“DECODING ANNIE PARKER” OPENS FESTIVAL THURSDAY, APRIL 4; CLOSES WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “CHEZ UPSHAW”

Festival Presents 26 World and 8 U.S. Premiere Feature Films

 

The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) announced its highly anticipated film line-up for the 18^th edition, April 4-11, 2013, featuring 26 World Premieres, 8 U.S. Premieres and 3 North American Premieres.  PBIFF (www.pbifilmfest.org) will present features, documentaries and short films from the U.S. and around the world, including Russia, Spain, Argentina, Italy, France, England, Israel, Thailand, Palestine, Ethiopia, Nepal, Haiti, Croatia, Australia, Canada, Romania and Singapore, to name just a few, and will play host to filmmakers, producers, and actors to represent and discuss their films. 

 

“We are excited by this year’s program,” comments PBIFF Director Randi Emerman, “which reflects our ongoing mission to engage with the community, expanding and enhancing its knowledge of the world through the unique lens of independent film.  We encourage people to take this opportunity to enjoy these diversely international stories."

 

Opening Night kicks off with Decoding Annie Parker, directed by Steven Bernstein.  The film stars Maggie Grace, Academy Award winner Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton (as Anne Parker), Rashida Jones and Aaron Paul. Based on a true story, the film follows two women on remarkable journeys over 15 years.  The brave, very funny and always irreverent Anne Parker watches her family stalked and devastated by a cruel illness, and as singular her spirit, she is still deeply affected as she is left virtually alone in the world.  Mary Claire King, a brilliant geneticist, believes there is a genetic link to the type of cancer that afflicts people like Annie but few believe her and even fewer support her.  As the years pass the illness reaches Annie and changes not only her body, but her relationship with her husband and her son, both ill-equipped to deal with the mayhem that descends upon them. Remarkably, Annie rises up and fights against the odds as she is dealt blow upon blow, learning as she goes something that she believes might save her.  Dr. King also meets many seemingly insuperable obstacles, but manages to find something of unimaginable significance as slowly, inexorably these two women’s stories begin to converge, until the final, heroic, and uplifting finale.   Director Steve Bernstein, the real-life Annie Parker and some cast members, tba, will be attending.  Opening Night festivities will take place Thursday, April 4 at Muvico Parisian at CityPlace, followed by a party on the luxurious rooftop of Two City Plaza.

 

The fest will close with the U.S. Premiere of “Chez Upshaw” a comedy directed by Bruce Mason and starring Illeana Douglas and Kevin Pollak.  An endlessly bickering but truly devoted and quirky couple run a B&B that's about to sink when along comes the opportunity of a lifetime... they turn it into a 'check in, don't check out' last resort for assisted suicides.  Director Bruce Mason and Illeana Douglas will be attending.  Closing night festivities will take place at Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille/IMAX on Thursday, April 11, followed by the “It’s a Wrap” party.

 

Additional highlights of this year’s PBIFF include:

 

The ever-popular Weekend of Shorts at the Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theatre

(Fri-Sun), as well as the Voices of Local Films which will screen at The Cobb Downtown at the Gardens on Saturday, April 6.

 

Sunday night, April 7, the festival will present an evening of music videos along with a reception at the famed DeBilzan Gallery in Delray Beach. 

 

Eastern European Sidebar – A nod to South Florida’s burgeoning Russian population, the festival will present a selection of films from the Eastern bloc, providing an opportunity to view life from a different perspective.  Russian Film Commissioner Eugene Zykov will attend the festival and make an appearance at the screening of The Flying Elephant for a Q&A after the film.

 

Screenings of this year’s films will be held at Muvico Parisian 20 and IMAX at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Cobb Downtown at the Gardens, Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theatre in Lake Worth, and Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille/IMAX.

 

Passes and Tickets are on sale now!  Platinum passes are available for $350, which include priority admission for 1 for the Opening Night Film and Party, all regular festival screenings, Closing Night and the Silver Screen Splash event; Premiere passes are available for $225, which provide admission to the Opening and Closing night film and party, as well as all regular festival screenings; Gold passes are available for $175, which provide admission to all films and seminars.  Individual tickets for special events are also available.  Individual screening tickets, which are $10 general admission and $7 for seniors and students will be available in advance at www.pbifilmfest.org or can be purchased at the respective theaters’ box office during the festival.

 

The Palm Beach International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization supporting film programs in local schools and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of future filmmakers by helping them fulfill their dreams to one-day work in the world of film.  For more information, please call (561) 362-0003 or visit the festival web site at www.pbifilmfest.org.

 

Your coverage is welcome.  For Press Credentials, please click on http://pbifilmfest.org/press/credentials.html

 

 

18^TH PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

FILM LINE-UP

 

 

FEATURES

 

As High as the Sky, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE

Directed by Nikki Braendlin

Cast: Caroline Fogarty, Bonnie McNeil, Laurel Porter, Dee Wallace, Jenny O'Hara             

Margaret has always been a little… Particular. But since being dumped by her fiancée, her obsessive compulsive behaviors are in overdrive. The last thing she needs is company. Showing upon her doorstep unannounced, Margaret's nomadic older sister Josephine, with ten-years-old, daughter Hannah in tow, initially an unwanted jolt to her carefully regulated life. But their playfulness eventually wins Margaret over and she begins to loosen her neurotic control on life. However, when Margaret discovers the real reason for her sister's visit. She’s forced to confront the betrayed... and the long suppressed grief at the roof of her fastidious behaviors.                   

 

Breaking at the Edge, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Predrag Antonijevic           

Cast: Rebecca Da Costa, Milo Ventimiglia, Andie MacDowell, Louis Gossett Jr., Johnathon Schaech

Breaking at the Edge tells the story of a young pregnant woman who has increasing difficulty determining whether she is losing her grip on reality or whether her pregnancy has enabled her to see into a spiritual world that could threaten the welfare of her baby.

                         

Chez Upshaw, USA- WORLD PREMIERE – CLOSING NIGHT              

Directed by Bruce Mason

Cast: Kevin Pollak, Illeana Douglas, Molly Sims, Shane Johnson, Greg Grunberg, George Coe

An endlessly bickering but truly devoted and quirky couple run a B&B that's about to sink when along comes the opportunity of a lifetime... they turn it into a 'check in, don't check out' last resort for assisted suicides.     

Decoding Annie Parker, USA – OPENING NIGHT

Directed by Steven Bernstein

Cast:  Maggie Grace, Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton, Rashida Jones, Aaron Paul
Based on a true story, the film follows two women on remarkable journeys over 15 years.   These two women are separated by thousands of miles, by circumstance, background and education, and yet, as told in the film, their two lives gradually intertwine until a final, singular and life changing reckoning.

 

Full Circle, USA- WORLD PREMIERE               

Directed by Solvan Naim

Cast: Rob Morgan, Kevin Hale, Solvan Naim, Eden Maryshow, Celestine Rae

An action comedy about a Brooklyn pizza boy who seeks revenge on a local neurotic thug after his best friend is killed in a case of mistaken identity.      

 

Harmony, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE         

Directed by Dana Lustig                                          

Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Dougray Scott, David Warner, Emilia Fox

HARMONY is an unsettling psychological journey set in London in the vein of The Butterfly Effect.  Mia's (Jodie Whittaker) life is turned upside down when she is forced to open a box of her dead mother's effects.                           

Less Lost, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Chase Conner

Cast: Shane Fike, Brandon Alexander, Heather Dodson, Chase Conner, Adam Ives, William Morgan, Corey Krebs, James Trussel, Stephanie Mason-Teague        

Less Lost is about a young, medically retired soldier and his struggles to reconnect with his wife and daughter.                   

 

Lonely Boy, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Dale Fabrigar                       

Cast: Alev Aydin, Natalie Distler, Melora Walters, Richard Riehle, Lynn Whitfield, Greg Vrotsos, Mackenzie Astin

The romantic misadventures of a schizophrenic bachelor.

 

Lost for Words, Hong Kong - WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Stanley J. Orzel    

Cast: Will Yun Lee, Sean Faris, Grace Huang, Joman Chiang, Terence Yin

Amidst the sweeping cityscape of cosmopolitan Hong Kong, an ex-Marine falls in love with a ballerina from China. Against mounting cultural and religious pressure, the two star-crossed lovers risk it all in pursuit of true love.          

 

Lost on Purpose, USA- WORLD PREMIERE   

Directed by Ian Nelms                             

Cast: Jane Kaczmarek, C. Thomas Howell, James Lafferty, Aaron Hill, Michelle Lang, Micheal Lawson, Tom Fudegi, Octavia Spencer

Our story takes place in the fertile, San Joaquin Valley.  Fueled by gin and sheer determination, Elizabeth James (Ms. Liz) operates her third generation dairy farm outside the region's domineering co-ops.    

 

No God, No Master, USA         

Directed by Terry Green           

Cast: David Strathairn, Ray Wise, Sam Witwer, Alessandro Mario

When a series of package bombs show up on the doorsteps of prominent politicians and businessmen in the summer of 1919, U.S. Bureau of Investigation Agent William Flynn is called to the scene.        

 

Pablo, Cuba- WORLD PREMIERE      

Directed by Yosmani Acosta Martinez                               

Cast: Javier Diaz Varona, Omar Franco Morejon, Francisco Aramis Delgado Cruz, Jorge Luis Lopez Gomez, Lianet Perez Elena, Maria Antonia Jimenez Becera

After the violent manipulation he has been the victim of, Pablo, an eleven-year-old boy, feels the need to choose.                  

 

Renoir, France             

Directed by Gilles Bourdos     

Cast:  Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers

In his twilight years, celebrated impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir is tormented by the loss of his wife, the pains of his arthritic old age and the terrible news that his son Jean has been wounded in action. But when a young girl miraculously enters his world, the old painter is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy. Blazing with life, radiantly beautiful, Andrée will become his last model and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. Back at the family home to convalesce, Jean too falls under the spell of the new, redheaded star in the Renoir firmament. In their Mediterranean Eden - and in the face of his father’s fierce opposition - he falls in love with this wild, untamable spirit…and as he does so, within weak-willed, battle-shaken Jean, a filmmaker begins to grow.

 

Rushlights, USA- US PREMIERE         

Directed by Antoni Stutz         

Cast: Josh Henderson, Haley Webb, Aidan Quinn, Beau Bridges

A psychological coming of age thriller, revolves around Billy and Sarah, two delinquent teenage lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles, traveling to a small southern town to falsely claim a dead friend’s inheritance.

 

Still Mine, Canada                     

Directed by Michael McGowan

Cast:  James Cromwell, Genevieve Bujold, Campbell Scott

Based on true events and laced with wry humor, Still Mine is a heartfelt love story about fiercely independent farmer Craig Morrison (Academy Award® nominee James Cromwell) who comes up against the system when he sets out to build a more suitable house on their 2,000 acre farm for his wife (Academy Award® nominee Geneviève Bujold) whose health is starting to fade. Although Craig Morrison is using the same methods his father, a shipbuilder, taught him, times have changed. Craig quickly gets on the wrong side of an overzealous building inspector, who finds just about everything unacceptable, including the unstamped wood Craig has milled from his own trees. As Irene becomes increasingly ill – and amidst a series of stop-work orders – Craig races to finish the house. Hauled into court and facing jail, Craig takes a final stance against the system for individual freedom and independence.

 

Suburban Backlot, USA

Directed by Austin Boggs

Cast: Bryan Patrick Moore, Michael Martin, MC Wreckshin, Austin Boggs

Suburban Backlot is the story of the very independent cinema told through the eyes of two friends on the verge of entering the real world.

 

The Deception, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE    

Directed by Jay Durrwachter

Cast: David Basse, Jerry G. Angulo, Garrett Wade, Corner Jarrett

Composed of two intertwining stories, one a gay coming-of-age story of a teenager nicknamed "Chip" and his first love; the second, that same character twenty years later. Now called Christopher and in the closet, he wants a life in politics, and is about to run for the Maryland Senate with the help of his fiancée's family - one of the most politically connected in Washington. But when Chris' first love resurfaces in his life, a man who reignites a passion in him, Chris' carefully constructed world threatens to crumble around him. This edgy coming of age political thriller was the life dream of its writer and director Jay Durrwachter who died suddenly after the completion of the shooting of the film. The film is shot entirely in New Mexico. 

 

The Kings of Summer, USA

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts           

Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie

Three unhappy teenage boys head into the wilderness with a plan to build a house and live off the land.

 

The Mystical Laws, Japan- FLORIDA PREMIERE        

Directed by Isamu Imakake                    

Cast: Takehito Koyasu, Shinichiro Miki, Satsuki Yukino, Ryoka Yuzuki, Daisuke Hirakawa

In the near future, a military and economic superpower of Asia is rocked by a coup. Tathagata Killer, a man from the military division has assumed the position of emperor and established the Godom Empire. The U.S. and the United Nations have now lost all power and are helpless against this new threat presented to the world.

           

The Shift, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Lee Cipolla            

Cast: Leo Oliva, Casey Fitzgerald, Danny Glover

The Shift is the story of one 12-hour shift in the ER where a veteran nurse, who struggles with the haunting guilt of his brother's drowning, is forced to train a new nurse. The veteran nurse, Kayle, and the new nurse, Amanda, are at odds throughout the story.  Kayle believes in doing whatever is best for the patient, even if that means letting them rest in peace. Amanda believes you should fight for everyone until there is nothing left. While Kayle and Amanda take care of several patients that night, there is one patient, a young girl named Emily (Genesis Ochoa), who makes them question their beliefs. Emily is dying of cancer and has come to the ER due to another infection. The dichotomy of Emily's bravery and her mother's distress eats at the hearts of the two nurses. When Emily's situation suddenly becomes more serious, Kayle and Amanda are forced to make impossible decisions. 

 

Tilt, Bulgaria, Germany                           

Directed by Viktor Chouchkov

Cast: George Staykov, Yavor Baharoff, Radina Kardjilova

Political changes, corruption, and social suppression - can a young love survive in times of turmoil and chaos?

                         

Twilight of the Gods, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE   

Directed by Julian Doyle                          

Cast: Jud Charlton, Richard Franklin, Annie Walker

The composer Richard Wagner and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche were good friends. But on the day of Wagner's triumphal opening of his new opera house Nietzsche walked away from his friend and later threatened to kill him.

 

Villa, Itinerario de una Pasion (Villa, A Journal of Passion), Mexico- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Juan Andrés Bueno, Maria de Lourdes Deschamps Briones

Cast: Teresa Ruiz, Joaquín Cosio, Dominika Paleta

Following the underhanded murder of Pancho Villa on the outskirts of Parral, Chihuahua, and the whole city mourned his death. The wake for the revolutionary hero was held by his closest collaborators. Standing out among the mourners were the four women with whom Villa was having intimate relationships at the time of his death. As expected, the tension between the women grows and intensifies, culminating in a dramatic surprise ending.  An intimate and human portrait of the Centaur of the North.

 

Waves, Italy- U.S. PREMIERE

Directed by Corrado Sassi       

Cast: Luca Marinelli, Francesco di Leva, Kathrin Resetarits, Salvatore Sansone

The film is inspired by 'the Ebb Tide', a short novel written by R.L.Stevenson and L. Osbourne in 1894 and it's an adventurous noir set nowadays in the Mediterranean Sea. The film is a tribute to the films noir of the 1950's, shot with a low budget in a short time. It's the story of three men who leave the Italian coast with a 60 feet long sailboat and head to the south-eastern Mediterranean Sea in search of a desert island where they believe they can find an old dealer to rob.                                    

 

We Are the Mods, USA             

Directed by E.E. Cassidy          

Cast: Melia Renee, Mary Elise Hayden, Lance Drake, Najarra Townsend, Bo Barrett

Sadie's art is her photography. Nico's art is her life. Together they explore Britain's mod culture of music, fashion, drugs, and vintage scooters in contemporary Los Angeles. Sadie observes the world through the lens of her 35mm camera, but everything changes when she meets Nico, the new "mod" girl who was born with a deformed foot. Nico doesn't hide her disability, in face she loves the spotlight. Sadie is drawn into Nico's world of 60's aesthetics where Sadie learns about herself and who she really is.                             

 

 

Documentaries

 

 

07-07-07 Amorita’s Unlucky Day, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Pierre Marcel        

Follow the life of one of the most historic yachts in North America, hearing stories of all she has touched and all those that have cared for her in her 100+ years, right up until her fateful day on July 7, 2007, where she was run-down and sunk within seconds.

 

Ardeshir Mohasses: The Rebellious Artist, Iran, USA- WORLD PREMIERE          

Directed by Bahman Maghsoudlou     

A look at the controversial Iranian caricaturist and his struggles with artistic freedom.

 

Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors, USA- WORLD PREMIERE           

Directed by Heather Elliott-Famularo 

Featuring: Philip Markowicz, Rolf Hess, Aron Wajskol, William Leons, Clara Rona, Abraham Negrin

Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors shares the collective stories of six Holocaust survivors from Germany, Poland, Greece, Netherlands, and Hungary. They endured anti-Semitism, Kristallnacht, life in hiding, ghettos, camps, and death marches.

 

Comedy Warriors - Healing Through Humor, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by    John Wager

Cast: Robert Saget, BJ Novak, Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black

Five severely wounded Iraq/Afghanistan veterans were given the opportunity to explore their experiences through the healing power of humor.  This film follows their journey as they work with professional comedy writers and A-List comedians Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black, Bob Saget, and B.J. Novak, who help them write and perform their own personal stand-up comedy routines.  This exciting venture gives them new comedic perspectives from which to view their injuries and their lives, and culminates in one big night performing at one of LA's top comedy clubs.

 

Diner En Blanc: The World's Biggest Diner Party, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE

Directed by Jennifer Ash          

Established in 1988 as a one-hundred-person flash mob, Diner en Blanc has grown into 13,000 friends-of-friends who meet annually to take part in the world's largest, most elegant dinner party. In a mere twelve minutes, participants position 4,000 tables, lay out miles of white linens, crystal, sterling and epicurean is a dazzling intersection of French food and fashion that demonstrates the power of human connection and collaboration. Despite its enormity, Diner en Blanc remains a mystery. An anonymous committee of ten, led by Frenchman Francois P. organizes seating and decides who is invited. To preserve instantaneousness, the dinner's location changes every year and is secret until moments beforehand. Francois gave the filmmaker complete access to the evolution, orchestration and growing challenges of hosting the Diner en Blanc which now takes place throughout the world. The Diner en Blanc Last summer, 3,000 people stormed Lincoln Center. The wait list for the first NYC dinner numbered over 50,000.

 

Do Not Duplicate, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Jonathan Mann   

Desperate to be remembered, an eccentric locksmith uses his craft and creativity to leave a lasting legacy in New York's Greenwich Village.

 

Femme, USA

Directed by Emmanuel Itier   

Cast: Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Jean Houston, Gloria Steinem, Marianne Williamson

Femme is a quest to look for the most important and influential women around the World, in our daily life, and through Religion, Spirituality, Science, History, Politics, Philosophy, and Entertainment. We will meet and interview various leaders in each field as well as the common women living in the many geographical areas that we will visit. These interviews will be intertwined with footage of sceneries and discoveries met during the inspirational voyage. "Femme" was filed in order to show how women around the world are transforming and healing our planet. It's an invitation to elevate our school of thinking and change our code of acting with each other. We want to re-affirm the necessity for a strong female presence in all aspects of our lives and to help people understand there is a need to go beyond our differences.  It's about complementary and balance of energies, of spiritualities. It's a message of Peace, Unity, and Connectivity.         

God Loves Uganda, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE           

Directed by Roger Ross Williams         

Cast: Bishop Christopher Senyayo, Rev. Kapya Kaoma

God Loves Uganda is a powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to change African culture with values imported from America's Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting "sexual immorality" and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow Biblical Law.    

 

Haiti Untold, Canada- US PREMIERE

Directed by Dan Shannon

Cast: Sean Penn, Donna Karan, Bill Evans, Dave Toycen, Oeores Larapue

Haiti Untold chronicles the personal journey of key individuals including Sean Penn, Donna Karan and others who have put their heads and hearts to the task of effecting radical change in Haiti, following the devastating earthquake of 2010.     

 

Haverim, Israel- NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE          

Directed by Regev Contes        

Director Regev Contes' only friends are on Facebook. One of them invites him to meet, and that meeting starts the massive social protest of 2011, the biggest worldwide. Regev finds himself surrounded by thousands of people.

 

Joe Papp in 5 Acts, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE             

Directed by Tracie Holder

Cast: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Martin Sheen, James Earl Jones, Christopher Walken

Joe Papp in Five Acts is the story of New York’s indomitable, street-wise champion of the arts who introduced interracial casting to the American stage, brought us free Shakespeare in the Park, Hair, and A Chorus Line, and nurtured many of our greatest playwrights, directors, and actors. Using his life and work as its prism, the film explores the issues he chose to champion: freedom of expression; democracy in the arts; the definition of American culture.                          

 

Lost Boy Home, USA- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Mark Barger Elliott                             

Cast: Zachariah Char

Zachariah Char, a Sudanese 'Lost Boy' featured in The New York Times, returns to South Sudan and his home village of Duk Padiet to search for his mother and father 24 years after fleeing the country during a brutal civil war. Lost Boy Home resonates with everyone who struggles to find and connect with their father and mother and to feel at home in the world.

 

Meditation, Creativity, Peace, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by David Lynch

Meditation, Creativity, Peace is a documentary that follows David Lynch on a 16-country tour throughout Europe, Israel, & Brazil. The film allows audiences an exclusive looks at Lynch's craft through his lectures at top international film schools and one-on-one interview.

 

Miss You Can Do It    - WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Ron Davis             

Miss You Can Do It chronicles Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, and eight girls with various disabilities as the girls participate in the Miss You Can Do It Pageant. Abbey founded the Miss You Can Do It Pageant in 2004 and girls and their families travel from around the country to participate in this event where their inner beauty and abilities reign.

 

My Reincarnation      

Directed by Jennifer Fox                                                                           

MY REINCARNATION is an epic father-son drama, spanning two decades and three generations, about spirituality, cultural survival, identity, inheritance, family, growing old, growing up, faith, meditation, religion, magic, dreaming, Buddhism, Dzogchen - and past and future lives. The film follows the renowned reincarnate Tibetan spiritual master, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu as he struggles to save his spiritual tradition, and his Italian born son, Yeshi, who stubbornly refuses to follow in his father's footsteps.

 

Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey, India, Nepal, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Wendy J.N. Lee                    

Cast: Daryl Hannah

In this harrowing adventure documentary, seven people trek across the perilous Himalayan mountain range to educate villages on environmental responsibility, carrying out half a ton of plastic litter on their backs through blizzards.                      

 

Room to Breathe, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE               

Directed by Russell Long        

Room to Breathe is a surprising story of transformation as troubled kids in a San Francisco public middle school are introduced to the practice of mindfulness meditation. Topping the district in disciplinary suspensions, and with overcrowded classrooms creating a nearly impossible learning environment, overwhelmed administrators are left with stark choices. Do they repeat the cycle of forcing tuned-out children to listen, or experiment with a set of age-old inner practices that may provide them with social, emotional, and attentional skills that they need to succeed?

 

Running Wild - The Life of Dayton O. Hyde, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE             

Directed by Suzanne Mitchell

A cinematic adventure that examines the vibrant life of a cowboy, conservationist, and award-winning writer who through extreme perseverance is preserving part of America. From cattle drives, rodeos, and conservation battles to wild horse rescues, personal heartbreak, and newfound love, this is a self-told tale of a colorful 6'5"cowboy paralleling both the old West and America's growing awareness of the importance of protecting our natural resources. 'Running Wild' is an inspirational testament for anyone who needs motivation on their own personal journey - and reassurance that each of us can truly make a difference if we try.

 

Shooting For Home, USA – WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Greg Kappy

Tormented basketball hero Kevin Bradshaw was dead to his family and banished from his Florida town. The white-fearing African American athlete just disappeared, getting kicked out of school and into a Navy ship's jail -- before returning to college where he broke Pete Maravich's NCAA single-game scoring record. Denounced rather than celebrated, Bradshaw slept in alleys until he answered his one call to play professionally: in Israel. There, he scored 101 points in a game and became that country's first African American professional coach. He also lived in a kibbutz. Kevin hadn't died; he had fallen in love with a woman - and a country - and would discover the strength to reunite with his family in Florida for the first time in twenty years.

 

Small Small Thing, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Jessica Vale (aka Gerlach)

Cast: Olivia Zinnah, Bindu Zinnah, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, Leymah Gbowee, Barnie Jones

A Liberian mother must choose between her daughter and their tribe, after seeking justice when the young girl is raped by a family member.                        

 

Stan Herd: Down To Earth, USA- WORLD PREMIERE                

Directed by Bradley Beenders

Cast: Stan Herd

A glimpse into the life of international earthwork artist Stan Herd. Stan grew up working on the family farm, went to Art school, and then came back home and found his canvas in the field working with wheat, flowers, etc. Two of his first Kansas installations were the 160 acre portraits of Kiowa War Chief Satanta and Will Rogers.

 

Stories from an Undeclared War, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE  

Directed by Dennis Rice                          

STORIES FROM AN UNDECLARED WAR is a feature-length documentary about The Freedom Writers Diary, a collection of journal entries written by 150 'at-risk' students from Long Beach, California who were once considered 'unteachable.' Encouraged by teacher Erin Gruwell and inspired by the writings of Anne Frank, the students discovered a new way to express themselves and began to care more about history, humanity, and perhaps more importantly, their futures. This new documentary follows their story from the first day of Freshman Year in 1994 to present day.

 

Superthief, USA- WORLD PREMIERE               

Directed by Tommy Reid

Cast: Phil Christopher, Rick Porrello, James Willis, Mary Ann Christopher, Frank Calley, Paul Chamberlain, Carmen Marino, Rocco Pollutro, Ed Kovacic, Howard Seigrist

Superthief is a captivating firsthand look at the life of Phil Christopher, a career criminal, Mafia associate, and one of the most successful bank burglars in the U.S. In a raw and candid, sometimes humorous accounting.

 

Sweet 16, Canada- US PREMIERE      

Directed by Dan Shannon                       

Cast: Victoria Sobey, Dan Shannon, Dr. Sylvie Lesage

November 14 New York City, December 2007, The United Nations in conjunction with the World Health Organization declares diabetes a worldwide epidemic, launching an annual global media awareness event, World Diabetes Day. On that day, 16 year old filmmaker Katia from Montreal was there. That was day 1 of a filmed journey, now called “Sweet 16”. SWEET 16 chronicles Katia’s highs and lows -- as she and her father/filmmaker turn the lens on herself and others with diabetes… revealing a disease that currently touches over 300 million people globally. Sweet 16 offers a fresh perspective into a silent killer, with a focus on teen issues of body image, peer pressure, in the context of this increasingly prevalent disease.

 

Take us Home, Ethiopia, USA, and Israel- FLORIDA PREMIERE            

Directed by Aileen LeBlanc    

It’s a four hour flight into their future. Until recently Fekadu and his family have been practicing Christians though they are of Jewish heritage. Will they qualify for a new life in Israel? They have been waiting in Gondar, Ethiopia for ten years. Fekadu learns that he may go only if he leaves his adopted son, Worku, behind.          

 

The Fishing Lesson, USA- WORLD PREMIERE              

Directed by Keith Sarich          

Cast: Ed Ricker, Kendra Staub

Millions of people, from all walks of life will love Matt. Matt does something in response to a societal issue that is played out countless times a day. So incredibly relevant that this short feature will make you smile and finally believe 'we got even'. A must see!             

 

The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by David L. Lewis    

Pleasures' profiles legendary jazz critic and civil libertarian Nat Hentoff, whose pioneering career tracks the greatest cultural and political movements of the last 65 years. The film is about an idea as well as a man -- the idea of free expression as the defining characteristic of the individual. Hentoff is a pioneering journalist who raised jazz as an art form and was present at the creation of 'alternative' journalism. 'Pleasures' wraps the themes of liberty and identity around a historical narrative that stretches from the Great Depression to the Patriot Act. With a mix of interviews, archival footage and music, it employs a complex non-linear structure to engage the audience in a life of independent ideas and the creation of an enduring voice.              

 

Trafficked - The Reckoning, Australia, Thailand- NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE

Directed by Luigi Acquisto                                     

Trafficked- The Reckoning is the inspiring story of a former police officer's quest to find the man who enslaved a thirteen-year-old Thai girl in a Sydney brothel.  

 

Trial By Fire: Lives Reforged, USA       

Directed by Megan Smith-Harris                                                          

Trial By Fire: Lives Reforged celebrates the inspirational strength, courage and hope of burn survivors who transcend critical injuries to reclaim first their lives, and then their dreams.  The film features Dancing with the Stars Champion, J.R. MARTINEZ, among others, who show us that "Scars are like tattoos, but with better stories."

 

Two-Sided Story, Israel, Palestinian Territories- NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE

Directed by Tor Ben Mayor                                     

The film follows a group of 27 Israelis and Palestinians who meet under the frame of a unique project called History through the Human Eye, led by the Parents Circle Families Forum bereaved Palestinian and Israelis for Peace and Reconciliation. The project goal is to acknowledge the narrative of the other. Among them bereaved families, religious people, settlers, ex-soldiers in the Israeli army, ex-security prisoners, citizen who live close to the Gaza border, second generation Holocaust survivors and nonviolent activists. The participants offer us an insight into their inner world, they share their personal experiences along with historical and political interpretation to key events in the conflict: The 1948 war, the Holocaust, Occupation, bereavement, suicide bombing, Israeli soldiers, the separation wall etc.

 

UNFIT: Ward vs. Ward, USA  

Directed by Edwin Scharlau                  

Who is more fit to raise a child: a convicted killer or a lesbian?  According to one judge in Florida, the convicted killer.  UNFIT: Ward vs Ward follows the true story of Mary Ward who lost custody of her eleven year old daughter because she was a lesbian.

 

Uprising, Egypt, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Fredrik Stanton                                    

Produced by an Academy Award-winning team including the Executive Producer of Taxi to the Dark Side and the Editor of Inside Job, UPRISING tells the inside story of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its principal leaders and organizers.

 

 

EASTERN EUROPEAN FEATURES

 

My Dad Baryshnikov, Russia 

Directed by Dmitri Povolotsky

Cast:  Vladimir Kapustin, Anna Mikhalkova, Lyudmila Titova

Russia in the time of Perestroika the borders are opening up and rock music is hitting the alleyways of Moscow. Its 1986 and black market jeans are the quickest way to get you into the cool crowd. For Borya, the clumsiest pupil at the infamous Bolshoi Theater Ballet Academy, supplying these jeans to his classmates is his ticket into popularity, along with his claim to be the son of Russia's most famous ballet dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov, an idea fed to him by his mother. It is only a matter of time before these claims catch-up to Borya. In a place where decorum and conformity rule, Borya's dreams are met head on in a hilarious and heart-warming way that takes us back to the 80s when the world was starting to rumble under the headphones of the portable Walkman.

 

The Flying Elephant, Russia

This is a film portrait of Alexander Rukavishnikov, one of the top 30 contemporary sculptors in the world. Born into a family of famous Russian sculptors and artists, he reflects on modern fine arts and gives a curious view upon Soviet censorship and modern realities, which have had an impact on his art. The film follows the sculptor as he works, meets his students at the institute, receives an award at the Art Academy, and compliments from Vladimir Putin on the monument to a famous cello player, Stanislav Rostropovich. The film gives insight into his amazing talent: his monuments most often interact with audiences. Ita also reveals his hidden talents, such as a passion for karate, which earned him the nickname THE FLYING ELEPHANT.

 

The Match, Russia – U.S. PREMIERE

Directed by Andrey Malyukov

1942. Nikolai Ranevich, goalkeeper and star Kiev "Dynamo", lose the most precious - freedom, his girlfriend Anna, and the ability to play football. Anna rescues Nikolai from captivity, but now they cannot be together.  Germans organize football championship between local teams and national teams of Wehrmacht. Ranevich gathers friends and re-enters on the field of play for their honor, for love, for the Motherland!

 

Tilt, Bulgaria – U.S. PREMIERE

Directed by Viktor Chouchkov

Political changes, corruption, social suppression - can a young love survive in times of turmoil and chaos?

 

White Tiger, Russia

Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov

Great Patriotic War, early 1940s. After barely surviving a battle with a mysterious, ghostly-white Tiger tank, Red Army Sergeant Ivan Naydenov becomes obsessed with its destruction.

 

 

MUSIC VIDEOS

 

El Duelo, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Jennifer Nicole Stang                         

Cast: Javier Gutierrez, Mario Gonzalez, Alastair Wilson, Jennifer Nicole Stang

A day in the life of El Javi, guitarist and songwriter.      

                         

Into The Cold, USA- WORLD PREMIERE        

Directed by Justin Edwards    

Cast: Aaron Farb, Alain Azoulay, Maralyn Facey, Kyle Soehngen

A man investigates the murder of his brother.

 

Let Your Light Shine, USA- WORLD PREMIERE           

Directed by John Ryan

Cast: Nick Pellegrino, Bianca D’Ambrosio, Chiara D’Ambrosio               

The purpose and mission of their project is to go head-to-head with bullies. In addition to the release of 'Let Your Light Shine,' Bianca and Chiara have also designed an anti-bullying T-shirt and pledged a portion of the proceeds from the sales.                       

 

Living by Arrested Development, USA- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Jason Berry

Cast: Speech Thomas, JJ Boogie, Tasha LaRae, One Love

They won 2 Grammy Awards and countless other accolades.  But then - they stopped making music... right?  Wrong.  America just stopped listening.  Arrested Development has been making music for the last twenty years and performing live on almost every continent.                     

         

My Heart Belongs to You, USA- WORLD PREMIERE  

Directed by Lev Polyakov        

A hamster falls in love with an elementary school teacher and dreams about rescuing her from evil demons.        

Off the Back of the Boat, USA- WORLD PREMIERE    

Directed by Aaron Wells         

Nashville singer/songwriter Casey Derhak's debut music video, a laid-back homage to life 'Off the back of the Boat.'           

 

Smoker, USA, Serbia/Montenegro- NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE

Directed by Nemanja Gavrilovi            

Cast: Tony Garcia                      

Tony Garcia's song and video, Smoker, addresses the issue of smoking from the perspective of the cigarette. An animated cigarette dances and sings directly and defiantly to the smoker who may think they have 'it' under control, but the song questions who the real controller is.                 

 

The Beast and the Angel, USA

Directed by Shira Piven

The Beast and the Angel peers into the transformed life of Wayne Kramer, famed guitarist and founder of the influential American band The MC5. He once lived a life of rock and roll, radical politics and drug and alcohol addiction, doing prison time in his 20s, and finally getting clean at age 50. Now 14 years sober, Wayne's belief in service as a healing principle takes shape both through his music and his charity, Jail Guitar Doors, which brings guitars into prisons for inmate rehabilitation.

 

 

 

Short FILMs

 

1969 Palm Beach Pop Festival Documentary, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Jack Connell

Cast: Rev. Arthur Blessitt, Rev. Jess Moody, Greg Rice, Sam Cutler, Russell 'Buddy' Helm              

The 1969 Palm Beach Pop Festival almost never happened. Local, State, and even Federal Government tried to stop it. County government held zoning meetings. The first Republican governor in 100 years, was a Nixon crony.           

 

3 Puffs of Gold, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Reena Dutt            

Cast: Meena Serendib, Sunkrish Bala, Stephanie Turner, Anthony Alabi, David Joseph Craig, Amanda Hendrickson, Ryan Brandon

A young woman is keeping a painful secret. Her silence is about to take on a magical life of its own.         

 

A Better Place Than This, USA- WORLD PREMIERE   

Directed by Daniel Grove        

Cast: Reza Sixo Safai, Tania Nolan, Archie Kao, Alexandre Chen, Kamuela Kim, Kamil Haque, Jonathan Oldham

A lonely Singaporean death row guard tries to help a young Australian convicted of drug trafficking accept her fate despite a bizarre contradiction - he is her executioner.  Inspired by the true life figure Darshan Singh, Singapore's Chief Executioner.            

 

A Roof for My Country, Haiti-WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Richard Burns                                                     

In this 15 minute documentary, A Roof Over My Head is a heartfelt story from the point-of-view of 9 American teenagers who learn a life-lesson about happiness from the impoverished spiritual Haitians during a mission trip to build three houses in a rural area.

 

Battles, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Montserrat Lombard                                         

Cast: Sean Harris, Aglae Froment

Battles is the tale of a man who has run away from his home life as he suffers from depression.  He hides away in a hotel room waiting for someone or something to give him the strength he needs to return to reality. 

Bighorn Sheep, USA- WORLD PREMIERE       

Directed by Mitchell Winkie                   

Cast: Andrew Dufresne, Rebecca Spicher

A father and daughter take a reluctant road trip through the American Southwest as they reflect and rationalize the scars of their past.         

 

Building a Relationship, USA- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Brittany Portman

Red Brick, a dilapidated red brick building, is part of urban blight. Steele N. Glass is a magnificent structure that adorns the skyline and stands next to Red Brick. Red Brick is infatuated with Steele and wishes to win her.  Watch Red Brick as his transformation unfolds in this Eco romantic film short.  Ah…love is in the air!

         

Call to Action USA- WORLD PREMIERE         

Directed by Hunter G Williams            

Cast: Hunter G Williams, Chris Hayes, Lily Tomlin, Scott Campbell, Kristen Ruhlin, Nicole Sienna, Woody Andrews, Jeff Stearns, Tess Kartel, Christina Collard

A day in the obscure life of a 30's something successful Producer and what it takes to produce a film.       

 

Coastguards, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE       

Directed by Austin Gallagher

Cast: Austin Gallagher, Neil Hammersohlag, Erica Staateram

Coastguards hopes to illustrate humanity's obsession and mixture of fear and fascination for sharks, while bringing their ecological importance and plight into the spotlight. Told through the filmmaker’s perspective, Coastguards is a metaphor for the role sharks play in maintaining the health and stability of our precious blue planet.

         

Crocodile Nile, Spain- FLORIDA PREMIERE

Directed by Javier Dampierre

Cast:  Antonio Dechent, Jaydy Michel, Adrian Boveda, Manuel Manquina           

Javier and Laura arrive at a motel after a tedious trip with their son Alvarito. Javier wants to leave his son with some children supervisors and go up to the bedroom with his wife. However, there's just one little problem: Alvarito is afraid of Crocodile Nile.  

 

Date in Time, Canada- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Norman Hussey 

Cast: Jen Viens, Altair Vincent, Ian Webb, Austin Duffy

A tired and disillusioned bartender deals with the local degenerates in her small, nearly empty bar. One night a mysterious stranger enters with a bizarre story and a unique offer. 

 

Death & The Red Dress, USA 

Directed by Jeremy C. Colfer and Christopher Franchino

Cast: Jonathan Marc Sherman, Austin Lysy, Mia Barron, Christopher Clawson, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Chris Sullivan         

An homage to Film Noir of the 1940s, the film follows the character of Death as he attempts to convince a stubborn soul that his time is up.              

 

Dr. Gutman’s Eulogy, USA- WORLD PREMIERE                          

Cast: Ryan P. Shrime, Ethan Kogan, Juliet Landau, Penny Orloff, Larry Gelman, Jean Kaufman, Chad Benton, Bobby Reed, Lisa Stanley, Ronnie Clark, Amelia Rose

A grieving son tries to find the words to send his father off, while dodging bad advice, match maker family members, and his own anxieties.

         

El Silencio de Verónica USA- WORLD PREMIERE        

Directed by Martin Castaneda                               

Cast: Daniella Rincon, Miranda Abdelnour, Miranda Abdelnour, Juan Jimenez, John Trapani

A single mother struggles to make her daughter happy on her birthday.

         

Elegy for a Revolutionary, South Africa, USA- WORLD PREMIERE       

Directed by Paul van Zyl

Cast: Brian Ames, Martin Copping, Glen Anthony Vaughn, Tomas Boykin, Keston John, David Ross Patterson, Steve Humphreys ,Zack Yanni, Michael Enright, Marcia Battise  

Two friends oppose the apartheid-era government in South Africa. Their choice to use violence tears their relationship apart.         

 

Evie Wants A Baby, Australia- WORLD PREMIERE    

Directed by Jemma van Loenen            

Cast:  Carissa McAllen, Adam Ford, Mick Preston, Kelly Hynes, Sally McLean, Vikrant Narain, Jewel

It's Evie's 40th. Her boozy friends debate the politics of children. Evie wants kids. A pregnant belly dancer and the goblet of fertility may provide the answer.         

 

For Closure, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by James Felix McKenney

Cast:  Laura Camien, Wesley Day, Ryan Parrulli

A woman facing life's biggest failures cannot fathom facing family. Clinging to her pride while all else slips away, she is forced to make the last call. Can the loss of her house finally lead her home?        

 

Gator Green, USA- FLORIDA PREMIERE

Directed by Jim VanBebber

Cast: Jim VanBebber, Roger Marshall, Maureen Allisse, Scott Gabbey, Betanya Grant

A demented Vietnam veteran and his pals run amuk at an alligator farm in Florida in 1973.        

 

Hatch, Austria, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Christoph Kuschnig                                                          

Cast: Max Mayer, Vedran Kos, Tina Keserovic, Andreas Patton, Peter Faerber, Ursula Strauss, Michael Steinocher

A newborn's destiny hangs in the balance, as grownups come to terms with what they cannot have.        

 

Have We Met? USA- U.S. PREMIERE

Directed by Bill Ronat

Cast: Terrence Girard, Roy Padrick                      

A once powerful but aging professor with diminished abilities gets a surprise visit from a man with orders to kill the professor. The professor and hit man engage in a cat and mouse play, with the professor trying to figure out who ordered the hit.              

 

Honey in the Moon, USA- WORLD PREMIERE              

Directed by Peter Musooli       

Cast: John McGlothlin, Amanda Tudesco, Reid Cox

The wedding night for a young couple is filled with presents, cake and a bit of deception and murder.     

 

In the Night, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE    

Directed by Ivana Bobic           

Cast: Ben Aldridge, Danijela Dimitrovska, Isadora Trickovic, Nikola Ljubicic                                     

After being betrayed by her boyfriend, sleepless DANIJELA wanders through Belgrade on a hot summer night, searching for something to distract her. The film is inter-cut with dream sequences and explores the place between imagination and reality.            

 

Jack & Jill, Australia- US PREMIERE

Directed by Lloyd Harvey

Cast: Jacob Worth, Molly Ellison, Hayley McCarthy, Ash Bee, Kirby Burgess, James Carrick, Richard Carwin, David Buckley, Adam Ibrahim, Mathew Millay                                         

Sometimes a little truth... finds its way into a little fairytale...     

 

Kyoto Rain, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Andi Sinkovics    

Cast: Rob Langston, Shuna Iijima, Akie Kotabe, Tsuwayuki Saotome

Kyoto Rain is a semi sweet comedy short that takes place in a Kyoto hotel in Japan on a rainy night.  Three strangers Masahito, Kurt and Shoko meet in a pod hotel in Kyoto during a storm. Their prejudices about one another will get them into ridiculous situations. In the midst of all the calamities they fail to realize that the source of their misjudgments have been in fact their own miseries...     

 

La Historia Dominguez, USA- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Orlando Porro      

Cast: Jose Dominguez, Adela Dominguez, Adela Porro, Sagia Castañeda, Orlando Porro

A Cuban-American grandson explores the strength of a family forced to flee its homeland.           

 

Lectern, USA- WORLD PREMIERE    

Directed by Jeffrey Miller         

Cast: Mark Alhadeff, Patrick O. Jones

A young man's high standards poison his comfortable life and shackle him to the difficult task of making a meaningful and unique contribution to the world.       

 

Light Me Up, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Ryan Walton        

Meet the Wattsons. They're spending some quality time together. In this short film, animation and live-action are combined to tell a story about a family of light bulbs.       

 

Mae and Ash, USA- WORLD PREMIERE          
Directed by Shuchi Talati

Cast: Kelsey McNamee, Milo Cawthorne, Natasha Sims, Zachary Weber

Mae and Ash live together, play silly word games and keep score on a blackboard. And every once in a while, they go out on dates -- with other people. They have one rule -- they never meet each other’s dates.  And it seems to work until Mae returns home to          

 

Manifest, USA- WORLD PREMIERE 

Directed by Seth Myers, Ted Wittman 

Cast: Ted Wittman

A disoriented young man, barefooted and dressed in an oversized suit, finds himself walking up to an old abandoned barn.  As the man passes through, he slowly becomes aware of his looming fate.        

 

Matriarche, France    

Directed by Guillaume Pierret               

Cast: Catherine Badet-Corniou, Adrien Bienvenu, Fabrice Delorme, Monika Kekus, Patrick Sicsic, Damien Leconte, Julien Riquier, Rémi Leautier, Stephen Scardicchio, Florent Plisson

Visiting room of a prison. Confrontation between a mother and her son, after this one has took part in a bloody robbery.   

 

Mistreatment, Australia- WORLD PREMIERE               

Directed by Andrew Handelsmann    

Cast: Andrew Hollo

In October 2002, Dr. Andrew Hollo went to the house of his elderly patient, Mrs. Elise Herrman, on what he says was a routine home visit. But when Mrs. Herrman lapsed into unconsciousness a few hours later from an insulin overdose, Dr. Hollo soon found himself charged with her attempted murder. Did the doctor try to kill his patient?            

 

Nach Hause,  Switzerland- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Janos Menberg     

Cast: Jean-Pierre Cornu, Markus Merz, Valerie Schneider, Priska Baumann

Vincent wants to go home to persuade his wife to come back to him. His Alzheimer, however, does not make it easy for him as everything is not as it appears in his world.     

 

Neighbors, USA- SOUTH FLORIDA PREMIERE          

Directed by Judd Cherry

Cast: David Anders, Gregory Thompson, Katherine Randolph, Jimmy Dinh, Scott MacArthur, Mams Taylor, Derek Reckley

Have you ever been in a competition with a friend or neighbor? Well Timothy Longshanks has been for years. And now he's on a mission to win that competition no matter what the cost. But his unaware, gentle-giant of a neighbor, Big Al, always has what Tim just got, or better. A journey of one-upmanship ensues leading Tim to the far corners of the world and back again. His mania ultimately leads him down a path of no return ending in hilariously disastrous results.      

 

Nostos, USA- WORLD PREMIERE    

Directed by Jonathan Chekroune          

Cast: John Trapani, Izzy Martinez       

A talented but failed painter struggles with everything he has to have his work recognized. When it doesn't work he must find a way to finally be noticed. But his new method is far from ordinary.  

 

Pareto Principle, USA- WORLD PREMIERE   

Directed by Beneyam Wolde-Yohannes             

Cast: Markiss McFadden, Theron Cook, Shishir Kurup, Monica Turner

It doesn't take too long to figure out that you've been given the short end of the stick in life if you grew up in poverty. It's an everyday struggle, a rat race if you will, all for one thing- the American Dream.

         

Playing Through, USA- WORLD PREMIERE  

Directed by Paul Wagner        

Best friends Paulie and Harry are enjoying a leisurely round of golf on the local links.  Their slow pace of play, however, frustrates the group behind them.  Their decision to not let the group go ahead of them and 'play through' leads to deadly consequences.

 

Plush, USA- US PREMIERE   

Directed by Ryan Denmark    

Cast: Vanessa Claire Smith, Jason Witter

Kathy is a mature, professional woman who still sleeps with her cuddly teddy bear Vincent.  One night, when a burglar invades, Kathy's home comes alive with magical surprises.  To his horror, the intruder learns that not everything is as it seems and Vincent may not be so cuddly after all.

 

Prized Begonias, USA- WORLD PREMIERE   

Directed by Frank Eberling                     

Ms. Pink, a lonely eccentric spinster takes regular walks in a cemetery to find people to talk to and befriend. Ms. Pink meets a recently widowed young woman, Ms. Black and tries to console her.

         

Regresie', Romania- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Robert Popa

Dorian Boguta, Irina Ghinea Enache, Alexandru Georgescu, Geo Dobre, Michel Horatiu Bob, Claudiu Trandafir, Pete Meech, Dan Balasoiu, Valentin Popescu, Malina Tomoioaga, Bud Mircea, Andra Ungureanu, Maria Mocanu, Laura Berivan, Florentina Dumitru         

Ciprian Dragulescu, a forty year old former Romanian Army driver in Afghanistan, seems affected by a very rare condition: mental regression to the development level of a five year old child.        

 

Rice Wine, Taiwan- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Jarred Davidson  

Cast: Henry Lin, Kun Zhang, Stanley Chan, Duke Rood, AJ Tseng, Huan Wen Zhe, Mei Shi Deng

A young man deeply in love battles to commit to his girlfriend fearful of losing his freedom, then comes face to face with his own fate in order for him to realize the true nature of freedom.   

 

S is for Bird, Canada- WORLD PREMIERE      

Directed by Matt Austin Sadowski

Cast: Matt Watts, Halle Nunes, Lauren Ash, Kate Todd                               

Every day is a personal hell for the loveless, and unfortunately named, Bird, who walks around with a metaphorical storm cloud over his head. He works at the Family Fun Centre, an indoor amusement park complete with bowling, glow-in-the-dark mini putt.       

 

Sahasi Chori, Singapore- US PREMIERE

Directed by Erin Galey             

Cast: Albina Dahal, Jeewan Adhikary, Tillotama Shome, Sheeba Chadha, Atanu Chettri, Kabita Ale, Anup Baral, Pushpa Adhikari

A dramatic thriller exploring con-artists of the sex industry, SAHASI CHORI follows BHUMIKA, a 13-year-old Nepali girl, traveling with her family friend KRISHNA from her Himalayan home to her first job in the city: working to supplement her brother's education by helping Krishna's pregnant sister at home. Leaving the village begins a fateful journey of unexpected events in an unfamiliar world. When Krishna suddenly asks her to cross the border with him to India, taking her further and further away from home, Bhumika must ask herself what she's willing to sacrifice for the good of both her family and Krishna's. This story is inspired by the director's firsthand experience traveling the roads of Nepal and India, and meeting survivors of sex trafficking.      

 

Salty Black Sugar, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Mizuho Endo       

Cast: Chelsea Wheatley, Grace Anderson

Experimental film following the young boy with a magic outer beauty as he learns how shallow place the world can be. His beauty power makes his life very light and boring because he does not have to face to the conflict. One day his alienation itself creates black paddle from his finger and takes him to the journey to experience his first love. In his black paddle, he learns the paradox of love. Life is not only sweet. It tastes like a salty black sugar.          

 

Semaforsiranje, Croatia- WORLD PREMIERE                

Directed by Mateo Tomislav Klaric

Cast: Domagoj Paulic, Mirta Jurilj        

A funny story about a horny guy and his imaginary friend helping him in his daily quest to satisfy his lust for women.

         

Shave it, Argentina- WORLD PREMIERE                        

Directed by Fernando Maldonado

In a jungle where giant bulldozers shave the vegetation, a monkey finds a razor and decides to use it. With a human appearance, he moves to the city and sets out to climb society's ladder.

         

Side Effects, USA- US PREMIERE        

Directed by Traven Rice

Cast: Carla Quevedo, Robert Beitzel, Ed Renninger, Jennie Sheffield

A young woman, desperate for money, enters a risky month-long drug trial. In isolation from friends and family, she is taken on a strange journey that is both harrowing and life changing.          

 

Sleeping with Siri, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Marty Riemer       

Cast: Michael Stusser

Inspired by a high school's “Digital Blackout” campaign, where students went without social networks, e-mail or texting for an entire week, journalist Michael Stusser explores both sides of the technological divide in his own insane way. Jumping first into the digital madness, the reporter explores every single technological opportunity available, 24/7 for a week (the Techno-Gorge), Four-squaring, Skyping, Tweeting and Liking everything in sight. He then drops out entirely for a second week, with no computer, e-mail or social nets, availing himself with the now-lost icons of a by-gone era, including phone booths, libraries, paper maps and letter writing.  Juxtaposing the feast or famine of our hyper-linked society, the documentary highlights the very sharp contrasts between our technologically plugged in lives and living in the present moment.

               

Southern Days Comfort, USA- WORLD PREMIERE     

Directed by Patrick McEveety

Cast: Robin Alden Douglass, Michael Alton Lowder, Lynne Newton, Kathy Bell Denton, Mike Breyer, Lynne Alana Delaney, Dwight Turner, Steve Carnahan, Robyn Von Arx, Julio Leal, Carl Ingemarsson, Kay Reul, India Adams, Grant Smith, Andrew Pierno, Chelse Swain, DH Lewis, Andrea

Reared and mentored by black nanny Annie Mae, Michael Alton Lowder, a bisexual male from the South, navigates his way through a fairytale of excess surrounded by dysfunctional upscale family and friends.    

Stigma, USA- WORLD PREMIERE                     

Directed by Phill Schwartz                     

Cast: Phillip Pruitt, Glenda Morgan Brown, Piper Major, James Thomas Gilbert, Anthony Narvaez, Jasmine Woods, Alistair McKenzie, Gregory Marcel, Mariangela Pagan, Celia Finkelstein, Laura Siegel, Tetia Stroud, Cody Stroud, Teresa Williams, Mike Rock, Antoine Perry, Samantha C

Peter's view of the world changes when he receives life altering news.  Feeling his humanity like never before, Peter sets out on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.          

 

Temma, USA- US PREMIERE               

Directed by Anya Meksin

Cast: Karen Young, Richard Bekins, Samantha Bilinkas

Neuro-programmer Temma Baumgarten tries to complete a computational model of her own mind while her body succumbs to a degenerative disease.

 

THE ~ FIX, USA- WORLD PREMIERE              

Directed by Ante Novakovic  

Cast: Kresh Novakovic, Luca Pierucci, Armand Assante, Joanna Lu, Peter Anthony Tambakis, Theodore (Teddy) Beninati, Angelo Beninati, John Drazic, Ivan Babic, Jason Criss

Redemption is a bullet away as two middling underworld associates and life-long friends quickly come to realize after failing their otherworldly crime figurehead (Vincent).          

 

The Color of Christmas, USA- WORLD PREMIERE      

Directed by Cyrus Kowsari     

Cast: Nathan Lucas, Jerome Watson, Iliana Wrinkle, Suzie Kane, Lauren Tafoya, Pati Lauren, Ingrid Sonray, Chad Merkley

Walter Whitfield must walk through hell to deliver the Christmas his daughter wants.   

 

The Mind Job, Australia- FLORIDA PREMIERE

Directed by shuchi Talati        

Cast: Matthew Moore, Krew Boylan, Lorna Lesley, Paul Barry, Ben Brock, Laurel McGowan, Debra Ades, Glen Mallory, Julia Parker, Catherine Jermanus, Rebecca Doyle, Kelly Atkinson, Sarah Grant

When nice guy Zac finds his deepest fantasies inadvertently appearing on a computer screen in front of his girlfriend and a policewoman, he has little hope of saving face, and even less of saving his relationship.

The Parachutist, United Kingdom- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Tom Tagholm      

Cast: Oliver Bigalke, Michael Smiley, Barnaby Milner Russell

A man claiming to be a German pilot from the Second World War crash-lands into an English garden, present day. This is the story of his journey home. 

 

The Reunion  , Singapore, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Allie Mills             

Cast: Ken Wade, Francesca Waters

A retired a Pan Am pilot, Walt, goes to a company reunion only to discover that he has outlived most of his old friends. Walt confronts the reality of his own imminent death and tries to cope with the loss of his friends. He desperately tries to reconnect.

 

Till Death (Hatta Al Mawt), Jordan- WORLD PREMIERE          

Directed by Bassel Ghandour                

Cast: Eyas Younis, Abdul Kareem Abu Zayyad

Omar and Mohammad are two old friends who make a living robbing random establishments. Hatta Al Mawt picks up their story as they leave a ceramics store with a doggy bag full of money, a dwindling friendship and conflicting plans for the future.              

         

Tipping Point, USA- WORLD PREMIERE        

Directed by Leo Foti  

Cast: Alex Wiesel, Adam Korson, Bonnie Shipston, Aeriel Miranda, Kwadwo Asiedu, Emanuele Secci, Caleb Hunt, Nicole Ortega

'Tipping Point' in The Cambridge Dictionary: A time during an activity or process when a situation changes completely. A brownstone building in NYC, 6 different apartments, each one of them with a completely different situation and something in common: Stuck Energy and a Tipping Point about to happen. The lives of our characters are about to change completely when something happens that will shift their perception of reality forever.              

 

Vodka Tonic, Italy, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Leonardo Foti       

Cast: Theodore Bouloukos

My cancer is you. My cancer is a plasma of 60 inches. My cancer is a number. My cancer is an account or a special offer. Being bad doesn't make any difference.  

 

Where do we go from here, USA- US PREMIERE            

Directed by Michael Challenger            

Cast: Corey Wright, Benard Addison, Karen Malina White, Monique Lea-Gall, Jaheem Toombs, Curtis C.  Jackson, Matthew Marquez, Jordan Booner

A young man surprises his family with a deep dark secret that puts them in an uncompromising truth.  

 

White Mule, USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Peter Dobson                        

In a small deserted town, a man in from a different time and place enters in a 1972 road runner to keep fate intact . . .         

 

X-Ray Man, USA- US PREMIERE

Directed by Kerri Yost                              

No, this is not a sci-fi scenario. This is real. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. government attempted to create 'super troops' who could withstand nuclear war by exposing human beings and animals to extremely high levels of radiation. Meet Darrell Robertson, a real-life superhero (and Missouri dairy farmer) who has miraculously survived these experiments and tells his shocking true story.         

 

Young(ish), USA- WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Renée Felice Smith             

Cast: Alvin Epstein, Pat Conolly, Tricia Olds, Cady Huffman, Hunt Block, Alex Shimizu

During an afternoon at the beach, an elderly couple transports back to their childhood through the help of a wooden, playground pirate ship. When their adult children come to collect them, the cyclical nature of life is exposed.

 

VOICES OF LOCAL FILMS

 

Ares 11

Directed by Robert Goodrich

Four crew members of the Ares 11, a military surveillance spacecraft, are faced with an unimaginable dilemma when their ship is attached, leaving only enough air for two of them to return to base alive.

 

Billy Has a Dark Side

Directed by Christopher Fernandez

A practicing psychotic with his favorite carving knife.

 

Death and Life

Directed by Michael Chasin

Just as he is about to be executed, a killer learns he’s the only bone marrow match for a young girl dying of leukemia.  He’ll donate to save her life IF the governor commutes his death sentence.

 

Kundalini

Directed by V. Alex Marquez

Strange things happen when friends meditate too hard.

 

Sixty-Nine Shades of Almost Funny

Directed by Jared Kaufmann, Aaron Wells

A Man gets a surprise gift from his girlfriend on his birthday:  “Fantasy #8.”