einsiedel (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Oscar-winning filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) turns the camera on his family as they cope with a tragic loss. FAMILY IN TRANSITION Dir: Ofir Trainin (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In a small Israeli town, a husband and father of four undergoes a gender transition that has rippling effects on the family. GLOBAL FAMILY Dirs: Melanie Andernach, Andreas Köhler (U.S. PREMIERE) A family, scattered across the globe in their escape from Somalia’s civil war, faces challenges when they must find a caregiver for their matriarch. LITTLE MISS WESTIE Dir: Joy E. Reed, Dan Hunt (WORLD PREMIERE) In Connecticut, Ren is the first out transgirl to compete in the Little Miss Westie Pageant, coached by her transgender brother. REFUGEE Dir: Alexander J. Farrell (WORLD PREMIERE) Syrian refugee Raf’aa seeks to be reunited with her family who are blocked by closed borders in this poignant story about today’s migration crisis. A SISTER’S SONG Dir: Danae Elon (NYC PREMIERE) In this real-life psychological thriller, an Israeli woman tries to convince her sister to leave the religious order which has kept them separated for 20 years. TO KID OR NOT TO KID Dir: Maxine Trump (WORLD PREMIERE) Filmmaker Maxine Trump (no relation) explores women like herself who face societal stigma for choosing not to have children. TRE MAISON DASAN Dir: Denali Tiller (NYC PREMIERE) This profile of three boys cut off from parents who are in prison poses meaningful questions about the effects of mass incarceration. WRESTLING GHOSTS Dir: Ana Joanes (NYC PREMIERE) A young mother tries to unravel her conflicted feelings around parenthood, inviting the viewer into her counseling sessions to heal past trauma.

    BEHIND THE SCENES

    BEYOND THE BOLEX Dir: Alyssa Bolsey (WORLD PREMIERE) Alyssa Bolsey explores the iconic Bolex camera, invented by her great-grandfather, Jacques Bolsey, who was a Russian refugee during World War I. CRACKED UP Dir: Michelle Esrick (WORLD PREMIERE) With courage and humor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus Darrell Hammond reveals his dark history of child abuse. THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES Dir: Mark Cousins (NYC PREMIERE) Mark Cousins (The Story of Film) takes a novel approach to Orson Welles by studying the legendary filmmaker’s paintings, drawings and doodles. THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS Dir: Peter Medak (NYC PREMIERE) Director Peter Medak (The Ruling Class) revisits his ill-fated 1973 pirate film with Peter Sellers in a classic insider’s tale of movie-making madness and folly. THE GREENAWAY ALPHABET Dir: Saskia Boddeke (NYC PREMIERE) Peter Greenaway (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover) is profiled with an alphabetical word association, directed by his multimedia artist wife. Screening with Chuck Workman’s short Moments of Truth: A masterful montage of moments from 100 documentary films. THE INSUFFERABLE GROO Dir: Scott Christopherson (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Stephen Groo, a Utah-based filmmaker of outlandish low-budget genre films with admirers like Jack Black, attempts an opus that may be his undoing. THE ORANGE YEARS: THE NICKELODEON STORY Dir: Scott Barber, Adam Sweeney (WORLD PREMIERE) A nostalgic and entertaining look back at the early years of Nickelodeon, the TV network that let kids enjoy being kids. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Dir: Tom Donahue (NYC PREMIERE) Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Shonda Rhimes and Geena Davis join a who’s who of Hollywood in this investigation of the entertainment industry’s systemic sexism. UNITED WE FAN Dir: Michael Sparaga (NYC PREMIERE) Looking at fandom culture that rallied around shows like Star Trek or Cagney and Lacey,this film reflects on the meaning of pop culture devotion. WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL Dir: Rob Garver (NYC PREMIERE) A nuanced portrait of controversial and influential film critic Pauline Kael revisits late-twentieth-century cinema through her words, followed by an extended Q&A.

    FIGHT THE POWER

    BEI BEI Dirs: Rose Rosenblatt, Marion Lipschutz (NYC PREMIERE) In Indiana, the murder trial of Chinese immigrant Bei Bei Shuai poses a disturbing legal precedent for terminating a pregnancy. BLEED OUT Dir: Steve Burrows (WORLD PREMIERE) In this legal drama meets medical mystery, Steve Burrows seeks justice for his mother, who suffers catastrophic complications after routine surgery. BOYS WHO LIKE GIRLS Dir: Inka Achté (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) In the aftermath of the infamous Delhi gang rape, a man works to change the way Indian boys view females. Screening with Thomas Winston’s short Casting in Jagüey Grande: Cuban kids attempt to master the art of fly fishing with their mentor and father figure. GRIT Dirs: Cynthia Wade, Sasha Friedlander (NYC PREMIERE) In East Java, Indonesia, a mother and daughter battle a corporation over a man-made catastrophe that’s displaced more than 60,000 people. I AM THE REVOLUTION Dir: Benedetta Argentieri (WORLD PREMIERE) Three women in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria lead the fight for gender equality and freedom in this empowering portrait. PATRIMONIO Dirs: Lisa F. Jackson, Sarah Teale (NYC PREMIERE) In Baja, Mexico, local fishermen face off against the development of a luxury resort, which will have a radical impact on the environment and on their livelihood. THE RESCUE LIST Dirs: Alyssa Fedele, Zachary Fink (NYC PREMIERE) On Ghana’s Lake Volta, activists work to rescue victims of a child-slavery industry and help them transition back to normal life. Screening with Nicholas Brennan’s short Mama: Gertrude has dedicated her life to delivering children in her rural Ugandan village.

    SONIC CINEMA

    THE 5 BROWNS: DIGGING THROUGH THE DARKNESS Dir: Ben Niles (NYC PREMIERE) Siblings and Juilliard-trained piano virtuosos, the 5 Browns confront a disturbing secret and use music to recover from its impact on their family. 16 BARS Dir: Samuel Bathrick (NYC PREMIERE) Grammy winner Todd Thomas—aka “Speech” of Arrested Development—leads a unique collaborative music workshop in a Virginia state penitentiary. ECHO IN THE CANYON Dir: Andrew Slater (NYC PREMIERE) Musician Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers explores the 1960s musicians who fostered folk rock tradition in the community of Laurel Canyon. I USED TO BE NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY Dir: Jessica Leski (NYC PREMIERE) Profiling the ardent fans who find joy in their devotion of boy bands such as New Kids on the Block, N*Sync, One Direction and The Beatles. IT MUST SCHWING! THE BLUE NOTE STORY Dir: Eric Friedler (NYC PREMIERE) Executive produced by Wim Wenders and featuring a swinging jazz soundtrack, this history of Blue Note Records profiles the company’s two Jewish German refugee founders. RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS Dir: Nicolas Jack Davies (U.S. PREMIERE) Set to great Jamaican music, a creative exploration of the pioneering 1960s label behind “Rudy, A Message to You,” “You Can Get if You Really Want” and more. THE SHOW’S THE THING: THE LEGENDARY PROMOTERS OF ROCK Dir: Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin (WORLD PREMIERE) This untold chapter of rock history reveals the influential live music promoters behind the rise of the Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, David Bowie and more. TEDDY PENDERGRASS: IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME Dir: Olivia Lichtenstein (NYC PREMIERE) This definitive bio, set to a soulful soundtrack, tells the story of Teddy Pendergrass, poised to be the biggest R&B artist ever—until tragedy struck.

    DOCS REDUX

    A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY (1999) Dir: Orlando Bagwell A classic film by DOC NYC Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Orlando Bagwell, celebrating the legacy of pioneering choreographer Alvin Ailey.

    SHORTS PROGRAMS

    SHORTS: THE BIG APPLE New York, NY. It’s a helluva town. Seven films explore the city, from the lives of immigrant cabbies to the World Trade Center memorial. The Accidental Activist (Samia Khan) Footprint (Sara Newens) The Sheriff of Goodtimes (Brad Hinkle) A Sharper Sword (Olivier Bernier) I’ve Never Been a Fisherman (Joe Stankus) King of the Night (Molly Brass, Stephen Tyler) Vilaayat (Ansh Vohra) SHORTS: THE CREATIVE SPARK On artists, performers and designers. Eight films profile graffiti to woodworking, architecture to art in Havana. Painting the Town (William Higbie) Barbara Kruger: Part of the Discourse (Ian Forster) Perspective. (Allyssa Agro) Thomas Fire Architect (Nicholas Weissman) Cuban Canvas (Kavery Kaul) Don’t Define Me (Don Casper) Tapume (Hugo Faraco) My Paintbrush Bites (Joel Pincosy, Joe Egender) SHORTS: DRAWN TOGETHER Life, animated. Nine films offer a creative use of animation to tell stories about Christmas, clowns, film pioneers and more. Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom (Matthew Salton) Music & Clowns (Alex Widdowson) Obon (Andre Hoermann, Anna Samo) Tightly Wound (Shelby Hadden) For A Better Life (Yasmin Mistry) Carlotta’s Face (Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld) Lon (Nina Landau) Lotte That Silhouette Girl (Elizabeth Beecherl, Carla Patullo) The Likes and Dislikes of Marj Bagley (Taylor Stanton) SHORTS: GENERATION Z The hopes and dreams of the youngest generation. Seven films detail young love, youth activism, refugee life and more. True Love in Pueblo Textil (Horatio Baltz) Station 15 (Kira Akerman, Sophie Tintori) Share (Barna Szász, Ellie Wen) Listen (Astrid Bussink) Osama and Ayman (Sam Price-Waldman, Ben Mullinkosson, Chris Cresci) We Became Fragments ( Luisa Conlon, Hanna Miller, Lacy Jane Roberts) Hallo Salaam (Kim Brand) SHORTS: I’M A SURVIVOR Contemplating life and death and finding grace. Six films offer hope in the face of life’s curveballs, from illness to accident. Grace (Rachel Pikelny) Sister Hearts (Mohammad Gorjestani) Crannog (Isa Rao) I Was Here (Julian Dalrymple) Prince’s Tale (Jamie Miller) The Pull (Paul Szynol) SHORTS: LEGACY History is made, for better or worse. Three films explore the legacy of both private and public actions. The Happiness Machine (Rebecca B. Blumhagen) In the Absence (Yi Seung-Jun) Father K (Judd Ehrlich) SHORTS: QUEERLY BELOVED Life, loud and proud. Four films detail the diversity of LGBTQ experience. The Journey: Gay Officers Action League (Det. John Giretti, Andrew Sklar) Landline (Matt Houghton) Almost Liam (Sapir Rokach) Transformations (Alonso Mayo) SHORTS: SPACES UNKNOWN Unexpected moments and unusual discoveries. Six surprising stories about fake news, rhino guardians and more. Fake News Fairytale (Kate Stonehill) The Traffic Separating Device (Johan Palmgren) Tungrus (Rishi Chandna) The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara (MacGregor) Black Line (Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi) The Black Mambas (Bruce Donnelly) SHORTS: THIS IS AMERICA, 2018 The states of the nation. Seven stories offer seven stories about Alabama quilters, a Texas pastor, New Orleans politicians and more. Lonesome Willcox (Ryan Maxey, Zack Wright) Sole Doctor (Paula Bernstein) While I Yet Live (Maris Curran) Cats Cradle (Jonathan Napolitano) LA Stories (Sara Newens, Josh Polon) Last Sermon at George’s Creek (Spencer Creigh, Bobby Moser) All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk (Angela Tucker) SHORTS: THIS SPORTING LIFE Athletes, on and off the field. Six portraits of boxing, climbing, football and more. El Gallo (Michael Medoway) Big Wall (Jennifer Law-Smith) Concussion Protocol (Josh Begley) This Is Yarra (Lydia Rui) Black 14 (Darius Clark Monroe) Junction (Brendan Young)

    DOC NYC U

    The festival’s long-running section offers showcases of some of the city’s top student documentary filmmaking programs. Five programs reveal the nonfiction filmmakers of tomorrow, with work from Columbia University, Hunter College, New York Film Academy, New York University and School of Visual Arts. Columbia Journalism School’s Documentary Project showcase includes: The Lifehouse (Heba Elorbany, Kimberly Flores Guzmàn) Love, Mommy (Tala Hadavi, Yeong-Ung Yang) Hunter’s MFA Program in Integrated Media Arts showcase includes: After… After… (Access) (Jordan Lord) Dick’s Decoys (Sean Hanley) Cranberry Lake (Zoya Baker) Gentrification Express: Breaking Down the BQX (Samantha Farinella, Amanda Katz) Postcards from Miss Universe (CG Foisy) NYFA’s Documentary Department showcase includes: Cricket Liu (Julia Cheng) I Love You, Wally (Simona Kubasova Prakash) Keliling Bali (Gary Bencheghib, Aitor Mendilibar) The Trolls & I (Charlotte Madvig Schmidt) NYU’s NewsDoc showcase includes: An Edited Life (Mathieu Faure) Trafficked In Paradise (Olivia Wilson) SVA’s MFA Social Documentary Film showcase includes: Bird (Kate Fisher) Bob Man (Olivia Garzon) The Calling (Padcha Ithijarukul) Dressed to Fight (Naijie Wang) In the Right Frame of Mind (Veronique Engel) Noodle Soul (Hong Shanjia) On Track (Yunhong Pu)

    SHORT LIST: SHORTS

    ’63 BOYCOTT Dir: Gordon Quinn In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago’s public schools to protest racial segregation. Combining period footage with reflections from participants, ‘63 Boycott links the past with present-day concerns around inequality in the education system. Courtesy of Kartemquin. EARTHRISE Dir: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee In 1968, the first image of the Earth was captured from space, an iconic photograph that had an immediate and transformative impact around the globe. Earthrise explores the memories of the Apollo 8 astronauts responsible for the image, and their experience of awe in viewing the Earth framed against the void of space. Courtesy of New York Times Op-Docs/POV. END GAME Dirs: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman A moving film about the passage from life to death, End Game is a portrait of the last days of those in palliative care in two San Francisco Bay Area medical facilities pioneering new paradigms for end-of-life decisions. Courtesy of Netflix. THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE Dir: Vanessa Roth 80 years ago, Xia Shuqin witnessed the murder of her family during the Nanjing Massacre.The Girl and the Picture uncovers how an American missionary’s camera serendipitously captured Xia and her sister, binding his family and theirs forever. Courtesy of USC Shoah Foundation/Cause & Affect Media. THE HEAD & THE HAND Dir: Marc Serpa Francoeur A meditative portrait of two women who confronted great adversity with a profound bond and remarkable positivity, The Head & The Hand presents a rich exploration of disability, independence and sisterhood. Courtesy of Lost Time Media. LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL SHOOTING: NOTES FROM DUNBLANE Dir: Kim A. Snyder In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting, local priest Father Bob Weiss connects with Father Basil O’Sullivan of Dunblane, Scotland, from a community which could uniquely relate to Newtown’s trauma. Kim A. Snyder’s film explores the power of resilience through the bond forged between these two priests. Courtesy of Netflix. MY DEAD DAD’S PORNO TAPES Dir: Charlie Tyrell Following the death of his emotionally distant father, filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand him through the personal belongings he left behind… including a stack of dirty VHS tapes. Courtesy of New York Times Op-Docs. RX: EARLY DETECTION, A CANCER JOURNEY WITH SANDRA LEE Dir: Cathy Chermol Schrijver After an annual mammogram results in a diagnosis of breast cancer, Emmy-winning TV host and lifestyle expert Sandra Lee sets out to discover the best options for treatment and recovery, opening up her private journey to share the importance of early detection with other women. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. SIDELINED Dir: Galen Summer In 1978, inspired by the popularity of NFL cheerleaders, Playboy organized a pictorial feature approved by team management happy for the media exposure. But when the resulting pictures set off a critical backlash, cheerleaders were fired, exposing society’s hypocrisy around female sexuality. Courtesy of A&E IndieFilms/Lifetime Films. TAKE BACK THE HARBOR Dirs: Kristi Jacobson, Roger Ross Williams On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take Back the Harbor highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum. Courtesy of Discovery/Motto Pictures. WE ARE NOT DONE YET Dir: Sareen Hairabedian US veterans and active-duty service members come together through a workshop led by poet Seema Reza to combat their traumatic military pasts via the written word. Sharing fears, vulnerabilities and victories, their writing becomes a tool for empowerment and healing culminating in the live performance of a collaborative poem under the direction of Jeffrey Wright. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. ZION Dir: Floyd Russ Born without legs and growing up in the foster care system, Zion Clark moved from one home to another as he grew up. Floyd Russ’ inspiring portrait reveals how his discovery of wrestling in the second grade provided not only a therapeutic outlet, but a sense of family.Courtesy of Netflix.

    SHORT LIST: FEATURES

    CRIME + PUNISHMENT Dir: Stephen Maing With unparalleled access to the whistle-blowing NYPD 12, this compelling Sundance prize-winner exposes systemic police corruption. Courtesy of IFC Films/Hulu. FAHRENHEIT 11/9 Dir: Michael Moore “One of Moore’s best and most incisively funny films” (Rolling Stone) seeks to understand the rise of Donald Trump and the resistance against him. Courtesy of State Run Films/Briarcliff Entertainment. FREE SOLO Dirs: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin Alex Honnold aims to be the first climber to ascend free solo–without safety ropes–the 3,000-foot cliff of El Capitan in California’s Yosemite Park. Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films. HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING Dir: RaMell Ross In this lyrical portrait of two young African-American men in the American South, “you witness a new cinematic language being born” (Village Voice). Courtesy of Cinema Guild. JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS Dir: Susan Lacy This candid and entertaining portrait explores Jane Fonda’s many facets: sex symbol, Academy Award winner, controversial activist, tycoon’s wife and fitness mogul. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. MINDING THE GAP Dir: Bing Liu Bing Liu films his skateboarding friends Zack and Keire over a decade, capturing the legacy of troubled relationships with their fathers. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Hulu. ON HER SHOULDERS Dir: Alexandria Bombach Before Nadia Murad was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, this portrait captures the young Yazidi activist as she advocates for her minority community. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/RYOT. POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD Dir: Wim Wenders The Oscar-nominated director of Pina and Buena Vista Social Club now trains his camera on the Argentine pontiff who leads the Catholic Church. Courtesy of Focus Features. QUINCY Dirs: Rashida Jones, Alan Hicks Following the now 85-year-old producer Quincy Jones over three years on the road as he reflects on collaborators, from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. Courtesy of Netflix. RBG Dirs: Betsy West, Julie Cohen In this vivid history, we watch Ruth Bader Ginsburg go from trailblazing ACLU lawyer to the key liberal voice on the conservative Supreme Court. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Participant Media/CNN Films. REVERSING ROE Dirs: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg Acclaimed filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern trace the legacy of Roe v. Wade as reproductive rights are increasingly at risk. Courtesy of Netflix. THE SENTENCE Dir: Rudy Valdez For ten years, Rudy Valdez captures the lives of his nieces while their mother serves a harsh prison term due to mandatory minimum sentencing. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. SHIRKERS Dir: Sandi Tan Sundance Directing Award winner Sandi Tan solves a mystery from her youth in Singapore, when her mysterious older mentor stole her first film. Courtesy of Netflix. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS Dir: Tim Wardle When triplets separated at birth discovered each other in 1980, it was a media sensation, but the truth behind their past proves both surprising and disturbing. Courtesy of NEON/CNN Films. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Dir: Morgan Neville Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) tells the story of Fred Rogers, who influenced generations of children through his pioneering TV program.Courtesy of Focus Features.

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  • Music Documentary A TUBA TO CUBA to Close 2018 New Orleans Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31491" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]A Tuba to Cuba A Tuba to Cuba[/caption] The documentary A Tuba to Cuba which follows New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they retrace their musical roots to the shores of Cuba will be the Closing Night film of the 29th New Orleans Film Festival.   The film underscores the festival’s programmatic focus on films from and about the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora, particularly those that speak to the historical and cultural ties between New Orleans and the Caribbean. This year the feature competition lineup includes ten narrative feature films, eight documentary feature films, and eight feature films made in Louisiana. The 2018 Festival which will take place from October 17th through October 25th boasts the most diverse line-up in the festival’s history – with 60% of films by female directors and 54% by directors of color, and 80% from either a female director or director of color. The New Orleans Film Society will warm up for the 29th New Orleans Film Festival with a special preview of the feature film BLAZE, directed by Ethan Hawke, on Tuesday, August 29th at the Orpheum Theater! BLAZE is a biopic of Texas outlaw music’s unsung legend Blaze Foley, written by Ethan Hawke and Blaze Foley’s former sweetheart, Sybil Rosen. Rosen will attend the screening at the Orpheum Theater for a Q&A session on the 29th. Hawke approached Rosen about the project after reading her own telling of Foley’s story in the book “Living in the Woods in a Tree.” The lead role of Foley is played by newcomer Ben Dickey (a musician by trade), and fans of Netflix’s Arrested Development will spot Alia Shawkat as the female lead (Sybil Rosen). Rosen plays her own mother in the film. Blaze was filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and opened at Sundance Film Festival 2018.

    CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

    A Tuba to Cuba | dir. T.G. Herrington, Danny Clinch | USA A TUBA TO CUBA follows New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they retrace their musical roots from the storied city of jazz to the shores of Cuba and in turn discover a connection that runs much deeper than could have been imagined.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION

    Chained for Life | dir. Aaron Schimberg | USA A beautiful actress struggles to connect with her disfigured co-star on the crowded set of a European auteur’s English-language debut. Empty Metal | dir. Adam Khalil, Bayley Sweitzer | USA SOUTHERN U.S. PREMIERE. A trio of aimless musicians are caught up in a shadow revolution governed by psychic native separatists, sovereign citizens, survivalist preppers, and steered by a dreadlocked rasta. Family First | dir. Sophie Dupuis | Canada Constantly walking a tightrope, JP tries to maintain a proper balance between the numerous needs of his family, his job with his brother, and his involvements in his uncle’s drug cartel. Fort Maria | dir. S. Cagney Gentry, Thomas Southerland | USA Four women in the South are connected by the death of a dog. A Haunting Hitchhike | dir. Heejae Jeong | South Korea NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE. 16-year-old girl Jeong-ae is on her way to find her long-lost mother, believing that she’s the only hope left to her. Jules of Light and Dark | dir. Daniel Laabs | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Two young lovers, Maya and Jules, are found wrecked on the side of the road in North Texas by a loner roughneck, Freddy. As her relationship crumbles, Maya forms a friendship with Freddy, whose past mistakes and experiences offer her insights on her life. Life is Fare | dir. Sephora Woldu | Eritrea, USA Sephora, an idealistic young Eritrean American, pitches a well-meaning but ludicrous film about identity, memory, and homesickness to her traditional mother. Pig Film | dir. Josh Gibson | USA NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE. In an empty world, a solitary female mechanically follows the protocols of a factory hog farm. Her labors are sporadically punctuated by musical rhapsodies as she moves toward the impending end. Solace | dir. Tchaiko Omawale | USA SOUTHERN U.S. PREMIERE. A 17-year-old orphan is shipped off to her estranged grandmother. She plots her escape while navigating a foreign environment, new friendships and a hidden eating disorder. Waru | dir. Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Chelsea Winstanley, Renae Maihi, Paula Whetu Jones | New Zealand Following the death of a child, eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride and defeat but will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION

    América | dir. Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside | Mexico América is a story of brothers confronting the chasm between adolescent yearning and adult realities when brought together to care for their ailing ninety-three year old grandmother. For the Birds | dir. Richard Miron | USA A woman’s love for her pet ducks, chickens, geese, and turkeys—all 200 of them—ignites a battle with local animal rescuers and puts her marriage in jeopardy. Gimme A Faith | dir. Hao Zhang | China, USA WORLD PREMIERE. Two evangelical Christians in the Bible Belt of the United States are devoted to converting newly arrived Chinese international students. Jaddoland | dir. Nadia Shihab | Kuwait, USA WORLD PREMIERE. A visit to her mother’s home art studio in Texas prompts the filmmaker to explore the meaning of home and the search for belonging across three generations of her Iraqi family. Man Made | dir. T Cooper | USA Traces the paths of four transgender male bodybuilders as they prepare to step on stage at the only all-trans bodybuilding competition in the world. The Unafraid | dir. Heather Courtney, Anayansi Prado | USA A look at the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia, a state that has banned them from attending their top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. While I Breathe, I Hope | dir. Emily Harrold | USA WORLD PREMIERE. This film explores what it means to be young, Black, and a Democrat through the experiences of South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers. Wrestle | dir. Suzannah Herbert, Lauren Belfer | USA The wrestling team at JO Johnson High School in Huntsville, which has been on Alabama’s failing schools list for many years, fights their way towards the State Championship and the doors they hope it will open.

    LOUISIANA FEATURES COMPETITION

    Bending Lines: The Sculpture of Robert Wiggs | dir. Allison Bohl DeHart, Peter DeHart | USA Obsessed with the repeating geometry of nature, a sculptor works in the space between art and science. Buckjumping | dir. Lily Keber | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Buckjumping takes the pulse of present-day New Orleans by turning to its dancers, the men and women who embody the rhythm of the city and prove it on the streets every chance they get. Mississippi Madam: The Life of Nellie Jackson | dir. Timothy Givens, Mark K. Brockway | USA In 1902 Nellie Jackson, an African-American woman born into poverty in Possum Corner, Mississippi, traveled north to Natchez and opened “Nellie’s”, a brothel she ran for more than sixty years. Same God | dir. Linda Midgett | USA The first African American woman to gain tenure at “the evangelical Harvard” faces a life-altering backlash to her public show of solidarity with American Muslims. The True Don Quixote | dir. Chris Poché | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Danny Kehoe lives an ordinary life that leaves him bored nearly to death. His only escape is in his collection of books and comics, all recounting, with great inaccuracy, the romantic tales of the chivalrous Knights Errant. When those books are taken away, he goes mad. In his desperation, he re-christens himself as the last and greatest knight of all, Don Quixote. This Little Light | dir. Ada McMahon, Wendi Moore-O’Neal | USA When Black feminist freedom singer Wendi Moore-O’Neal married her now wife, Mandisa, she was fired from her job as a community organizer. This is a self-determined portrait about the Black Southern Freedom movement. This Taco Truck Kills Fascists | dir. Rodrigo Dorfman | USA WORLD PREMIERE. Jose Torres-Tama is on a mission: to create a revolutionary Taco Truck Theatre with a simple message: “No guacamole for immigrant haters”. Tomorrow Never Knows | dir. Adam Sekuler | USA The uncomfortable reality of death is faced by Shar and Cynthia who, upon Shar’s diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s, make a brave and difficult decision.

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  • Onur Tukel’s THE MISOGYNISTS Among Headliners for 23rd Cucalorus Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_24822" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Misogynists The Misogynists[/caption] The 23 year-old Cucalorus Film Festival is transforming to broaden its exploration of innovation and creativity by showcasing performers and entrepreneurs along with filmmakers.  This year’s Cucalorus Festival taking place November 8 to 12, in downtown Wilmington, NC, is organized into three broad programs: Film, Stage and Connect. The catalyst for this transformation is the Cucalorus Connect Conference, an exploration of the digital transformation that is changing the way we live, work and play. Michele Holbrook from Corning will deliver the opening keynote and will be joined by executives from GE Hitachi Nuclear, ESPN, CBS Sports, SAS, Microsoft, K4Connect and more. Entrepreneur George Taylor, who has been instrumental in building the ecosystem for startups in North Carolina, will make a special announcement about his work to launch a brewery run by active gang members during the closing keynote. Headlining Thursday’s schedule, Onur Tukel returns to Wilmington for the Southern US Premiere of his latest film “The Misogynists” – a devastatingly satirical comedy about two Trump supporters celebrating in a hotel room on election night. Cucalorus will host the World Premiere of Canadian filmmakers Hannah Cheesman and Mackenzie Donaldson’s “The Definites” – a tightly crafted drama about a woman who leaves her husband-to-be and dives into her own wild desires during a libidinous, party-filled weekend at Art Basel in Miami. Rounding out the premieres at the festival are Dan Mirvish’s “Bernard and Huey,” Jordan Canning’s “Ordinary Days,” Jennifer Morrison’s “Sun Dogs,” and Bob Byington’s “Infinity Baby.” The full lineup of over 200 features and shorts will be announced next week and will include special curated programs from Toronto International Film Festival‘s Lisa Haller and Lisa Vandever from Cinekink. The festival’s Works-in-Progress program, a workshop-style review of top social documentaries in-the-making from African American filmmakers, includes Unapologetic by Ashley Mills, Seeds of Struggle by Dennis Terry, Woody Shaw: Beyond All Limits by Woody Shaw III, Time of the Phoenix: The First Rainbow Coalition by Ray Santisteban, You Only Live Once by Terrance Pitts, and While I Breathe, I Hope by Emily Harrold. The newest branch of the festival family is the Cucalorus Stage program, built on the success of performance-focused events like Dance-a-lorus, the Bus to Lumberton, and Visual/Sound/Walls. The Cucalorus Stage Experience includes more than 40 performers working in dance, music, theatre, comedy and performance. Alexandra Tatarsky returns to the festival with “Americana Psychobabble” – a delirious anti-narrative of American emptiness, violence and nonsense — part exorcism and part enema! Returning to the fest after her buzz-worthy debut, Shirley Gnome will share her new show “Taking it up the Notch.” Dram Tree Shakespeare, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps and a host of other cutting edge performers round out the lineup while the David Lynch-inspired Bus to Lumberton installation is being created by award-winning alum Josephine Decker.

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